Rheinmetall and Space Norway Partner for Maritime Space Surveillance

On July 15, 2026, Rheinmetall AG and Space Norway AS signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand their cooperation on space-based defense capabilities, specifically targeting Maritime Domain Awareness.

The partnership aims to deliver future security capabilities to Germany and eventually other allied nations, addressing critical operational requirements in the strategically vital Arctic and North Atlantic regions.

The system integrates Space Norway's C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) with Germany's existing X-band SAR capabilities. While the high-resolution X-band system locates individual targets, the new C-band radar provides the broad-area coverage necessary for vast ocean expanses. These complementary frequency bands feed directly into satellite communications, sensors, and higher-level command and information systems.