The letter of intent follows a partnership the two companies announced earlier this month to jointly develop a sovereign satellite communications system that would give nations ownership and control of the satellites, ground segment, and terminals. Iceye is known as a synthetic aperture radar provider, and the satcom effort represents a new line of work for the company. The partners said the capability for Ukraine will be built on trusted European technology.
The announcement was light on details. Iceye CEO Rafal Modrzewski said Ukraine needs secure, sovereign and high performance satellite communications systems that it controls. He said the company has a proven track record of delivering sovereign missions at speed and has supported Ukraine since 2022, adding that it remains committed to continuing that support today.
Mikko Hautala, chief geopolitical and government relations officer and chairman of Nokia Defense, said nations need communications they can rely on in every situation. He said satellite networks extend and protect connectivity when networks on the ground are disrupted, making them a key part of any secure communications system. Together with Ukraine and Iceye, he said, the partners will explore how trusted, sovereign satellite communications can strengthen Ukraine’s resilience and give it control over the connectivity it depends on.
The agreement comes as guaranteed and sovereign access to satcom has taken center stage. Ukraine reported that its access to SpaceX’s Starshield variant of Starlink was slowed down on moving platforms, affecting its ability to guide drones and defend against Russian jets. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said any decision to restrict Starshield would come from the U.S. government, but the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Musk himself ordered the slowdown after discussions with the White House. The incident has put space sovereignty in the spotlight and sparked new calls across Europe to break the reliance on Starlink.
The partners frame the effort as a path to communications Ukraine can rely on in every situation and control directly, positioning sovereign satellite capability as a way to strengthen the country’s resilience against disruptions to ground networks.
Details on the system’s design, delivery timeline, and the scope of the work beyond the letter of intent were not disclosed. The partners said they will explore how trusted, sovereign satellite communications can support Ukraine, with the initial demonstration involving a portable terminal and a vehicle based terminal.
