Space is essential to NATO's defence and deterrence as a new operational domain, and it is the venue for a wide range of applications, including intelligence gathering, navigate and track forces, beyond line-of-sight communications and missile launch detection.
NCIA has been delivering essential space-based products, data and services to the Alliance since the 1970s, when NATO bought and owned satellites. Over time, the Alliance's approach to space shifted from owning assets as an organization, to contracting services from industry.
NCIA leverages cutting-edge technology and collaborative partnerships with industry, and operates seven satellite ground stations and one satellite centre to enable seamless and secure communication channels for command centres and deployed forces across the Alliance.
Over 160 NCIA experts support space for the Alliance. In 2023, NCIA established a Space Technology Adoption and Resilience (STAR) team to provide technical expertise and strategic advice on space technologies for the benefit of the Alliance, design space-based services and foster their integration into multi-domain operations.
As space becomes increasingly vital and contested, NATO's access to space capabilities and maintaining a competitive advantage in this domain are crucial. STAR is part of the Alliance's ongoing effort to best ensure and deliver a wide range of space-based capabilities including satellite communications; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; positioning, navigation and timing; and meteorological and oceanography – all of which STAR expects to support in NATO missions and operations.
Alliance Persistent Surveillance System (APSS)
The Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space (APSS) is a multi-year, multinational initiative that will transform the way NATO gathers and uses data from space, improving NATO's intelligence and surveillance, and providing essential support to NATO's military missions and operations.
The initiative will consist in the establishment of a virtual constellation, named Aquila, of both national and commercial space assets, such as satellites, leveraging the latest advances in commercial space technology. As such, it will help streamline data collection, sharing and analysis among NATO Allies and Commands, while generating cost savings.
NCIA is working in close cooperation with Allied Command Operations (ACO) to support the delivery of the programme, assisting the operational community in establishing processes and procedures to enable interaction with current space assets and future capabilities such as the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) Capability. NCIA will contribute to increase space-based intelligence sharing across the Alliance and the speed at which data is collected, exploited and delivered through the use of new technologies, like artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The initiative is part of NATO's ongoing digital transformation and the NATO 2030 agenda.