The new Stage III contracts are expected by industry officials to be the last of the short term, relatively small dollar awards under the SCC BAA — with senior NRO officials pushing to create a longer term program of record in the fiscal 2026 budget.
By Theresa HitchensAnswers at the edge: Where to find solutions that connect the battlespace
When it comes to a common operating picture, not everyone needs the same equipment. What they need is the same situational awareness.
“The collaboration includes dedicated satellite capacity and constellation access, which allows the capacity of the entire ICEYE satellite fleet to be utilized,” according to a Rheinmetall press release.
By Theresa Hitchens
“[W]e won’t be able to sell the premium technology, which means we’ll be out competed by [Finland’s] ICEYE and other competitors in the global market,” Umbra’s Jason Mallare told Breaking Defense.
By Theresa Hitchens
“Acquiring and processing satellite imaging data in real time can provide an advantage on the modern battlefield,” said Krzysztof Trofiniak, PGZ President of the Management Board.
By Bartosz Głowacki
“This agreement is a significant step in responding to the Government of Ukraine’s urgent request for critical earth observation data and it will greatly benefit our Armed Forces,” said Serhiy Prytula, whose eponymous foundation crowdsources kit for the Ukrainian military.
By Theresa Hitchens
The markup also calls for a comprehensive report on how DoD plans to leverage ISR data from commercial radio frequency (RF) satellites, noting that lawmakers have been “encouraged” by the successful use of RF geolocation in exercises, including by European Command.
By Theresa Hitchens
ICEYE currently is planning to launch another five satellites this year, Jerry Welsh, CEO of the Finnish firm’s US arm, told Breaking Defense. But he did not provide a breakout of those to be built in Finland vice the US.
By Theresa Hitchens
How DISA’s new Indo-Pacific network meets the Great Power threat
Lumen is not just replacing aged transport pipes for the DoD, it is transitioning and transforming network capabilities for better speed, latency, availability, affordability, and security.
Payam Banazadeh, CEO of Capella Space, told Breaking Defense that the Ukraine war has been a “critical place for the industry to show itself,” but NRO says it isn’t accelerating the SAR acquisition process.
By Theresa Hitchens
“We’ve been talking about the fact that space is contested, and we’re probably right in the middle now of our first space fight,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein.
By Theresa Hitchens
Additional satellites will help ICEYE reach its goal of imaging the same spot on Earth every eight hours, ICEYE CEO and cofounder Rafal Modrzewski told Breaking Defense.
By Theresa Hitchens
Later in the contracting process, NRO potentially will “have the wherewithal to purchase ad hoc imagery, data products and the like,” said Pete Muend, director of the spy agency’s Commercial Systems Program Office.
By Theresa Hitchens Under the agreement with ICEYE, the Army will look especially hard at the ability to significantly cut the time it takes to relay ISR data from a satellite to shooters on the ground.
By Theresa Hitchens
“I’d call it a VERY minor slow toe dip,” said one stunned company rep, trying to find polite words.
By Theresa Hitchens
US firms won “gold” in only three of the nine categories — the same number as China — in the NGA’s “Commercial Imaging Olympics.”
By Theresa Hitchens
