In a major push to enhance Europe’s drone defense capabilities, Maxar Intelligence and Saab have announced a strategic partnership focused on the development of next-generation autonomous systems for multi-domain military operations, including drones that don’t rely on GPS.
The collaboration, revealed today, centers around space-based C5ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) solutions. These tools are critical to future warfare environments where autonomous drones must operate even in contested or jammed environments where GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable.
At the core of this alliance is Maxar’s Raptor software, an advanced geospatial tool that allows autonomous drones to navigate and execute missions by relying on ultra-precise satellite imagery and 3D terrain data instead of GPS. Already tested successfully with Saab in real-world conditions across multiple countries, Raptor has demonstrated the ability to extract ground coordinates with accuracy within two meters, making it a potential game-changer in drone warfare.
“This partnership will bring together Maxar’s industry-leading geospatial intelligence products with Saab’s highly advanced defense systems to solve some of the most complex tactical and operational challenges across the battlespace today,” says Dan Smoot, CEO of Maxar Intelligence. “We’re not just supporting analysts — we’re powering mission-critical software that lives on the tactical edge.”
Saab, the Swedish defense technology leader, is expected to integrate Maxar’s near real-time commercial satellite imagery and high-resolution 3D terrain data into its autonomous systems and C5ISR platforms. This will help ensure drones can maintain situational awareness, mission coordination, and navigation even when GPS signals are denied or spoofed by adversaries.
Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s Dynamics division, describes the collaboration as a “significant leap forward” in enhancing strategic defense through information from the space domain. “By integrating Maxar’s high-end geospatial insights and satellite capabilities with our advanced defense systems, we are setting new standards in the effectiveness and reliability of military operations across multiple domains,” Johansson says.
This Maxar-Saab deal comes amid growing global interest in autonomous military technologies and the need for resilient drone operations in contested environments. As Europe continues to invest in sovereign space and defense capabilities, partnerships like this highlight how advanced commercial space technologies are being adapted for battlefield use.
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