Lisbon, June 13, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal's Air Force has acquired a satellite that captures high-resolution images, which the military can use to predict weather phenomena and natural disasters, or assist in search and rescue missions, among other military purposes.

The parties formalised the agreement on Thursday in Monsanto, Lisbon, and the Aerospace Technology and Innovation Centre (CTI)—a partnership between the Air Force, the CEiiA engineering centre and GEOSAT—and the company ICEYE signed it.

The agreement covers the acquisition, through funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite, which allows operators to capture high and very high resolution images under any weather conditions, a ground component and an antenna.

Entities also signed a memorandum of understanding to exchange knowledge, which will enable Portugal, through the Air Force, business and academia, to build its own satellites in the future.

This investment forms part of the launch of the so-called “Atlantic Constellation”, a series of satellites for Earth observation.

The goal is to reach 26 satellites, 12 of the SAR type and 14 optical, according to information provided to Lusa by the Air Force.

The Air Force can utilise this satellite for support in surveillance and information operations, search and rescue operations, or collecting data on maritime pollution.

We can also use it to predict weather phenomena and natural disasters, as well as to support civilian areas such as agriculture, in addition to its more traditional military purposes (the war in Ukraine has utilised various satellite images, for example).

An official source from the branch also emphasised to Lusa that this type of investment also allows “talent to be retained” in the country, promoting a “brain gain for the nation”.

ARL/ADB // ADB.

Lusa