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IHI to mass-produce dual-use satellites in Japan
Japan's IHI plans to establish domestic mass production of small dual-use Earth-observation satellites, reportedly targeting 20 to 30 spacecraft annually by fiscal 2029 using technology from Finnish radar-satellite specialist ICEYE. The effort builds on an agreement for four initial synthetic-aperture-radar satellites, with options for 20 additional spacecraft and plans for Japanese assembly, testing and supply-chain development. SAR sensors can image land and maritime areas through cloud cover and at night, supporting both national-security monitoring and civilian services. The proposed factory and higher production rate are future industrial targets rather than evidence that mass production is already underway.