Thessaloniki, 29 December 2023.- OHB System AG, a subsidiary of the space and technology group OHB SE, already selected as the project coordinator for ODIN’S EYE II, a space-based early warning system designed to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles, has now been funded: the European Commission, along with the European Defence Fund (EDF), has signed a grant agreement providing EUR 90 million in funding for the project. An industrial consortium, led by Bremen’s space experts and comprising 43 companies from 14 European member states, will contribute to the development: they include ArianeGroup, Beyond Gravity, Deimos Engineering and Systems, GMV Aerospace and Defence, Leonardo, SENER, Thales Alenia Space, and Telespazio.
The project aims to enhance Europe’s defence against security threats by establishing a dedicated early warning capability for ballistic and hypersonic missiles. OHB System AG, having invested significantly in space-based early warning expertise, is proud to coordinate ODIN’S EYE II as the consortium leader. Sabine von der Recke, a board member at OHB System AG, emphasized the importance of space in determining Europe’s sovereignty and defence capability in the context of the current geopolitical landscape.
ODIN’S EYE II is part of the ODIN’S EYE initiative, focusing on the multinational development of a space-based missile early-warning architecture. OHB System AG, having been responsible for collecting and harmonizing requirements, system architecture, and components in ODIN’S EYE I, will now define, develop, integrate, and verify the entire mission and system simulator in ODIN’S EYE II. Other entities within the consortium, including OHB Digital Connect and OHB Hellas, will handle the ground segment, data analysis, and on-board processing.
The ODIN’S EYE early warning system is a key component of the TWISTER project, aligned with the EU defence initiative for Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). This system is designed to provide a coherent, complementary, and interoperable architecture that can interface with other systems, including non-EU systems such as those used by NATO. Overall, ODIN’S EYE II represents a significant step in enhancing Europe’s capabilities to detect and respond to ballistic and hypersonic missile threats in space.
Under the initial 2022 call for proposals OHB System AG had originally been selected as the project coordinator for the second phase of the ODIN’S EYE project back in June 2023. This choice reflects the policy priorities of the European Defence Fund, which are to enhance Europe’s sovereign capabilities to detect and respond to ballistic and hypersonic missile threats in space.
The acronym ODIN’s EYE stands for multinatiOnal Development INitiative for a Space-based missilE earlY-warning architecturE. From earliest times, “ODIN” was a war god in the Norse mythology. He appeared in heroic literature as the protector of heroes, while fallen warriors joined him in Valhalla.
