For the first time, Belgium's Defence Ministry is investing "more than €200 million" in an independent satellite system, announced Defence Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) on Thursday.
To reduce its dependence on other countries, Belgium is developing its own satellite constellation. It concerns "several dozen" satellites, Francken stated during a visit to the United States.
The Belgian Air Force already has the Space Security Centre, which coordinates military space activities. However, for military satellite imagery, the country currently relies on French satellites.
"We can request images from the system for a few minutes each day," said Francken. With its own constellation, the Defence Ministry aims to have continuous access to imagery.
According to Francken, Belgian companies such as the Walloon satellite manufacturer Aerospacelab are eligible to participate in the procurement.
For the launch, he expects to rely on foreign launch companies such as SpaceX, as Belgium does not have its own launch site.
The military intelligence service ADIV will also be involved in the project. The collected data will not only serve Belgium. The development is now underway, intending to be fully operational by 2030.
