Finland plans military space centre and control of three radar satellites

Finland plans to establish a Space Operations Centre at Air Force Command in Tikkakoski, near Jyväskylä, Yle reports, citing representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Air Force. According to the broadcaster, the centre is due to begin work in early 2027 with around 20 military personnel and civilian specialists. Defence24 and Defence Blog have also reported on the project, but Flank has not directly verified the official decision or the precise implementation timetable.

At the time of publication, Flank has found no independent confirmation of this information. This is a developing story and further information may be added.

When the centre will begin work and take over the satellites

Defence Blog, citing a Finnish Air Force announcement dated 30 October 2026, gives 1 January 2027 as the centre’s start date. Defence24 gives the same date. According to both publications, the decision was approved by Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen.

The transfer of operation of ICEYE’s three radar satellites to the armed forces is a separate stage. Yle gives April 2027, while Defence Blog and Defence24 specify 1 April. Ministry of Defence expert Antti Korpi told Yle that Finland has three ICEYE satellites, launched in 2025 and 2026.

These dates distinguish the establishment of the military organisation from the takeover of the satellites. The centre beginning work does not in itself mean that all its functions will be fully operational.

Monitoring orbit and operating radar satellites

In a subsequent Yle report, Air Force Commander and Defence Forces Space Commander Timo Herranen described building a picture of the situation in space as the centre’s first task. This will show which satellites are in orbit, where they are and what they can observe.

According to Antti Korpi, quoted by Yle, the centre will use space assets and plan and conduct space operations. The military situational picture will be developed jointly with the civilian centre at the Finnish Meteorological Institute and with partner countries.

The three ICEYE spacecraft are synthetic aperture radar satellites, known as SAR satellites, not ground-based radars. Operating them and monitoring objects in orbit are different tasks. The number of satellites alone provides no basis for drawing conclusions about continuous coverage or the accuracy and timeliness of the information obtained.

Finland seeks cooperation within NATO and with European countries

Colonel Jari Kumpuniemi told Yle that the centre is also needed for coordination within NATO. In a separate report by the broadcaster, Minister Häkkänen said Finland was encouraging other European countries to acquire ICEYE satellites to expand cooperation.

In Flank’s assessment, the key aspect of the project is the combination of Finland’s own satellites with a permanent military organisation to plan their use and maintain liaison with allies. The specific responsibilities to be transferred from ICEYE to the military have not been specified, nor have the arrangements for sharing with NATO. The stated cooperation does not mean that all allies will automatically have access to satellite data.