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 with 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 of Canada and Kongsberg Spacetec and Kongsberg Satellite Services of Norway.

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