EU Iris² satellite communications program development

Overview

The European Union is advancing the Iris² secure satellite communications program, a strategic initiative intended to provide autonomous connectivity for defense, security, and emergency services. The project aims to deploy a constellation of approximately 348 to 350 satellites across low and medium Earth orbits, with initial launches expected to begin in 2029. The program seeks to reduce European reliance on non-EU systems and has seen costs rise from an estimated €10.6 billion in 2024 to approximately €15.7 billion.

Following political reaffirmation from 22 European nations, the project has moved toward technical validation. A ten-company European consortium, led by the Estonian firm CybExer, has been appointed to develop testing and validation capabilities. This consortium, which includes members from Estonia, Finland, Greece, and Italy, will focus on testing the full communications chain—including satellite links and ground infrastructure—under realistic adversarial conditions and disruptions, such as those involving drone operations in contested environments.

Entities

IRIS² · European Union · Kristiina Omri · CybExer · SpaceRISE

Timeline

1 day ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
CybExer to lead European consortium testing IRIS² satellite security
Estonian company CybExer will lead a European consortium to develop security testing capabilities for the EU’s IRIS² satellite connectivity system, ensuring resilience against adversarial disruptions.
8 days ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 6 sources
European Union advances Iris² secure satellite communications program
The EU is accelerating its Iris² satellite constellation project to provide secure, autonomous communications for defense and emergency services, with first launches planned for 2029.

Sources

baltictimes.com · capitalradio.es · diarioestrategia.cl · europesays.com · finance.technews.tw · italiavola.com · newspaceeconomy.ca · viasatellite.com