Turkey will build a $300 million radar satellite system for NATO needs, which it calls “NATO's eyes in space“, the Anadolu Agency reported, quoted by BTA.
The satellite system, named “IMECE“ and announced at the NATO summit in Ankara, will bring Turkey's experience to the Alliance through a set of low-orbit communications satellites and early warning capabilities, the agency added.
During the NATO summit in Ankara, which Turkey hosted on July 7-8, space-related projects were also discussed, and it was decided that the "IMECE" satellites, developed by the state-owned space technology company "TUBITAK UZAY" and the largest defense electronics company "ASELSAN", will take a role in the organization's technological architecture, it explained.
According to the agency, the Turkish satellite system will assist in high-speed communication, reconnaissance and missile tracking. “This aims to enable NATO to achieve more sustainable and comprehensive capabilities in the areas of high-speed communication, intelligence gathering and missile tracking“, the Anadolu Agency noted.
The integration of Turkish satellites will allow for the imaging of larger areas in a shorter time and will reduce the intervals between repeated visits to the same area, the agency explained. According to it, this capability will mean faster data generation in crisis zones, along border lines, in maritime areas, during military operations, as well as in disasters and emergencies.