The German Armed Forces have awarded a €1.7 billion contract to Rheinmetall and ICEYE for the delivery of space-based reconnaissance data through exclusive access to a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation.
On 7 November 2025, German technology group Rheinmetall and Finnish satellite manufacturer and Earth observation data provider ICEYE announced a joint venture called Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions. A little more than a month after that announcement, the pair has secured a major contract with Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw).
Under the agreement, Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions will deliver a “very high number of images per day” to the German Armed Forces from late 2025 to the end of 2030. The contract also has an option to extend.
“ICEYE is proud to support Germany and, by extension, the security of Europe through this landmark program,” said ICEYE CEO Rafal Modrzewski. “Space-based intelligence is the foundational layer of modern defense, but it is no longer just a strategic backdrop – it is a tactical instrument. We are driving a necessary evolution where single, vulnerable systems are replaced by resilient constellations that deliver timely, actionable insights directly to decision-makers when they’re needed most.”
The space-based reconnaissance data provided under the agreement will primarily be used to protect the so-called Lithuania Brigade, Germany’s permanent deployment of a full Bundeswehr combat brigade in Lithuania, established to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions contract is the first major award since Germany announced that it had committed to investing €35 billion in space-related defence projects by 2030. The award provides an early indication of how Berlin intends to translate that commitment into operational capability, with space-based intelligence emerging as a near-term priority for Germany’s defence strategy.
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