Finland’s Ministry of Defence has tapped satellite manufacturer and operator ICEYE to lead a consortium to support its development of advanced space and joint intelligence capabilities, including military intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies.
The consortium will work with Lockheed Martin under the industrial participation program of the ministry’s F-35 program, a collaboration that is part of offset agreements tied to Findland’s purchase of 64 F-35s under the HX Program.
The capabilities that the ICEYE consortium will develop include disruptive capabilities such as artificial intelligence analytics, mobile ISR and high-performance, all-weather satellite aperture radar imaging.
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Pekka Laurila, ICEYE co-founder and chief strategy officer, described the company’s key role in the consortium as a “significant milestone.”
“This partnership aligns with our ambition to strengthen information capabilities and develop advanced technologies, ensuring that the Finnish defense forces and allies can be equipped with the vital knowledge and capabilities required to maintain the strategic advantage,” he said.
ICEYE, headquartered in Espoo and with six offices worldwide, operates a constellation of SAR satellites. The other consortium members are Insta, Huld, DA-Group, and the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
In addition to the aircraft delivery, which is expected to start in 2025, Lockheed is co-leading another consortium with the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland to develop signals intelligence technologies for fighter jets.