Kongsberg’s Defense & Aerospace division will provide satellite maritime surveillance data to the Norwegian Intelligence Service.
The company announces that it has been awarded a contract by the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) on behalf of the Norwegian government to provide satellite maritime surveillance data to cover Norwegian areas of interest.
NIS has overall responsibility for space operations and development in the Norwegian Armed Forces. The data will be used by both the Norwegian Armed Forces and other Norwegian government institutions involved in maritime security, such as the Coastal Administration, the Directorate of Fisheries and Norwegian Customs. The contract covers four years from 2025 when the satellites will be launched and operational. The value of the contract is not disclosed.
Kongsberg to deploy three satellites
Kongsberg NanoAvionics will manufacture the three satellites, which will be equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS) receivers and detector systems supplied by Kongsberg Discovery.
The satellites will be owned by Kongsberg and operated by Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT). KSAT will use its international network of download stations to provide high-frequency, low-latency surveillance data for both the Norwegian government and international customers.
“We are proud to be able to offer this service to the Norwegian government as well as to future international partners and customers. The delivery of maritime satellite data will expand Kongsberg’s overall offering in the maritime domain awareness value chain. Through a combination of in-house capabilities and subsidiaries, Kongsberg covers the entire value chain to provide next-generation satellite services, from providing its own microsatellites and ground stations to market-leading data processing and analysis,” said Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace.
“These three satellites will significantly enhance maritime surveillance capability in our areas of interest, increase situational awareness of various government institutions and strengthen maritime security in the High North,” said Vice Admiral Nils Andreas Stensønes, Director of the Norwegian Intelligence Service.
The satellite constellation, named N3X, is the first in a series of satellites that Kongsberg plans to build and operate – optimised to provide the best possible data sets for users. The satellites will have additional capacity outside the Norwegian areas of interest, which will be available to international users.
