Who Holds the Switch?
Private companies now own and manage critical military infrastructure, giving them what the article calls 'switch power.' During a Ukrainian naval drone strike against Russia's Black Sea Fleet, Elon Musk declined to activate Starlink, and no government or alliance could force activation. Europe's reliance on US companies conflicts with its strategic autonomy ambitions, and alternatives like Amazon Leo and IRIS² are emerging but dependence has grown faster than alternatives can be built.
Why it matters: This matters for the theme of strategic autonomy because European reliance on US-owned switch infrastructure undermines its ability to act independently in conflict.