Belgium will invest more than €200 million ($233 million) to develop its first independent military satellite constellation, Defense Minister Theo Francken said on Thursday, in a move aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on foreign satellite imagery.
Speaking to newspapers De Tijd and L’Echo during a visit to the US, Francken said the project would involve “several dozen” satellites and is expected to become fully operational by 2030.
Belgium currently relies on French satellites for military imagery and can request images from the system for only a few minutes each day, Francken said.
He added that the planned constellation is intended to provide continuous access to satellite imagery.
The Belgian Air Force’s Space Security Centre, which coordinates military space activities, will oversee the project, while the military intelligence service ADIV will also be involved, according to the minister.
Francken said Belgian companies, including Walloon satellite manufacturer Aerospacelab, could participate in the procurement process.
He added that the satellites would likely be launched by foreign companies such as SpaceX because Belgium does not have its own launch site.
According to Francken, the data collected by the satellite system will not only serve Belgium.
Development of the constellation is already underway, with full operational capability targeted for 2030.
