The North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) is expanding its satellite surveillance capabilities to scan large areas. This will enable the Alliance to monitor military movements in Ukraine and on Russia's borders with eastern members, said NATO Commander of Concepts and Transformation Admiral Pierre Vandier, as reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
Vandier said the new tool will for the first time allow the Alliance to observe "vast territories," enabling it to monitor maneuvers, troop movements, and battlefield operations.
The ability to monitor compliance with a possible ceasefire in Ukraine has been at the heart of European concerns, with a coalition of the willing led by France and the UK exploring options and hoping to secure US support.
Today, we are not sure that the Russians will stop at Ukraine. We will be able to tell them: we are watching
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization said late Wednesday that it had selected US satellite imagery provider Planet Labs for a new initiative called Smart Indication And Warning Broad Area Detection (SINBAD). Its goal is to scan areas of the globe very frequently throughout the year, with artificial intelligence helping to flag any changes and issue warnings.
According to a NATO official who wished to remain anonymous, the technology could also be used to monitor the Arctic, which is becoming increasingly important for NATO as Russia's and China's ambitions in the region grow.
NATO began developing space surveillance after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. SINBAD is a pilot project launched ahead of a larger NATO space surveillance deployment planned for January 2026, according to an alliance official.
Space surveillance is one of the key areas where NATO relies heavily on US capabilities. Other alliance members are trying to rebalance their dependence on the US after President Donald Trump turned away from Europe to focus on threats from Asia.
NATO defense ministers last week approved one of the most ambitious commitments to increase arms stockpiles since the Cold War as part of European and Canadian efforts to rearm and take on more of their own defense from the US.
Addition
General Ingo Gerhartz took over NATO's staff in Brunssum, replacing Guglielmo Luigi Milletta. He will manage the defense of NATO's eastern flank, which stretches for 4,000 km.