The government of Norway has agreed to purchase $15 million Canadian (US$9.8 million) worth of RADARSAT-2 data. Under the agreement, the first of its kind in Europe, Norway has committed to pre-paying for much of the data.

The Norwegian data purchase also makes provision for industrial collaboration and exchange of technology between RADARSAT owner MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates and Kongsberg Spacetec and Kongsberg Satellite Services.

Norway will use the satellite data for ship detection, detection of oil pollution, and monitoring ice conditions in the country’s territorial waters.