Eyes Above the Ice: Space-Enabled Situational Awareness in the Arctic

In the Arctic, what cannot be seen cannot be secured. Vast distances, extreme conditions and fragile communications infrastructure make persistent surveillance, early warning and resilient connectivity especially difficult—while strategic competition in the High North continues to intensify.

Against the backdrop of NATO’s Arctic Sentry, the new CAOC in Bodø and Task Force X-Arctic, this session will explore how satellites, airborne and maritime ISR, autonomous systems and data-sharing can deliver a more complete operational picture. Experts will examine current coverage gaps, dependence on US space capabilities and vulnerable undersea cables—and identify the technologies, partnerships and investments required to turn space-enabled awareness into operational advantage. NATO Arctic Security, Task Force X-Arctic

Key topics: 🛰️ SSA, SDA and space-based ISR · 📡 Resilient Arctic communications · 👁️ Persistent multi-domain surveillance · 🤝 Allied autonomy and interoperability