860 million PLN will pay MON for the Satellite Earth reflection System. The construction of abroad partners of exploratory capabilities is simply a breakthrough in the Polish Army, which will let him to join a narrow group of armed forces with akin technologies. The strategy is to start work next year.
– Satellite imaging is the foundation of effective defence, which has shown us, among others, the situation in Ukraine. On the east flank of NATO, no 1 has these abilities. This is the best technology in the world," said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at the signing ceremony for the transportation of the Satellite Earth reflection System. MON partner in the MicroSAR programme will be a consortium of companies Iceye and Military Communications Plant No 1. Under the contract signed today, the military will get 3 satellites (for their production and launch into orbit will be the work of Iceye) and a ground-based data analysis module with a satellite antenna on the trailer (this is the task of WZŁ No. 1). The contract worth PLN 860 million besides includes the right of option – the Ministry of Defence will be able to grant 3 further satellites and a mobile ground segment.
– It's an crucial day, due to the fact that gaining independency in the field of diagnosis and satellite imaging – argued Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamish. “We are ahead of many of our allies in these abilities, including atomic powers. Already next year we will be able to usage these world's most modern technologies," said the head of the MON. “We are dealing with a Copernicus coup in the field of the Polish Army’s reconnaissance capabilities. The first Polish satellite will be in orbit later this year," said Deputy Minister Cezary Tomczyk. The full functionality of the strategy is expected to be achieved in 2026. Satellite radar systems with synthetic aperture (SAR) will let the military to get surface photos Earth at a resolution of about 25 cm, regardless of the time of day, weather and cloud level.
Film: Ewa Korsak, Paweł Sobkowicz / ArmouredTV. MSPO material
Rafał Modrzewski, president of IceyeHe pointed out that the technology developed by his company had already been tested under the most hard conditions. For 3 years, the data collected and analysed by the Iceye production strategy have been utilized by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Experience gained at that time was utilized to make the product.
Deputy Minister Paweł Bejda pointed out that the contract signed present takes into account the interests of national defence facilities. "It is simply a fulfilment of our commitment that 50 percent of the expenditure on arms will go to Polish companies," he said.
The Polish-Finnish company Iceye is the owner and operator of the world's largest SAR satellite constellation, providing global access and the highest frequency of revisions available on the marketplace (i.e. time between 1 and the another flight of the satellite over the same point on the Earth's surface). So far, the company has launched 48 satellites for its own usage and for its customers.
The head of the MON stressed that the fresh capabilities would not only benefit the military. Information obtained from satellites will besides help, among others, agriculture, forest management or crisis management in the fight against the effects of natural disasters. This was, for example, the autumn of last year erstwhile Iceye decided to support the collected data Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, the State Fire Department and another services operating in flooded areas.
