WASHINGTON -- U.S. satellite imagery provider Maxar Intelligence announced a $14.4 million contract with the Netherlands Ministry of Defense, reflecting the increasing European demand for commercial space intelligence amid heightened global security concerns.
The four-year agreement, revealed on January 9, grants Dutch military users access to Maxar's satellite tasking capabilities, imagery archive, and data analytics via its Geospatial Platform Pro service.
This development comes as NATO allies aim to bolster independent geospatial intelligence capabilities, often collaborating with commercial providers. "As many NATO countries look to build up their own sovereign geospatial intelligence capabilities, they're turning more and more to commercial partners," stated Anders Linder, Maxar's general manager for international government.
The contract will support hundreds of users at the Dutch Defense Geographic Agency in conducting mapping, intelligence, and operational support missions.
In a separate announcement, Maxar confirmed the delivery of its final pair of WorldView Legion satellites to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, set for a planned February launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This launch will complete Maxar's first block of next-generation imaging spacecraft, featuring four satellites in mid-inclination orbit and six in sun-synchronous orbit.
The WorldView Legion system offers 30-centimeter resolution imagery, enabling customers to identify objects approximately the size of a car hood from space. This constellation is expected to facilitate up to 15 daily revisits to specific locations, significantly enhancing the company's highest-resolution collection capacity.