Rheinmetall has started production of synthetic aperture radar satellites in Neuss, moving its Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions joint venture from planning into serial manufacturing. The German armed forces now have exclusive access to dedicated reconnaissance satellites under the SPOCK 1 programme, as Rheinmetall expands beyond land systems into space-based military intelligence.
The Neuss site is intended to become an industrial base for SAR satellite output, with the joint venture aiming to build and certify several dozen spacecraft a year. SAR technology provides imagery in darkness and through poor weather, a capability valued for persistent military surveillance and reconnaissance.
The programme links sovereign satellite production with defence procurement and strengthens Germany’s domestic SAR capacity. Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions brings together Rheinmetall and Finnish partner ICEYE, with the production milestone reached less than a year after contract signing and official commissioning of the programme. The company now moves into regular output for military customers, with the Bundeswehr as the first major user.