On Monday, April 20, 2026, during a visit to Poland by a French government delegation, European company Airbus Defence and Space, part of Airbus SE, the Thales Alenia Space joint venture, owned by France’s Thales, with 67%, and Italy’s Leonardo, with 33%, and Radmor, part of Poland’s WB Group, announced the signing of an industrial cooperation agreement to develop a geostationary telecommunications satellite for the Polish Ministry of National Defence.
Photos: WB Group
Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, and Radmor are joining forces to build a new Polish military satellite. The cooperation agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and French Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans Catherine Vautrin.
“We are starting a new chapter in European space cooperation on a scale that will enable the delivery of a reliable system for the Polish Armed Forces. RADMOR, as part of WB GROUP, stands proudly among world-class partners, contributing its expertise and long-standing experience to provide secure, resilient, and mission-critical satellite communication capabilities.” said Bartłomiej Zając, CEO of RADMOR
As part of the Readiness 2030 plan, launched by the European Commission in 2025, the new geostationary satellite will provide secure communications for the Polish Armed Forces, ensuring a very high level of resilience and robustness.
Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space said: “This partnership is what Europe working together is all about. Partnering across borders for innovation and industrial competitiveness for a better-connected and safer world. This is also a further chapter in Airbus’ decades-long partnership with the Polish armed forces and industry.”
In an era of high-intensity conflicts and an increasingly contested space domain, the comprehensive system will be cyber-secured in both its ground and orbital segments and resilient to threats, thereby contributing to strengthening Poland’s sovereignty in space.
“We are proud to lead this strategic industrial cooperation, delivering cutting-edge secure communications capabilities to the Polish Ministry of National Defense,” said Hervé Derrey, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space.
The partners will combine their expertise in military communications, mission control, efficient satellite-platform design and industrialization, secure ground infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
“The decision to start space activities at RADMOR was a natural consequence of expanding the company’s capabilities, frequency range, and communications portfolio. Today’s battlefield is already closely integrated with space infrastructure; therefore, extending RADMOR’s competencies into satellite communications ensures seamless, secure, and resilient connectivity across all operational domains,” – added Bartłomiej Zając.
“This geostationary satellite project will embody the highest standards of resilience, cybersecurity, and anti-jamming technologies, reflecting our commitment to strengthening European defense sovereignty. Together with Airbus Defence and Space and RADMOR, we are providing the Poland’s armed forces with a robust, end-to-end solution that meets the challenges of today’s complex security environment,” – noted Hervé Derrey.
The acquisition of a geostationary satellite with the participation of Polish industry was announced by the Ministry of National Defence on February 27 this year, during the presentation of a list of tasks and projects to be implemented by the government under the EU SAFE (Security Action for Europe) instrument, currently being carried out under the Armed Poland program.
The next satellite will expand the constellations being built in orbit for the Polish Armed Forces, alongside the POLSARIS MicroSAR Satellite Earth Observation System, with three of six satellites launched; the three nanosatellites of the PIAST constellation under the SZAFIR program, launched last year; four Creotech Hypersat optical satellites under the MicroGlob Satellite Earth Observation System, the first of which is scheduled to launch in late August or early September; and two large Airbus S950 VHR observation satellites under the POLEOS program, scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.
Based on press release
Thales Alenia Space, Airbus Defence and Space and RADMOR join forces to develop Poland’s new defense telecommunications satellite
Read the press release https://t.co/Y2ONMqxMP0#Telecommunications #Defense #Poland #France
Photos: copyright @Armees_Gouv pic.twitter.com/HPmWsB8gY3
— Thales Alenia Space (@Thales_Alenia_S) April 20, 2026
Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, and RADMOR, today announced the signing of an industrial cooperation agreement to develop a geostationary defence telecommunications satellite dedicated to the Polish Ministry of Defence.
As part of the ‘Readiness 2030’ plan… pic.twitter.com/gF4oSXMj6n
— Airbus Space (@AirbusSpace) April 20, 2026
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