Strategic Intelligence: Remote Sensing (2024)

Strategic Intelligence: Remote Sensing (2024)

Summary

Though the concept of remote sensing (RmS) has been a staple of military C4ISR capabilities for decades, emerging capabilities in the civilian space market and mounting concerns over geopolitical competition between great powers are driving renewed growth and investment in this sector. The commercialization of geospatial intelligence is driving greater integration between government and industrial capabilities with the emergence of ‘sensing-as-a-service’ (Saas) while rising demand for domestic capabilities continues to incentivize modernization of technologies and associated supply chains across all domains of an increasingly networked battlespace. Consequently, the collection and exploitation of RmS data have become the focus of significant investment and innovation within the defense sector and beyond as capabilities and applications continue to multiply.

The rapid emergence of the market for ‘sensing-as-a-service’ is both a testament to the innovation potential and growth of the commercial RmS firms and an indictment of the global defense sector’s lack of comparative investment in spaceborne C4ISR. Firms such as Blacks, ICEYE, Maxar Technologies, and Planet Labs have developed and fielded high-performance capabilities while relying primarily on revenue streams from civil sector government agencies and NGOs. As the market for SaaS has expanded, a growing number of international institutions such as the European Association for Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC) have emerged to facilitate growth and expand cooperation between industry and government clients. Furthermore, on-the-horizon technologies are growing in relevance as nations seek to gain competitive advantages that, in military terms, will ultimately shorten the ‘sensor-to-shooter’ event chain to make military operations more efficient and accurate.

Key Highlights

• Studies of emerging technological trends and their impact on remote sensing capabilities.
• Analysis of several countries with remote sensing capabilities and their position in the global defense supply chain, along with an overview of government actions and regulations pertaining to the use and deployment of remote sensing technologies for defense.

• The key incentives for using remote sensing in the defense sector suppliers face are covered. The investment and research & development opportunities for armed forces, suppliers, and institutional investors, across much of the defense value chain are covered. An overview of some of the remote sensing technologies most used in defense products is featured.

• Determine potential investment companies based on trend analysis and market projections.
• Gaining an understanding of the market challenges and opportunities surrounding the defense remote sensing theme.
• Understanding how spending on remote sensing technologies will fit into the overall defense market.