The Polish government has signed a five-year deal with France to purchase two Airbus military observation satellites.
With an accuracy of 30 centimeters (nearly 1 foot), the new satellites are expected to bolster the Polish Armed Forces’ reconnaissance capabilities to detect potential military and civilian threats.
Under the agreement, the reconnaissance satellites will operate as part of a French-Polish partnership allowing Warsaw to access satellite images.
“Signing this agreement by us will significantly contribute to increasing the capabilities of the Polish Army in the field of reconnaissance of the situation on the battlefield,” French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said.
“The current situation shows how important it is for each country to be independent and autonomous in its own assessment of the situation.”
Airbus’ Satellites
European aerospace firm Airbus has produced observation satellites for Peru, Chile, and Vietnam.
Peru’s PeruSAT-1 and Chile’s FASat Charlie are two high-resolution Earth observation systems used for mapping, agriculture, urban planning, military intelligence, as well as natural resources, risk, and disaster management.
Vietam’s first remote sensing satellite, VNREDSat-1, provides high-resolution images to monitor climate change impacts.
“More generally, this satellite allowed the country to increase its knowledge in the field of space engineering and to benefit from socio-economic development,” Airbus said.