United States
Imagery wars: Pentagon impervious to SAR constellation firms' demonstrations

The Intelligence Gazette
CNCTR annual report, NASA and the US intelligence community, MAD managerial pick, French embassy in Tokyo

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

FranceFrench security services watchdog skips Elysée annual report handover

United StatesNASA keen for greater ties with intelligence community

GermanyNew deputy military intelligence chief divides opinions

FranceFrench ambassador to Australia during AUKUS launch wants Tokyo posting

Spotlight | China, France, Niger, United States
Niger's uranium mines prompt spy satellite frenzy

As Niger comes under Russian influence, Washington and Paris are keeping a close eye on the country's uranium deposits. More discreetly, Beijing is also getting in on the same act.

China, Russia, United States
Washington, Beijing and Moscow square off in space after spy satellite launches

The race for space-based intelligence has prompted an unprecedented wave of spy satellite launches. Washington and its Indo-Pacific allies are picking up the pace in the face of China's push, while Russia is completing its transition to a war economy.

United States
New Space intelligence troubles worry Pentagon agencies

Difficulties facing the US's flagship New Space GEOINT actors illustrate the persistent fragility of the ecosystem, on which the Pentagon has at last just released a report.

Africa, China, Russia, United States
Space intelligence programmes in Africa adapt to raging geopolitical storms

The problems encountered by Moscow in its space observation programmes are having a direct impact on Russian partnerships with African countries. The main beneficiary is China, but Washington is trying to get back in the game too.

United States
NRO heavyweight joins Stellar to boost interception satellite programmes

Chad Davis has joined Stellar Solutions, a service provider to the agency that operates US intelligence satellites and that has also set up a fund to invest in key players in the geospatial intelligence industry.

United States
Pentagon brings its geospatial intelligence operators back in line

The leading Earth observation company Maxar Intelligence, whose satellite launches have been repeatedly delayed, has tightened its focus to keep in line with the Pentagon. The company's shift mirrors changes in the US Defense Department's entire strategy, which is driving consolidation in the sector.

China, Europe, United States
Disruptive weather ahead, part 3: the private sector takes position

Against the backdrop of wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and rivalries in the Indo-Pacific and Arctic, having sovereign weather capabilities is once again a priority for Beijing and Washington as they can leverage the data with their allies.

Spotlight | France, Germany, United States
Despite risks, defence AI firms turn to low-cost subcontractors to label data

Essential to train AI algorithms, labelling is a crucial stage in the intelligence cycle but remains on the margin of the sovereignty debate, despite being farmed out to third-party suppliers.

United States
Operators break silence on observation satellite wipe outs

Operators are starting to have to publicly address the damaging impact of solar flair activity on their observation satellites, an issue that Intelligence Online revealed in June. A financial headache is set to follow that flurry of solar storms.

Europe, Finland, United States
Finland takes lead in European strategic space industry

Having abandoned its neutrality in the face of Russia's war on Ukraine, Finland is making its mark in intelligence and space technology. After the rise to prominence of ICEYE, a second Finnish geospatial intelligence company, Kuva Space, is entering orbit.

South America
Finnish SAR imaging specialist ICEYE moves into South America

Finland is working hard to position its flagship firm in the area of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery systems in the South American market. This is fertile terrain, given the space ambitions of certain countries there.

China, United States
Radio silence from operators on solar storm damage to observation satellites

Solar storms this year have resulted in the loss of numerous images from intelligence satellites. But so far, the satellites' operators are keeping mum about that massive reduction in capacity.