Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (‘KONGSBERG’) has been awarded a contract from 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 the overall responsibility for space operations and development in the Norwegian Armed Forces. The data will be utilised by the Norwegian Armed Forces, as well as other Norwegian government institutions involved in maritime security, such as the Coastal Administration, the Directorate of Fisheries, and the Norwegian Customs.
The contract covers four years of service from 2025, when the satellites will be launched and operational. The contract value is undisclosed.
Low-latency surveillance data
The three satellites will be produced by Kongsberg NanoAvionics and equipped with AIS receivers
The three satellites will be produced by Kongsberg NanoAvionics and equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS) receivers and detector systems, delivered by Kongsberg Discovery.
The satellites will be owned by KONGSBERG and operated by Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), which will utilise its international network of downloading stations to provide high-frequency and low-latency surveillance data for both the Norwegian Government as well as international customers.
Delivery of maritime satellite data
Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, said “We are proud to be able to offer this service for the Norwegian government, as well as future international partners and customers. The delivery of maritime satellite data will enhance KONGSBERG’s total offering in the maritime domain awareness value chain."
Eirik Lie adds, "Through a combination of in-house capabilities and subsidiaries, KONGSBERG covers the full value chain to offer the next generation satellite services, from delivering our own micro satellites and ground stations to market-renowned data processing and analytics.”
Maritime surveillance capability
“These three satellites will greatly enhance the maritime surveillance capability in our areas of interest, improve situational awareness for 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 the users. The satellites will have excess capability outside Norwegian Areas of Interest that will be available for international users.