The joint venture owned by Finnish EO firm ICEYE and German arms maker Rheinmetall has turned on its money-printing machine.
The JV—which was announced this spring, but officially formed in November—closed a five-year, €1.7B contract with the German Bundeswehr to supply the German military with SAR data from a new sovereign-built constellation.
Built in Germany: Under the contract, the JV (known as Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions) will provide the Bundeswehr with a “very high number of images per day” through the end of 2030. The contract also includes options to extend the scope into the new decade, according to the announcement.
ICEYE and Rheinmetall will begin production of the SAR sats at the JV’s facility in Neuss, Germany, in Q3 2026. The constellation will remain the property of Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions, which will handle the ground station management, and AI-image evaluation services while providing exclusive access to the German government.
Unlike optical EO sats, ICEYE’s SAR technology uses radar to view the planet, meaning these sats can see through clouds, smoke, dust, and fog to offer customers an uninterrupted view of the planet at all hours of the day and night. The capability means that German defense forces will be able to maintain constant eyes on the ground.
ICEYE’s sats can collect radar imagery down to 16-cm resolution, and Rheinmetall’s digital systems—long used by the Bundeswehr—will ensure that these images are readily available to operators on the ground.
Specifically, the new capability will protect Germany’s “Lithuania Brigade,” which is positioned on NATO’s eastern flank, according to the announcement.
Expansion plans: While Germany is the largest military spender in Europe, and committed to invest €35B in space-related defense projects over the next five years, other countries are also interested in SAR capabilities.
ICEYE has received a ton of interest from other European ministries of defense looking to secure their own sovereign SAR services, and has signed agreements with the Finnish Defence Forces, Portuguese Air Force, and the Polish Armed Forces.
