ICEYE to bolster Dutch space-based ISR with new SAR satellites

ICEYE, the Finnish space and defence technology company, announced its selection to provide Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems to the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), in a 23rd June press release. The agreement will advance the Netherlands’ goal of establishing sovereign, space-based defence capabilities.

Under the agreement, ICEYE will deliver a suite of ISR solutions, including four 25 cm resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, a local ground segment and antenna, and a mobile ground segment featuring an autonomous, AI-driven imagery intelligence hub. The contract also includes access to satellite data from ICEYE’s existing constellation, which currently includes 48 satellites providing a twice-daily revisit time for large portions of the earth. The company is also planning to launch 20 satellites per year in 2025 and 2026, with one launch on the 24th June including an additional six satellites. 

Notably, this collaboration lays the groundwork for the Netherlands’ first operational military satellite mission and was realized in a swift four-month timeframe from contract signing to the delivery of the first system component. 

Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and Co-founder of ICEYE, highlighted the broader implications of the deal, noting that the agreement represents “a step in European rearmament efforts for securing the defence of European nations.” He emphasized ICEYE’s pride in providing the Netherlands with a sovereign and independent satellite ISR capability at an unprecedented speed, ensuring access to objective, reliable, and actionable intelligence.

The ICEYE system is also designed to enable sharing capacity and cross-tasking with other nations, if desired, which can optimize the use of combined fleets and enhance collective space defense capabilities among European and allied nations.

ICEYE’s Recent Growth and Capabilities

Over the past year, ICEYE has significantly expanded its footprint and enhanced its technological capabilities. The company recently entered a strategic joint venture with Rheinmetall for the co-development and manufacturing of SAR satellites, a move aimed at bolstering European production capabilities. Concurrently, ICEYE has consistently grown its constellation through regular satellite launches, continually enhancing its persistent monitoring and Earth observation abilities. These launches have included the addition of 25 cm resolution SAR satellites, improving the precision and detail of its imagery regardless of weather or light conditions. 

Since the RNLAF announcement, ICEYE was also selected to provide its capabilities to the NATO Allied Command Operations as a key element of the Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space (APSS) initiative. “The APSS initiative is a multi-year, multi-domain, multinational initiative that aims to increase space-based intelligence sharing across the Alliance, leading to a more comprehensive cross-domain intelligence picture necessary to inform political decision making and military operations,” the company states.

Calibre comment 

The RNLAF appears to be at the leading edge of some of the Netherlands’ defence developments. It recently demonstrated a multi-domain targeting protocol with data shared from an F-35 to a PULS rocket launcher on the ground. The F-35 passed the target data to the Air Force’s Keystone battle management system, which automatically forwarded that data onto a unit in the Dutch Army equipped with a PULS guided rocket launcher. Keystone is designed to collect, assess, and fuse data from multiple domains, including the country’s growing array of satellites, before passing that data off to the relevant effector. Other forces refer to this type of capability variously as ‘any sensor, any shooter,’ or ‘any sensor, the right shooter.’ It also tends to be known, although less publicly, as a kill web.

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on 24th June, 2025.