ICEYE, PGZ, and WZŁ-1 enter strategic partnership: mobile ground station for SAR Satellites to be built in Poland

Kielce, Poland - September 5, 2023

ICEYE Poland, the Polish branch of ICEYE, a global leader in persistent monitoring with radar imaging satellites joined forces with Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa S.A (PGZ), the Polish Armaments Group, and Wojskowe Zakłady Łączności No. 1 S.A. - Military Communication Works No. 1 (WZŁ-1) in a strategic partnership to fortify Poland's defense capabilities during the International Defense Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce.

Under the agreement, ICEYE Poland, PGZ, and WZŁ-1 will collaborate to be able to offer a solution to the Polish Armed Forces, which would include fixed and mobile ground stations, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites in the future. PGZ and WZŁ-1 will be responsible for the integration and operation of both the fixed and mobile ground segment, while ICEYE would be able to provide the proven and reliable space infrastructure.

SAR is an active sensing system that illuminates the Earth’s surface and measures the reflected signal to generate high-resolution imagery. Unlike traditional optical satellites, SAR can capture images day and night, regardless of weather conditions or solar illumination. SAR data from the ICEYE constellation can be produced over wide geographical areas, and conversely, provide higher resolution images of smaller areas.

The ceremony announcing the official beginning of industrial cooperation took place today at the International Defense Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce. It was attended by PGZ’s President of the Board, Sebastian Chwałek, President of WZŁ-1, Robert Kudelski, and CEO of ICEYE, Rafał Modrzewski.      

ICEYE owns and operates the world’s largest constellation of SAR satellites, providing a vital source of insights for government and enterprise needs in sectors such as insurance, natural catastrophe response and recovery, maritime, national security, humanitarian relief, and climate change monitoring. ICEYE has now deployed 27 satellites since 2018, including both commercially available and dedicated customer missions. 

“ICEYE technology is a mature and proven technology. In terms of providing services related to the use of SAR in orbit, such as imaging, persistent monitoring of specific areas or analytical tools, we have already been trusted globally by the governments of many countries, including, for example, Brazil, United States, and the United Arab Emirates. The key advantage of SAR for our region is that we can provide imaging regardless of the weather, cloud cover over an area, or time of day," explains Rafał Modrzewski, co-founder and CEO of ICEYE.

PGZ is an integrator of the Polish defense industry and works on a permanent basis with the Ministry of Defense coordinating the implementation of the Technical Modernization Plan for the Polish Army. The Group’s vital role in the construction of the ground segment ensures the maximum sovereignty of future satellites operated by the Polish Armed Forces.

“We are starting cooperation to prepare a new and unique product for the Polish Armed Forces, which is a constellation of radar satellites with a fixed and mobile ground station. This system can provide unhindered access to satellite imagery to increase situational awareness, delivered in near real-time. Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa will be a platform for further development of competencies in the field of space and satellite technologies, and consequently also in the area of ​​product analysis of this system. The adopted agreement is just the beginning of a longer cooperation within this trilateral partnership, for the benefit of Poland's national security,” comments Sebastian Chwałek, President of the Polish Armaments Group PGZ.

As part of the Polish Armaments Group, WZŁ-1 will be responsible for providing the mobile ground station which will enable safe and reliable management of the system in all conditions and from any location of troops’ deployment. The concept of the station primarily includes solutions that meet the requirements of modern battlefield in terms of data communications, safety of use, data transmission or power supply. It is based on containerized solutions with a dedicated antenna system providing high-speed data transmission from the satellite segment and subsequent distribution, fulfilling the needs of the Polish Armed Forces.

“WZŁ-1 S.A. has been systematically developing  its competences in the field of communication satellites for many years. We are the manufacturer of most of the satellite terminals currently in use by the military. In addition, we have experience in the implementation of projects using container buildings. Our solutions are fully compatible with the equipment rooms currently used in the army. The Mobile Ground Station Concept, based on the company's many years of experience, was created for the purpose of securing the field and satellite communication systems for the Polish Armed Forces. This project with ICEYE and PGZ is the perfect solution for the current needs of battlefield reconnaissance," said Robert Kudelski - Chairman of the Board of WZŁ-1.

From left to right: Robert Kudelski, CEO Wojskowe Zakłady Łączności Nr 1,  Sebastian Chwałek, CEO, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (Polish Armament Group PGZ), and Rafal Modrzewski CEO ICEYE.