Iceye and Nokia are looking to develop a satcom capability for Ukraine, under a new letter of intent with the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, announced Thursday.
Earlier this month, Iceye and Nokia announced a partnership to jointly develop a sovereign satellite communications system that would give nations ownership and control of the satellites, ground segment, and terminals. Iceye is known as a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) provider, and this marks its move into satcom.
“Ukraine needs secure, sovereign and high-performance satellite communications systems that it controls. We have a proven track record of delivering sovereign missions at speed to help build that capability. Iceye has proudly supported Ukraine since 2022, and we remain committed to continuing that support today,” Iceye CEO Rafal Modrzewski said in a statement.
Thursday’s announcement was light on details but the partners said it will be “built on trusted European technology.”
Guaranteed and sovereign access to satcom is center-stage in the news this past week as Ukraine reported its access to SpaceX’s Starshield variant of Starlink was slowed down on moving platforms, impacting the ability to guide drones and defend against Russian jets.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said any decision to restrict Starshield would come from the U.S. government, but the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Musk himself ordered the slowdown, after discussions with the White House. The incident has put space sovereignty in the spotlight and sparked new calls across Europe to break the reliance on Starlink.
“Nations need communications they can rely on in every situation. Satellite networks extend and protect connectivity when networks on the ground are disrupted. This makes them a key part of any secure communications system. Together with Ukraine and Iceye, we will explore how trusted, sovereign satellite communications can strengthen Ukraine’s resilience and give it control over the connectivity it depends on,” commented Mikko Hautala, chief geopolitical and government relations officer and chairman of Nokia Defense.
