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Polish PM Tusk: Poland to develop Starlink-like satellite system by 2030
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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on September 9, 2026, at the MSPO defense show in Kielce that Poland will develop its own Starlink-like military satellite communications system. The project follows a letter of intent signed between Finnish space company ICEYE and Poland's state-run defense giant PGZ. Tusk stated that the culmination of the process will be a 'Polish Starlink,' emphasizing the critical importance of communications on the modern battlefield, citing lessons from the Russian-Ukrainian war. The program is scheduled for implementation from 2026 to 2030. ICEYE, which already cooperates with PGZ on the MikroSAR Earth observation program, will act as the technology partner responsible for satellite system architecture, platform design, manufacturing, and operations. PGZ will organize the domestic industrial base, leveraging its companies' production capabilities and technical infrastructure. The initiative is part of Poland's broader effort to ramp up military space capabilities amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Source report
WARSAW, Poland — Finnish space company ICEYE and Poland's state-owned defense conglomerate PGZ have signed a letter of intent to jointly develop a military satellite communications system.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the project will lay the groundwork for a domestic system similar to SpaceX's Starlink.
"The culmination of the process that began today can and will be a Polish Starlink," Tusk said on September 9 at the MSPO defense show in Kielce. "Anyone closely following the Russian-Ukrainian war knows how important communications are. It is absolutely critical. Without communications, you have nothing to look for on the modern battlefield."
According to a PGZ statement, the program is scheduled for implementation from 2026 to 2030.
Existing Cooperation
ICEYE already has an ongoing partnership with PGZ on an Earth observation system for the Polish Armed Forces. The Finnish company has delivered synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites to Poland's military under the MikroSAR program. This system is designed as the first component of the military space capabilities toolkit that Warsaw plans to develop in the coming years. The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has accelerated Poland's efforts to enhance its reconnaissance capabilities.
"The cooperation is to draw on the experience gained through the MikroSAR program and is to include the development of a space segment based on a distributed architecture, the development of domestic ground infrastructure, and the establishment of industrial capabilities enabling the system to be independently developed and maintained in Poland," PGZ stated.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Finnish manufacturer stated that the collaboration will be based on the partners' complementary roles:
- ICEYE will serve as the technology partner, responsible for:
- Developing the satellite system architecture
- Designing and manufacturing the space platforms
- Conducting satellite operations
- PGZ will contribute its industrial and organizational capabilities, including:
- Organizing the program's domestic industrial base
- Identifying group companies that will contribute production capabilities, expertise, and technical infrastructure
Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.
Source
C4ISRNetWestern
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Poland announces plan to develop domestic Starlink-like military satellite system by 2030