Outrage! NATO Defence Giant Caught "Servicing" Chinese Military Satellites

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - A shocking investigation by Newsweek has revealed that Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), a major European satellite services company owned by a NATO defence contractor, has obtained permission to service dozens of satellites belonging to a Chinese company closely tied to Beijing’s military.

This fact has triggered significant concerns amid the intensifying global confrontations involving the United States, Iran, and Russia.

Based on documents obtained from the Norwegian Communications Authority (NKOM), KSAT is authorised to communicate with 42 satellites owned by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd. (CGSTL). The Chinese company is the largest provider of commercial satellite imagery in the Bamboo Curtain nation, established jointly by the Jilin provincial government and a state research institution that serves China’s national defence.

The involvement of commercial satellite companies in armed conflicts is currently under global scrutiny, from the Iran war triggered by the US and Israel in February, Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea, to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The role of commercial satellites is considered crucial in helping conflicting parties monitor enemy movements.

The US State Department has issued a stern warning regarding the profile of the Chinese company, deeming it a threat to Washington’s interests.

“We know that the Chinese technology company Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. (CGSTL) has provided direct support to the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists who have attacked US interests. CGSTL maintains close ties with the Chinese government and military,” stated a US State Department spokesperson, quoted on Monday (20/4/2026).

These suspicions have grown stronger after a US congressional committee wrote to the Pentagon stating that Iran likely accessed information on US forces in the Gulf through Western space companies. Nevertheless, KSAT has chosen to keep details of its contracts with clients under wraps, citing business confidentiality.

“Our customer contracts include standard confidentiality clauses, and therefore KSAT is not free to comment publicly or provide details on individual customers. This applies to both past and current customers,” emphasised a KSAT spokesperson via email.

Although there is no strong evidence that their SvalSat ground station is currently servicing CGSTL satellites, KSAT has recently been threatened with fines by Norwegian authorities. NKOM has threatened to fine KSAT for conducting “illegal communications” with five satellites via SvalSat in the Arctic and TrollSat in Antarctica without proper authorisation.

NKOM Department Director Espen Slette emphasised that KSAT’s repeated violations are a serious issue for international trust.

“It is very serious that KSAT has communicated with satellites without permission on several occasions. Therefore, we are warning of high violation fees. It is important for those with authorisation to conduct satellite activities in Antarctica and Svalbard to do so in accordance with regulations to maintain trust between authorities and actors, as well as between Norwegian and foreign authorities,” said Slette in his press statement.

Licence application documents show that KSAT has applied for permission related to CGSTL at least twice in the past five years, in 2021 and September 2023, with validity until 2028. However, this step is deemed “absurd” by industry observers, given that CGSTL has been sanctioned by the US, EU, Japan, and Taiwan for supplying Russia’s military-industrial base.

Strand Consult CEO John Strand stated that a defence company’s actions in servicing the adversary are utterly illogical in the current geopolitical context.

“Merely applying to service Chinese satellites is absurd. These satellites are imaging ice and water in the Arctic. They are not monitoring agriculture. Kongsberg, through KSAT, is seeking permission to operate Chinese spy satellites. They have been caught red-handed. This is a defence company supplying needs to Europe and America, yet now playing a role in building European defence resilience at a time when we do not want to do too much business with America,” said Strand.

Similar concerns have hit another aerospace giant, Airbus Space. John Moolenaar, chairman of the US House of Representatives select committee on China, suspects Airbus provided satellite imagery of US military assets to a Chinese entity called MizarVision before Iran’s attack on US forces in the Gulf began.

“The documented facts present a chilling scenario: A Chinese firm with undisclosed satellite sources publishes precise and annotated imagery of US military assets at specific bases. The imagery identifies the exact types of aircraft that were later destroyed in Iran’s precision strikes. Technical analysis indicates that Airbus Space satellites are the most plausible source for that imagery,” wrote Moolenaar in his letter.

In response to the allegations, Airbus strongly denied them and stated that MizarVision is not their customer.

“MizarVision has never been an Airbus customer. Furthermore, no Airbus imagery in the Middle East has ever been supplied to MizarVision or any other Chinese entity. We have no relationship with MizarVision. Our operations are conducted in full compliance with all relevant sanctions, export control laws, and international regulations,” clarified an Airbus spokesperson.

Joseph Wen, a Taiwan-based open-source intelligence analyst, opined that China’s advancing satellite infrastructure will continue to be a powerful geopolitical bargaining tool in the future.

“Although I do not have direct evidence, I am confident that China has insen”