Kongsberg, Helsing team up for European satellite-intel constellation

PARIS — Norway’s Kongsberg and Germany’s Helsing are teaming up to provide Europe with a sovereign satellite constellation for space-based intelligence, surveillance and targeting by the end of the decade, the companies said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

The plan is to deploy a satellite fleet with interconnected communications for defense use by 2029, with Germany’s Hensoldt providing sensor technology and German startup Isar Aerospace the preferred launch parter. Kongsberg and Helsing signed their teaming agreement to speed up the roll out of critical European space capabilities, the companies said.

European leaders increasingly see their dependency on American space-based intelligence as a strategic liability, with the U.S. halt on data sharing with Ukraine earlier this year setting off alarm bells across the continent. Finland’s ICEYE has been one of the most visible beneficiaries , selling at least eight radar satellites this year to European countries seeking a sovereign space capability.

“Sovereign monitoring, intelligence, and targeting are fundamental to credible deterrence,” Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace President Eirik Lie said in the statement. “Communication, oversight and connectivity are key to operate defense assets effectively, and Europe needs full control over these capabilities.”

The cooperation is a response to Europe’s greater need for deterrence and addresses the strategic issue of space-based intelligence, Kongsberg and Helsing said, with the companies citing “key lessons from recent geopolitical events.”

Kongsberg wasn’t immediately able to answer questions on the required investment or how many satellites are planned for the constellation, which countries the partnership is targeting, or who would own the satellites.

The teaming agreement combines Kongsberg’s satellites with Helsing’s artificial-intelligence capabilities, pulling together synthetic aperture radar, electro-optical and radio-frequency data for satellite-image analysis, they said. The companies said they have operational experience in Ukraine, with Helsing AI algorithms used there as well as deployed in orbit for data analysis.

“The war in Ukraine demonstrates that most reliable targeting begins in space,” Helsing co-Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Gundbert Scherf said. “Together with Kongsberg, we will provide crucial integrated space defense systems to ensure Europe wins the fight for sovereignty.”

Hensoldt will provide SAR, electro-optical/infrared and electronic warfare sensors, while Kongsberg Satellite Services will contribute with its ground network to communicate with satellites.

The cooperation will include setting up local satellite production in Germany to create “a self-reliant European defense capability,” the companies said.

With Norway’s satellite expertise and Hensoldt’s sensors, “we can build a resilient space architecture that gives Europe the information advantage it needs,” Hensoldt Chief Executive Officer Oliver Dörre said. “Europe’s security depends on sovereign sensing and intelligence.”

Rudy Ruitenberg is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He started his career at Bloomberg News and has experience reporting on technology, commodity markets and politics.

巴黎——挪威康斯伯格公司和德国赫尔辛公司周三在一份联合声明中表示，两家公司将携手合作，在本十年末之前为欧洲提供一个自主的卫星星座，用于天基情报、监视和目标定位。

该计划旨在到2029年部署一支具备互联通信功能的国防卫星群，德国亨索尔特公司将提供传感器技术，而德国初创公司伊萨尔航天公司则是首选的发射合作伙伴。孔斯伯格公司和赫尔辛公司表示，双方签署合作协议旨在加快欧洲关键航天能力的部署。

欧洲领导人日益将对美国天基情报的依赖视为一种战略负担，今年早些时候美国停止与乌克兰的数据共享，更是在整个欧洲大陆敲响了警钟。芬兰的ICEYE公司是此次事件中最引人注目的受益者之一，今年至少向寻求自主太空能力的欧洲国家出售了八颗雷达卫星。

康斯伯格防务与航空航天公司总裁埃里克·利在声明中表示：“主权监控、情报和目标定位是可信威慑的基础。沟通、监督和互联互通是有效运作国防资产的关键，欧洲需要完全掌控这些能力。”

Kongsberg 和 Helsing 表示，此次合作是为了响应欧洲日益增长的威慑需求，并解决天基情报的战略问题，两家公司还援引了“近期地缘政治事件中的关键教训”。

康斯伯格公司未能立​​即回答有关所需投资、星座计划发射多少颗卫星、合作目标国家以及卫星所有权归属等问题。

双方表示，此次合作协议将康斯伯格公司的卫星与赫尔辛公司的人工智能技术相结合，整合合成孔径雷达、光电和射频数据，用于卫星图像分析。两家公司称，他们在乌克兰拥有丰富的运营经验，赫尔辛公司的人工智能算法已在乌克兰投入使用，并部署在轨进行数据分析。

“乌克兰战争表明，最可靠的目标定位始于太空，”赫尔辛公司联合首席执行官兼联合创始人冈伯特·舍尔夫表示。“我们将与康斯伯格公司携手，提供至关重要的综合太空防御系统，以确保欧洲赢得主权之战。”

Hensoldt 将提供 SAR、光电/红外和电子战传感器，而 Kongsberg 卫星服务公司将利用其地面网络与卫星通信。

双方表示，合作将包括在德国建立本地卫星生产基地，以打造“自主的欧洲国防能力”。

亨索尔特首席执行官奥利弗·多尔表示：“凭借挪威的卫星技术和亨索尔特的传感器，我们可以构建一个具有韧性的空间架构，为欧洲提供所需的信息优势。欧洲的安全取决于自主感知和情报。”

鲁迪·鲁伊滕贝格是《防务新闻》的欧洲记者。他的职业生涯始于彭博新闻社，拥有报道科技、大宗商品市场和政治方面的经验。