Swedish defense company Saab will incorporate radar intelligence from ICEYE’s satellite network into its military control and management systems to provide new intelligence capabilities.

Saab announced this on its official website.

Within a newly signed memorandum of understanding, ICEYE’s radar intelligence data will be integrated into Saab’s defense solutions.

Providing access to important information in difficult conditions and at any distance, the satellites will enable military operators to improve the quality of tactical decision-making and the level of situational awareness.

“Saab’s integration with ICEYE data will provide real-time, high-resolution imagery through clouds and darkness, enabling comprehensive surveillance and reconnaissance for faster, even more informed decisions, in complex operational environments,” Carl-Johan Bergholm, Senior Vice President and Head of Saab’s business area Surveillance, stated.

The ability to conduct all-weather and 24-hour reconnaissance is possible because the ICEYE satellites observe the Earth’s surface not in the optical spectrum, but with the help of synthetic aperture radar (SAR). ICEYE’s satellites operate at an altitude of 500 km, using radar waves to generate high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface, unaffected by weather or lighting conditions.

Today, Saab provides armies all over the world, including NATO member countries, with its military control systems. Saab’s defense solutions include the 9Land C2 system for ground forces and the 9Air C4I system for air operations.

Ukrainian experience

In his comment to Ekonomichna Pravda, ICEYE representative Nick Kowalsky shared that at the time of the company’s founding in 2014, the Finnish company had no plans to work for military purposes and was focused on providing intelligence for safe shipping.

Originally focused on maritime safety, ICEYE shifted toward defense applications following its successful deployment by Ukrainian forces.
The ICEYE solutions turned out to be ideal scouts due to the ability to fix objects in the dark and in any weather conditions.

The company’s satellites, capable of capturing 1-meter resolution images over a 15×15 km area, have since attracted interest from multiple defense partners.

It is known from open sources that since the beginning of the partnership with Ukraine, several more countries and companies have become interested in ICEYE technologies for defense purposes.

Since 2022, ICEYE has expanded its military collaborations, supplying radar satellites to the Brazilian Army, entering partnerships with BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin, and developing a reconnaissance platform for the Polish military.

In 2024, Rheinmetall secured rights to sell ICEYE satellites to military customers in Germany and Hungary.