Space-enabled intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets are decisive in painting a picture of the geostrategic activity on a global scale. From the war in Ukraine to the more recent strategic development playing out in Syria, information gathered from space has proven crucial to informing military operations and strategy.
Finland’s ICEYE stands out in the defence and commercial sector with its Synthetic Aperture Radar, or SAR imagery, for which it boasts the largest constellation (38 satellites) of this kind. This contrasts with other forms of satellite data such as optical and infra-red (IR).
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Currently the company supports defence services in Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, and there interest among Nato members and partners in the Asia-Pacific.
In November 2024, the company built on its partnership with the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, with the support of the German government, to supply Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence with critical imagery data. Doubtless, this will work to bring ICEYE’s capability to the European defence market wherein the European prime already has an established footing in the continental defence industry.
In an exclusive interview, Andy Challen, vice president missions sales UK, spoke to Army Technology about how commercially captured SAR imagery data can play an important part of a “layered ISR” for defence users.
Layered ISR
“We are not a defence manufacturer but we can absolutely be used to enhance defence decision making,” asserted Challen. “Our philosophy is that we can provide extremely detailed imagery from a commercial product which is then used by whichever organisations and agencies to supplement a layered ISR picture.
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By GlobalData“SAR is not a photo,” however, “what it does is it gives you a really deep level of detail about the environment.”
Specifically, SAR provides a range of advanatges including use day or night, and the ability to see through weather which can supplement other forms of data from other optical and IR systems, where they might not be able to provide that sharper capability.
“It’s the radar reflections that tell a very different story to an optical system, which can be affected by the weather, it can be affected by camouflage. We are able to see things through camouflage netting. That’s why it’s important to think of us as part of a layered ISR approach.”
We need only look at Ukraine as an example, as the as the winter closes in there is more cloud cover.
“Weather is more of a factor that affects things on the ground significantly. It affects the movement of capabilities, troops, and equipment which is of benefit to the military and intelligence,” Challen listed.
Such information will prove useful to Ukraine’s troops currently on the backfoot as Russian forces begin to break defensive lines in the Donbas, while they are bolstered by 10,000 more North Korean soldiers in Kursk.
In addition, reliance on the commercial sector does not start and end with the ISR sector. The UK Royal Navy even lately considered leaning on commercial vessels as “floating bases” after debilitating cuts to the surface fleet in November.
