Photo by Kongsberg Avionics

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (Kongsberg) has won a key government contract in Norway. The Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) on behalf of the Norwegian government has tapped Kongsberg to provide satellite maritime surveillance data to cover Norwegian Areas of Interest. The contract covers four years of service from 2025, when the satellites will be launched and operational. Kongsberg announced the deal, April 10.

NIS has the overall responsibility for space operations and development in the Norwegian Armed Forces. The data will be utilized by the Norwegian Armed Forces, as well as other Norwegian government institutions involved in maritime security such as the Coastal Administration, the Directorate of Fisheries, and the Norwegian Customs.

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 utilize 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.

“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,” Vice Admiral Nils Andreas Stensønes, Director of the Norwegian Intelligence Service, said in a statement.