Finland Signs $185M deal with ICEYE for SAR Satellites
ICEYE and the Finnish Defence Forces have finalized a €158 million ($185 million) contract for the acquisition of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites.
The agreement, signed on September 8 in Tampere by Brigadier General Engineering Juha-Matti Ylitalo of the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command and Seppo Aaltonen, Vice President Nordics & NATO at ICEYE, follows a Letter of Intent announced in June with Finland’s Ministry of Defence.
The deal includes ICEYE’s advanced SAR satellites, supporting ground infrastructure, and long-term lifecycle and expansion options.
ICEYE, a Finnish company operating the world’s largest commercial SAR satellite constellation, says the deal will provide Finland with persistent, high-resolution surveillance capacity in all weather and lighting conditions—critical for real-time situational awareness and decision-making.
“This agreement is a testament to the trust and shared vision between ICEYE and the Finnish Defence Forces,” said Pekka Laurila, ICEYE Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer. “It marks a pivotal moment, transitioning from intent to a tangible commitment that will equip Finland with a sovereign, space-based intelligence capability.”
The company says its SAR satellites offer 25 cm ground resolution and can detect objects through cloud cover, at night, and in denied environments. According to ICEYE, the constellation delivers the highest revisit frequency on the market, ensuring that users can monitor areas of interest with minimal delay.
ICEYE has previously demonstrated its operational impact through its partnership with Ukraine. A SAR satellite acquired via crowdfunding by the Serhiy Prytula Foundation has reportedly enabled over 4,000 high-resolution reconnaissance images of Russian military infrastructure since 2022. According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), this has included imagery of more than 370 airfields, 238 air defense and signals intelligence positions, and 147 ammunition and weapons storage sites. Ukrainian officials say nearly 38% of the data collected has directly supported precision strikes.
In a statement, GUR credited ICEYE’s imaging capability for exposing “camouflaged mechanized units hidden under forest cover” and estimated that its contribution to Ukrainian targeting efforts has resulted in “billions of dollars in losses for Russia.”
The Finnish Defense Forces’ acquisition positions Finland among a select group of nations with access to sovereign, high-resolution satellite imagery. The contract is also seen as a strategic move to reinforce national and allied defense readiness following Finland’s formal accession to NATO earlier this year.
ICEYE said the project is designed to strengthen long-term cooperation with defense customers and enhance the company’s role as a primary provider of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) infrastructure across allied nations.
“This technology secures Finland’s position as a leader in this critical domain,” Laurila said. “It also forms the foundation for a long-term partnership that will enhance the collective security of its allies.”
ICEYE has launched 54 SAR satellites to date and continues to expand its capabilities globally. The company has not disclosed the exact timeline for deployment of the Finnish systems, but the agreement includes options to scale and sustain operations over the coming years.