Vantor Selects BAE Systems to Build Next-Generation Vantage Satellites

Vantor has contracted BAE Systems to build the first two of its next-generation Vantage electro-optical imaging satellites, each offering 20-centimeter resolution. The agreement was announced on June 24. It marks the latest step in Vantor’s effort to expand its international defense business.

Company officials said international revenue now splits roughly 70 percent defense and 30 percent civil. They attributed the change to a geopolitical shift over the past 16 months that has prompted allies to increase spending on their own geospatial capabilities.

Until recently, many partners relied heavily on U.S. intelligence sharing, creating what officials described as a “massive gap” in understanding the value of independent geospatial intelligence.

Vantor continues to serve a broad set of non-defense U.S. government customers for activities such as disaster response. Its international work, however, is concentrated in the defense and national intelligence sectors. Chief executive Dan Smoot told Breaking Defense that the international community has embraced greater investment in national capabilities.

““We’ve seen the geopolitical shift in the marketplace dramatically change in the last 16 months, and that has been based on a lot of the US position in regards to intelligence sharing and/or capability sharing, and really asking the world to invest more as a percentage of GDP on their own capabilities. And the international community has embraced that.””