Rheinmetall, Space Norway to Collaborate on Space-based Maritime Domain Awareness

Rheinmetall AG and Space Norway AS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further expand their cooperation in the field of space-based defense capabilities into Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).

The agreement covers satellite communications, sensors and mission systems, as well as their integration into higher-level command and information systems. The objective is to develop future capabilities for customers in Germany and, in the longer term, in other allied nations.

At the core of the memorandum is the planned integration of Space Norway's C-band SAR satellite capabilities with Germany’s operationally tested high resolution X band SAR capability. Space Norway's C-band SAR capability complements this system in a targeted manner. While X band SAR enables high-resolution surveillance of individual targets, C-band SAR provides broad-area coverage of extensive maritime regions. Both frequency bands are complementary and, together, are essential for comprehensive maritime domain awareness.

Continuous and actionable maritime domain awareness in the Arctic and the North Atlantic is becoming an increasingly critical operational requirement for modern armed forces. The ability to continuously monitor large maritime areas, detect relevant activities at an early stage, and rapidly transform data into actionable intelligence is essential for situational awareness, decision superiority and effective operational action.

Against the backdrop of the Hansa Agreement between Germany and Norway, which provides a framework for deeper bilateral cooperation in the development of sovereign and future oriented defence capabilities. In this context, space based surveillance systems and integrated downstream services can make an important contribution to closing existing capability gaps in the High North and the North Atlantic.