ICEYE, the European leader in sovereign intelligence from space, announced that CTI Aeroespacial, a joint venture between the Portuguese Air Force and CEiiA, has signed a contract to procure two additional synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite systems to be operated by the Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa, FAP).
This brings the total number of ICEYE-built satellites available to the Portuguese Air Force to four. Portugal's first sovereign SAR satellite was launched in March 2026 and is already supporting national operations. The new satellites have been inspected by Portuguese Air Force personnel at ICEYE's production facility in Finland, confirming readiness ahead of delivery.
With four satellites, FAP can task and collect data faster, evolving its sovereign space assets into a high-speed constellation for the Atlantic maritime domain and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Portugal’s SAR capacity also serves civil applications such as environmental monitoring and disaster response.
"Those who see clearly act faster and Portugal is building the sovereign capability to do exactly that," said Jordi Laguarda, VP Missions, Spain and Portugal at ICEYE. "This expanded constellation gives FAP the revisit rates and response times that modern defence and civil protection missions demand. Space-based intelligence, operational at the speed of real-world events."
Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Air Force, General Sérgio da Costa Pereira, said: “This latest acquisition strengthens Portugal’s freedom of action. The expanded SAR capability improves readiness for defense and security missions while supporting wider national ambitions, including environmental monitoring and the safeguarding of natural resources."
Europe cannot defend what it cannot see. Across Europe, space-based intelligence has moved from long-term strategic investment to operational necessity and the window to act is now. Backed by a recent Series F funding round, ICEYE is accelerating to meet that demand: delivering complete end-to-end sovereign intelligence systems to seven European nations, including Portugal, and beyond.
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