To deliver the capability, Rheinmetall has partnered with ICEYE to establish the joint venture Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions, headquartered in Neuss. The company will deliver a comprehensive service including satellite operations, ground station management and AI-supported image analysis, with the constellation remaining its property.
The contract has a gross value of approximately €1.7 billion and includes an option for extension beyond its initial term. The reconnaissance data will be used primarily to protect the Lithuania Brigade and to support the security of NATO’s eastern flank.
Armin Papperger, Chief Executive Officer of Rheinmetall AG, said: “We are grateful for the great trust that the Bundeswehr has placed in us in the field of space technology. Modern armed forces depend on access to and control of space-based reconnaissance, communications, and mission control. As a provider of digital systems, we are working with our European partners to achieve this.”
Rafal Modrzewski, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of ICEYE, said the programme marked a significant step for the company and for European security. “ICEYE is proud to support Germany and, by extension, the security of Europe through this landmark program. Space-based intelligence is the foundational layer of modern defense, but it is no longer just a strategic backdrop – it is a tactical instrument. We are driving a necessary evolution where single, vulnerable systems are replaced by resilient constellations that deliver timely, actionable insights directly to decision-makers when they’re needed most. This historic agreement demonstrates ICEYE’s evolution from a New Space pioneer to a premier provider of mission-critical capabilities. By uniting rapid satellite production with advanced analytics, we are creating a new model for how nations secure strategic and tactical advantage from space.”
The contract runs from the end of 2025 to the end of 2030 and covers the delivery of a very high number of images per day from a sovereign SAR constellation. Production of the first joint venture satellites is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026 in Neuss, as part of the Bundeswehr project known as ‘SAR Space System for Persistent Operational Tracking Stage 1’, or ‘SPOCK 1’.
