MDA Ltd. received permission from the Canadian government to use its satellites to track the movement of troops and equipment in Ukraine, putting the space-technology firm into the military intelligence operation that’s fighting Russia’s invasion.
The company CEO, Mike Greenley, released the following statement.
“As organizations around the globe come together in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration to support efforts to restore peace, MDA has secured special authorization from the Government of Canada to collect Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery over restricted areas in Ukraine.
Images captured by MDA’s SAR technology, which is unique for its ability to see through all weather and cloud conditions, will be merged and analyzed with other sources of imagery from commercial Earth observation companies to develop comprehensive near real time intelligence reports for Ukrainian government officials.
We’re honoured that we are able to use our radar satellite capabilities to contribute to these international efforts, and will continue doing everything in our power to help the Government of Ukraine protect its citizens.”
Mike Greenley, Chief Executive Officer, MDA
Canadian Space Firm MDA helps track Ukraine through synthetic aperture radar
MDA’s synthetic aperture radar can see through weather to measure changes in the landscape nearly in real time. The company will now be authorized to use it across all of Ukraine and surrounding waterways and feed the images to groups acquiring intelligence for the Ukrainian government, Chief Executive Officer Mike Greenley said in an interview.
The satellites can detect even small changes and make the pictures available in as little as 15 minutes, Greenley said. That includes troop movements, vehicle or equipment convoys, ships and changes to infrastructure such as bridges or buildings, he said.
“I feel it’s important that we are aligned with our governments and our allies in this effort,” Greenley said. “It will be a revenue opportunity, but the most important thing is that we’re able to provide the imagery and be helpful.”
The company had “small levels” of business with Russia that have now stopped as a result of sanctions, he said.
