Reports suggest that Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is expected to announce the creation of the Turkish Space Agency within the next three months. The Turkish Space Agency will be located in the town of Kazan near the capital Ankara, and will be a joint responsibility of the Turkish military’s …
Read More »Qatar’s Ooredoo, Arabsat ink deal on satellite communications
Qatari telecommunications company Ooredoo and the Arab Satellite Communications Organization – Arabsat – recently inked a deal pledging each other to cooperate on satellite communications across the Middle East. In particular, Ooredoo and Arabsat intend to develop new services and products for the rapidly growing Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) …
Read More »US military using space and cyber against Daesh
During a press conference on 12 April 2016 with journalists on his flight to the 32nd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, United States, the US Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work said that Daesh are being hit hard by coalition operations, to include so-called “cyber bombs” and by the use …
Read More »Arabsat holds board meeting in Riyadh
The Arab Satellite Communications Organization – Arabsat – held a board meeting in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 11-12 April 2016. The board meeting involved directors from nine Arab League countries who are elected annually. The Arabsat board meets every three months. Arabsat was founded in 1976 by the …
Read More »Thuraya signs maritime maintenance agreement with Singapore’s Seven Seas Electronic
Dubai-based Thuraya Telecommunications Company announced on Monday, 11 April 2016, an agreement with Singapore-based Seven Seas Electronic for the provision of speedy maintenance and technical support for Thuraya’s maritime clients in the Asia-Pacific. Seven Seas Electronic will now be able to store spare parts for Thuraya equipment as well as …
Read More »UAE and United States sign SSA data sharing agreement
The UAE Space Agency and US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Colorado Springs, United States, on Monday, 11 April 2016, committing both the UAE and the United States to share space situational awareness (SSA) data. Dr. Khalifa Al Romaithi, Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, …
Read More »The Turkish-Qatari plot thickens
Shared views on the Muslim Brotherhood and Syria’s civil war saw the two countries join sides. But now a new interest binds them: reconnaissance capabilities – and Turkey’s earth observation satellites have never been as attractive. But does this defence cooperation have a space component? And what does such a …
Read More »Egypt to buy French military satellite in $1.2B arms deal
By John B. Sheldon Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi is expected to sign a US$1.2 billion arms deal with French President François Hollande when the leader of France visits Cairo on April 18, according to French newspaper La Tribune. Among the items in the deal is a military communications …
Read More »Russia aids North African counterterrorism operations with satellite imagery
In recent weeks, the Russian Government has provided Algerian and Tunisian authorities with intelligence and military aid to strengthen counterterrorism efforts in the fight against Islamic State terrorists operating in the region. The counterterrorism aid package includes the supply of Russian high-resolution satellite imagery of key Algerian border crossings with …
Read More »SSL to build Eutelsat’s all-eletric broadcast satellite to expand services Middle East, Africa
Eutelsat Communications has entrusted Space Systems Loral (SSL) with the manufacture of a high-power broadcast satellite to serve markets in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Turkey. Called EUTELSAT 7C, the new satellite will be located at 7 degrees East, a position that already broadcasts more than 370 channels. To …
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