The American company Maxar Intelligence and the Swedish aerospace concern Saab signed a strategic partnership agreement, aimed at developing innovative solutions for combat intelligence using satellite data. The key direction will be the introduction of a new navigation technology based on the topography of the area, which allows drones to operate without access to GPS.
As part of the cooperation, Saab will have access to Maxar satellite images, three-dimensional maps of the area, as well as to the Raptor intelligent navigation system — a visual positioning tool, which simulates the operation of GPS.
The Raptor system uses pre-created 3D terrain models, obtained from Maxar images. The drone compares the current image from the camera with a 3D map of the terrain to accurately determine its position and orientation in space - which is especially important in cases, when GPS is unavailable or disabled.
International breakthrough
Maxar is actively expanding its international presence, giving countries sovereign defense capabilities, that is, technology, which do not require external suppliers. Against this background, the partnership with Saab is one of the key steps in expanding Maxar's presence in the European market.
The technologies have already been tested by Saab in recent military exercises. Saab, from my side, is working on the development of autonomous drone swarms, able to act in a coordinated manner under the leadership of one operator. This approach creates a new level of quick response and air superiority.
These developments are particularly relevant against the background of the war in Ukraine, where drones have become an integral part of warfare, as in intelligence, as well as in fire strikes.
Source: https://spacenews.com/maxar-inks-partnership-with-saab-for-defense-applications-of-geospatial-data/