It is a military satellite and we can now present that Sweden also has military satellites. It is important to strengthen our defense capability, says Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) to SVT.
The satellite is called Gna-3 and is a so-called cube satellite weighing four kilos. It is said to be a communication satellite that passes the same places four times a day, on an orbit that covers Sweden and the Baltic Sea region, writes SVT.
We want to have a certain independence and control when it comes to communication and intelligence gathering in the long run. So this builds up and strengthens our capability, says Pål Jonson.
Gna-3 is considered a satellite for testing and trials. The Defense Forces expect to launch more satellites in the coming years.
In 2025, we will carry out the next launch, and another satellite in 2027, to be able to send up operational satellites by 2030, says Johan Nyström, head of the Defense Forces' space department, to SVT.
