The contract was signed in Stockholm by Brigadier General Carl-Fredrik Edström, Director of the Air and Space Systems Division at the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, and Seppo Aaltonen, Vice President for Nordics and NATO at ICEYE. Under the agreement, Sweden will procure ICEYE’s SAR satellites, data, software and associated ground systems to establish a nationally controlled space-based surveillance capability.
The Swedish Armed Forces will own and operate the system, retaining sovereign control over tasking, data and operational use to support national defence and security requirements. ICEYE’s SAR satellites provide high-resolution imagery with ground resolution of up to 16 cm, day or night and through cloud cover, rain and snow, conditions that often limit traditional satellite imagery in Northern Europe.
The investment forms part of Sweden’s wider rearmament and national defence strategy, intended to enhance readiness, support allies and contribute to regional security. Seppo Aaltonen said, “ICEYE is proud to partner with the Swedish Armed Forces and deliver sovereign space-based ISR capabilities that work in all weather and lighting conditions of Northern Europe and Arctic. We especially welcome cooperation with Sweden and our closest Nordic NATO allies to enhance the security and resilience of the North-Eastern Flank of NATO.”
The agreement also reflects a broader shift in European and NATO defence towards resilient, sovereignly owned space-based intelligence systems that can support decision-making at tactical speed. ICEYE stated that its European, non-ITAR technology enables rapid delivery and can support interoperable cross-tasking with allied nations to strengthen collective space defence capabilities.
