The Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) has the overall responsibility for space operations and development in the Norwegian Armed Forces and Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (Kongsberg) will provide the data that will be used by the Norwegian Armed Forces, as well as other Norwegian government institutions, that are all involved in maritime security, such as the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, and Norwegian Customs.
This contract covers five years of service from 2025, when the satellites will be launched and operational. The contract value remains undisclosed as of this writing.
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 use 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.
The satellite constellation, named N3X, is the first in a series of satellites that KONGSBERG plans to build and operate – optimized to provide the best possible data sets for the users. The satellites will have excess capability outside Norwegian Areas of Interest (AoI) that will be available for international users.
“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. Through a combination 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-leading data processing and analytics,” said Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
“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.