Poland's Satellite Revolution: The Army Could Get a New Tool
- Iceye and Satim have presented a new product - Detect & Classify.
- The solution is intended to guarantee access to annotated images from orbit in just a few minutes.
- This is a service that could benefit the Polish Army, which has already ordered satellites from Iceye.
- We will discuss challenges facing the military and the economy during the "Defense Industry" conference. The event will take place on October 15 at the International Congress Center in Katowice.
For thousands of years, militaries have been acutely aware that information, transmitted quickly enough, can be more lethal than the latest weaponry. Modern armies today purchase entire constellations of satellites and reconnaissance aircraft. Any information acquired this way can prove crucial.
The decline in satellite launch costs (also due to the increasing miniaturization of equipment) is making this space domain increasingly important on the modern battlefield. Two Poles, Rafał Modrzewski (founder of Iceye) and Jacek Strzelczyk (founder of Satim), have clearly recognized these trends.
Iceye needs no further introduction. It is a global leader in the design and production of Earth observation systems based on satellites equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Importantly, these are not empty corporate slogans; they are backed by significant numbers. The company already owns and operates the world's largest constellation of SAR observation satellites.
The equipment has been operational for several years, and Iceye is now a trusted partner to public institutions and industry. It provides data for insurance and financial companies, supports security and military operations, and aids in crisis management and maritime monitoring. Iceye satellites aid in crisis management and maritime monitoring.
Currently founded in Finland, the company operates globally, with offices in Poland, Finland, Spain, the United Kingdom, Greece, and the United States. The Iceye team numbers over 800 people. In August 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Iceye signed an agreement with the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, granting the Ukrainian Armed Forces access to the services of one of its satellites.
Satim may be less well-known, but its solutions are enabling a true revolution. The company analyzes SAR radar imagery using artificial intelligence-based solutions. With over a decade of experience, proprietary technologies, and strong partnerships, the company ensures high precision, automatically detecting and classifying objects with an accuracy of up to 90%.
The fusion of Satim and Iceye's capabilities demonstrates the potential for a revolution in satellite imaging. Before we discuss exactly what Detect & Classify is, however, it's important to understand what SAR satellites are used for and how they work. Understanding the phenomenon of this technology allows us to fully appreciate the potential of this innovation.
Star Wars, or the Growing Role of Military SatellitesThe military uses many types of intelligence satellites today. SIGINT (signals intelligence) satellites collect data from electronic signals . These devices act like ears that listen for signals coming from Earth. SIGINT satellites can be divided into COMINT (communications intelligence), which are used to eavesdrop on interpersonal communications, and ELINT (electronic intelligence), which collect other signals (e.g., radar emissions).
We also have IMINT (Imagery Intelligence) satellites, which are designed to image the Earth's surface. Based on the technology used, they can be divided into two basic types. The first are traditional optical satellites. They use visible light and near-infrared to capture high-resolution images. This type of satellite serves us every day when browsing Google Maps. Like the human eye, optical satellites struggle to see at night. Clouds also hinder them. Images taken using traditional IMINT satellites are presented below.
The wave reaches Earth and then records the reflected echo. A key element of this technology is aperture synthesis. A satellite, moving in orbit, transmits a series of pulses at successive intervals and then combines the data from these reflections. This method allows for very high resolution. Combining this data is possible thanks to complex algorithms. The technology does not rely on light, so it works at any time of day and in all weather conditions. Interestingly, SAR satellites prove effective even when analyzing enemy forces camouflaged in forests. They can also distinguish simple dummy radars and launchers from real enemy launchers.
This isn't the only advantage of this solution. The satellite analyzes radar echoes, allowing it to detect even small changes in the terrain. This makes satellites of this type also useful in assessing the effects of earthquakes, floods, and glacier shifts. The technology now allows for highly accurate imaging, making it useful in geodesy, cartography, agriculture, and crisis management.
What is Detect & Classify?On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, a new solution, Detect & Classify, was unveiled at the MSPO trade fair in Kielce. The name itself suggests its main functionalities. As part of the partnership, Iceye will be responsible for providing 25 cm resolution SAR radar imagery based on the largest commercial constellation of its kind (comprising 54 satellites). Satim will be responsible for automated object classification based on artificial intelligence algorithms. As the solution's manufacturer notes, 140 types of weapons (aircraft, ships, land vehicles) have already been classified. The solution is expected to have an accuracy rate of over 90%.
Currently, the process of acquiring intelligence is time-consuming and requires the involvement of numerous specialists. First, satellites are manually planned and assigned. Within a few hours, Iceye acquires satellite imagery. At this stage, the selected images are analyzed. It's worth noting that SAR images do not produce the same results as traditional optical satellites. Their proper analysis requires the involvement of specialists who can spot the radar echo of a tank, Tu-160 aircraft, or helicopter in a cloud of bright dots. The final processed image is delivered to the client within a few hours or days.
Iceye intends to automate the planning and missioning of its satellites. This solution will enable the delivery of raw images in minutes instead of hours. The next step is automatic image processing. Satim's technology is based on OREC, an advanced AI-based software. The tool is designed for strategic monitoring of targets in the open sea, coastal zones, ports, and on land.
During Wednesday's presentation, representatives from Satim and Iceye demonstrated the capabilities of their trained models. The first image analyzed was from the Belarusian air defense base in Grodno. The algorithm took 137 seconds to identify and classify 99 objects. The AI classified, among other things, anti-aircraft missile launchers and a specific type of radar mast (40V6 MAST).
The next case study was the Russian port of Baltiysk. The algorithms analyzed the image in 93 seconds, detecting 107 objects, including ships of several types: Altay (supply ship), Bykov (corvette), and Buyan-M (small missile ship). The solution was also demonstrated using images from the Yelizovo base in Russia. In 76 seconds, the algorithm located 104 objects, including helicopters, MiG-31 fighters, and a Tu-160 bomber.
It seems that this solution will be particularly useful for quickly assessing the size of larger military groups. Based on images from the Kozulka base in Russia, the algorithm located 1,309 objects, most of them armored vehicles, in 281 seconds (less than 5 minutes). Such an analysis would take even a highly experienced specialist several hours. This well-thought-out solution ensures that within minutes, the client receives not only the raw images but also their interpretation.
Let's imagine a specific situation. The commander of a mechanized brigade receives information that a column of enemy vehicles is breaking through defense lines. He requests photos from the command center and within minutes analyzes the situation on his computer, seeing not only the location but also the classification of various types of weapons. A commander with such resources at his disposal can make quick decisions based on reliable intelligence. The manufacturers themselves guarantee that the solution has an accuracy rate of over 90 percent and can identify over 140 different types of objects. Detect & Classify was created based on a partnership agreement signed on February 10, 2025.
Not just the military, or the role of SAR satellites in the modern worldThe most obvious application of the new solution seems to be the effective tracking of enemy troop movements, assessing the effects of missile attacks, identifying naval forces, or intercepting ghost ships.
"This is more than just an analytical tool—we're eliminating the bottleneck between satellite image pixels and the decision-making process, giving users near-instantaneous situational awareness. It's also a breakthrough step on the path to fully automated, machine-guided operations based on satellite imagery. This is a fundamental shift for defense, security, and intelligence operations using satellite ISR," said John Cartwright, senior vice president of data product at Iceye.
The solution could also prove useful in detecting illegal smuggling, crisis management, or searching waters for missing persons. Iceye recently introduced a new Scan Wide imaging mode. This service allows for coverage of up to 60,000 km² in a single image. This solution is particularly useful for searching seas and oceans.
As Iceye representatives point out, the company is currently focusing on two areas: the People's Republic of China and Central and Eastern Europe. The algorithms themselves are trained on two datasets: commercial imagery previously analyzed by professional analysts (based on SAR and optical satellite imagery from the same area and time) and using standalone simulations (Satim creates 3D models of objects by simulating their radar echoes, and then trains its algorithms on this basis).
During the press conference, the company also boasted of its strong results. Iceye now employs over 900 people from 70 different countries. In Poland alone, it has over 100 employees, many of whom are engineers employed at the local research laboratory. The company has been launching satellites since 2018. Initially, plans were modest. In 2018, one satellite was launched. In 2021 and 2022, seven satellites were launched each. Until early 2023, only second-generation satellites with 1-meter accuracy were launched.
In 2023, after successfully launching another 11 satellites, the company's offering expanded to include 3rd and 4th generation satellites, with 50 and 25 cm resolution. Starting this year, only the newest 25 cm resolution satellites are being launched. By June 2025, Iceye had successfully launched 54 satellites. Plans for this year call for at least 24. More than 23 more satellites are scheduled to be launched in 2026, and this number is expected to increase by at least 41 in 2027. A total of 70 additional satellites are scheduled to be launched by the end of 2027, bringing the total to over 120.
The Polish Army is entering the space domainThe increasingly affordable cost of satellite launches has also attracted the interest of the Polish Armed Forces in the space domain. How has the development of space capabilities been in recent years?
- On March 25, 2014, Poland obtained access to the COSMO-SkyMed SAR satellites under an agreement with Italy.
- The "Nanosatellite Constellation of Optoelectronic Imaging Reconnaissance" PIAST (Polish ImAging SaTellites) project was launched on November 4, 2021. The project's goal is to build and deploy a constellation of three IMINT nanosatellites in space.
- On December 27, 2022, we purchased two S950 (Pléiades Neo) satellites from Airbus Defence & Space for €575 million. As part of the contract, we also received access to two already operational satellites of this type. The French solution enables imaging of the Earth's surface at a resolution of 30 cm.
- On June 27, 2024, the Agency for Geospatial Reconnaissance and Satellite Services (ARGUS) began its operations.
- On December 20, 2024, under the mikroGLOB program, Poland purchased four IMINT satellites for PLN 556.7 million gross. The equipment is to be delivered within the next two years. As with the PIAST program, these satellites will be based on the HyperSat platform developed by Creotech Instruments.
- On May 14, 2025, a contract was signed for three 4th-generation SAR satellites from ICEYE , worth PLN 860 million. Deliveries are scheduled for 2025-2026.
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