DSEI 2025: Iceye unveils ISR processing container for faster satellite intelligence

Concept graphic of the inside of Iceye's ISR Cell, with its four operator stations, released at DSEI 2025. (Iceye)

Finnish satellite company Iceye unveiled its ‘ISR Cell' command-and-control (C2) module for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) satellites at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2025 exhibition being held in London from 9 to 12 September.

Intended as an addition to the satellite and ground control networks of Iceye owner-operators, ISR Cell would come with training and artificial intelligence (AI) assistance to try and speed up the often laborious process of collecting, analysing, and disseminating ISR from the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems of the type that Iceye uses.

Shay Strong, vice-president of Analytics at Iceye, confirmed to Janes that the company has a launch customer for the system, without saying who it was. Deliveries are schedules to start in 2026 with a 12+ month lead time.

“With the niche expertise needed for SAR operations, some of our users had a bottleneck. By driving the customer closer to the data and simplifying the process for them with the ISR Cell and AI-assisted analysis, we intend to ease that cognitive burden,” Strong said.

The 20 ft containerised cell can be sited anywhere, such as close to front lines or command posts. It is not a ground control station and needs only power and data input. Inside are four computer workstations for automatic target recognition, tasking for satellites and processing their input, a team lead for the C2 team, and reporting for disseminating intelligence findings.

Iceye's fleet of SAR 3.5 cm X-band wavelength ISR satellites use electrical beam-steering, ion thrusters, and mechanical steering to scan regions at up to 0.25 m per pixel, which is comparable with electro-optic (EO) ISR satellite output.