A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) inked between IHI Corporation and Northrop Grumman at the ongoing DSEI Japan, will result in both companies working towards developing small, highly manoeuvrable satellites and other solutions for missions such as Space Domain Awareness (SDA) for Japan. IHI and Northrop Grumman will jointly collaborate on opportunities to provide small, highly manoeuvrable satellites to enhance awareness in an increasingly contested Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) environment.
“This collaboration combines IHI’s long heritage in Japan’s space business with Northrop Grumman’s unparalleled experience in SDA,” said Troy Brashear, vice president, national security systems, Northrop Grumman Space Systems. “We will rapidly work together towards an affordable and effective SDA solution for Japan.”
Japan’s National Security Strategy and National Defence Strategy of December 2022 had called for strengthened SDA to ensure sustainable economic activity and national security. “Northrop Grumman’s demonstrated experience in this field and the long-standing cooperation between our companies makes them our best partner to pursue solutions to these problems. We will cooperate together to contribute to the stable use of space,” said Fumiharu Namiki, Vice President, Aero Engine, Space & Defense Business Area, IHI Corporation and concurrently President of IHI Aerospace. IHI has provided space situational awareness data services for the safe operation of satellites. In recent years, IHI has invested attention to the movement of satellites in GEO.
