Dec 5 2025

NCIA engages with commercial space industry to augment SATCOM capacity

On 2 December 2025, the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) hosted a workshop with the commercial space industry in Brussels, Belgium, as part of an ongoing drive to harness private sector satellite communications (SATCOM) capabilities.

SATCOM is a cornerstone of secure and resilient communications across NATO, providing essential connectivity for command and control across all domains, as well as situational awareness for decision-makers. NCIA’s capabilities ensure that NATO’s strategic and force commands can communicate effectively with deployed forces, when traditional terrestrial communications might be limited or contested.

NCIA engages with commercial space industry to augment SATCOM capacity

The workshop brought together a wide variety of commercial satellite communications providers, from established industry leaders, to emerging small and medium enterprises. This allowed NCIA to disclose its requirements and practices, while diversifying the number and quality of bids once the procurement notices are issued.

John Blythe, Chief of the NATO Integrated Mission Services Center (NIMSC), introduced participants to NCIA’s SATCOM portfolio. "With the growing importance of commercial SATCOM, increased usage, and the ability to procure and deploy capacity rapidly under the framework contract, NCIA is ensuring NATO has resilient and diverse SATCOM capabilities. Therefore, reinforcing readiness across both ground and space segments”.

Industry participation is critical to sustaining and evolving NATO’s long-term communications infrastructure. NCIA’s efforts to integrate commercial capability ensures that NATO’s SATCOM infrastructure remains scalable and resilient, ready for an era of rapidly evolving technological demands and strategic threats.