Kongsberg Doubles Satellite Fleet Tracking Dark Vessels and AIS Spoofing

Norwegian technology group Kongsberg will add three satellites to its N3X maritime surveillance constellation in early 2027, doubling the fleet to six and expanding coverage for detecting dark vessels and AIS manipulation.

The expansion is intended to improve revisit rates and provide near-real-time maritime coverage as operational demand from the Norwegian Armed Forces increases. The first three N3X satellites were launched in 2025 and are already supplying surveillance data to Norwegian authorities.

All six satellites will be owned by Kongsberg and equipped with integrated satellite AIS receivers and passive radio frequency sensors. That combination is what makes the system useful against ships that have gone quiet: the AIS receiver captures what a vessel is broadcasting, while the passive RF payload picks up emissions from ships that are not broadcasting at all, or that are broadcasting a position inconsistent with where the signal originates. The system is used to detect and track dark fleet tonnage, identify AIS spoofing attempts and monitor other anomalous activity at sea.

"Rapidly deploying secure space-based capabilities is more critical than ever, and we are proud to contribute to Norway's resilience and situational awareness from orbit," Kongsberg chief executive Eirik Lie said. Colonel John-Arild Bodding, commander of the Norwegian Armed Forces Space Operations Center, said the first three satellites had confirmed the operational value of space-based maritime surveillance. "Expanding the constellation will further improve coverage, responsiveness, and our ability to monitor activities of interest in maritime areas," he said.

The programme combines payloads and system integration from Kongsberg with satellite platforms from Kongsberg NanoAvionics, a Lithuanian small-satellite specialist, and ground services and satellite operations from Kongsberg Satellite Services, known as KSAT.

N3X also supplies data to commercial customers, while surplus capacity is delivered to allied nations and further capacity is available to allied and partner countries. Revisit rate is the constraint that matters commercially: a three-satellite constellation leaves gaps long enough for a ship to complete a transfer unobserved, and halving those gaps changes what the system can evidence rather than merely how often it looks.