On Friday, 11 September 2026, the final day of the 24th International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO 2026 at Targi Kielce, the Polish-Finnish company ICEYE and the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) under which the partners will begin work on the concept of a military satellite communications system (MILSATCOM) for the Polish Armed Forces. The project is intended to provide Poland with its own sovereign capabilities in this area.
Photos: ICEYE
The cooperation is intended to expand Poland’s competence and industrial base, enabling the country to independently build, operate, and develop advanced satellite communications systems while making the broadest possible use of the capabilities of ICEYE and PGZ Group companies. The preliminary scope of cooperation includes, among other areas, the development of a space segment with a distributed architecture, the establishment of ground infrastructure in Poland, and the creation of production capabilities tailored to the requirements of the Polish Armed Forces. The program is planned for 2026–2030, with full operational capability to be achieved by the end of that period.
„We are designing the military satellite communications system as a distributed, fully encrypted network under Polish control. It will consist of multiple cooperating satellites, with each node increasing the resilience of the entire system. PGZ and ICEYE share experience gained through the MikroSAR program, which also began with a similar agreement and today is an operational system in the hands of the Polish military. We believe that this time as well, we will be able to deliver such a complex and, in many respects, groundbreaking project,” said Rafał Modrzewski, CEO and co-founder of ICEYE.
Under the preliminary arrangements, the cooperation is to be based on complementary roles for the partners: ICEYE will act as the technology partner, while PGZ will contribute its industrial and organizational capabilities. ICEYE is expected to be responsible for developing the satellite system architecture, designing and manufacturing the space platforms, and conducting satellite operations. PGZ’s role will be to organize the domestic industrial base for the program by identifying Group companies that can contribute production capabilities, expertise, and technical infrastructure, as well as defining the competencies to be developed in Poland for this purpose. The organizational framework and precise division of responsibilities will be refined at subsequent stages. Both parties are also open to the participation of other companies from Poland’s space and defense sectors.
„Building national capabilities in satellite communications is an investment in state sovereignty for decades to come. At PGZ, we consistently pursue a model in which the acquisition of modern, innovative technologies goes hand in hand with the development of the capabilities of Polish industry. Together with ICEYE, we want to create a solution that will not only meet the requirements of the Polish Armed Forces, but also enable Poland to develop new design, production, and operational competencies in the space sector. This is an important step in moving from being a user of technology to becoming its co-creator and owner,” said Adam Leszkiewicz, President of the Management Board of the Polish Armaments Group.
As a first step, the partners intend to establish a joint working group that will develop the technical and financial concept for the project and open a dialogue with the Polish Ministry of National Defence.
The partners’ cooperation dates back to 2024 and the presentation of the Mobile Satellite Reconnaissance Platform ISR during MSPO. ICEYE and Wojskowe Zakłady Łączności Nr 1, part of the PGZ Group, are jointly implementing the MikroSAR program, under which the Polish Armed Forces received a satellite radar reconnaissance system within 12 months of contract signature (Poland Builds Satellite Reconnaissance at Record Pace with MikroSAR Handover).
🛰️🇵🇱 PGZ I @iceye_global RAZEM DLA POLSKICH ZDOLNOŚCI SATELITARNYCH
Podczas #MSPO2026 Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa i ICEYE podpisały list intencyjny dotyczący rozpoczęcia prac nad koncepcją wojskowego systemu łączności satelitarnej MILSATCOM dla Sił Zbrojnych RP.
✍️ Umowę podpisali… pic.twitter.com/gk2Pn0IkYn
— Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa🇵🇱 (@PGZ_pl) September 11, 2026
List intencyjny z @PGZ_pl podpisany w Kielcach! Zaczynamy prace nad wojskową łącznością satelitarną dla Sił Zbrojnych RP: rozproszoną, w pełni szyfrowaną, pod polską kontrolą. Działamy! @PremierRP @MON_GOV_PL @CTomczyk @magdasobkowiak @KonradGolota pic.twitter.com/rUC1DiIsoZ
— Rafal Modrzewski (@rmodrzewski) September 11, 2026
See also:
- Satellite reconnaissance at the tactical level
- ICEYE Federation: How can the effectiveness of national satellite constellations be increased?
- ICEYE and Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command Discuss Satellite Support for Operations
- Meeting of the CEOs of Polish Armaments Group and ICEYE
- Poland: The ARGUS Satellite Operations Center Has Reached Operational Readiness
- Poland: ICEYE, together with the Ministry of National Defence, PGZ, and POLSA, opens the exhibition ‘Vigilance from Orbit’
- MSPO 2025: ICEYE and OBR CTM Sign Letter of Intent on Cooperation in the Digital Baltic Project
- MSPO 2024: PGZ, WZŁ-1, and ICEYE Polska demonstrate the Mobile Satellite Reconnaissance Platform ISR
