Planet Labs PBC has strengthened its foothold in the defence and intelligence sectors with a series of substantial contracts showcasing the growing demand for its AI-powered satellite imagery and analytics. Following its June 2025 earnings report, the company announced four major deals that collectively underline a strategic emphasis on AI-enabled situational awareness tools tailored for global defence clients.
Central to these developments is a multi-year contract with the German government valued at €240 million (approximately $283 million), set to commence in January 2026. This deal grants dedicated use of Planet’s Pelican satellites over key European regions, alongside access to PlanetScope and SkySat data. Importantly, it integrates advanced AI solutions to enhance situational and maritime domain awareness—a reflection of Planet’s expanding role in European defence space capabilities.
Parallel to this, Planet extended its Hybrid Space Architecture agreement with the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit, now encompassing support for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM). This expansion will see Planet deliver AI-powered threat monitoring and alerts tailored to the intricate security dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region. The company’s services enable defence agencies to detect and track country-scale changes with a granular level of real-time precision.
Further bolstering naval and maritime intelligence, Planet secured a seven-figure contract with the U.S. Navy’s Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific. Under this year-long agreement, Planet will supply electro-optical satellite imagery through the SeaVision platform, enhancing vessel detection and monitoring in the Pacific Ocean. The contract also involves collaboration with analytics firm SynMax to fuse AI with satellite data for actionable maritime insights.
NATO, too, has entered a partnership with Planet via a seven-figure contract to enhance its space-based surveillance and maritime domain awareness capabilities. This agreement supports NATO’s Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space program, offering high-resolution satellite data combined with AI and machine learning tools designed to monitor strategic areas and foreign military activities. The contract aims to bolster the alliance’s intelligence capabilities amidst evolving geopolitical tensions.
Additionally, Planet’s position in the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office’s (NRO) Electro-Optical Commercial Layer (EOCL) programme was reaffirmed through a contract extension valid until October 2025. This extension includes daily imaging, tasking services, and integration into the NRO’s Commercial GEOINT Integration architecture, which facilitates faster decision-making by providing uninterrupted access to Planet’s extensive satellite data archive and real-time imagery.
These contracts build upon Planet’s larger strategic shift towards offering downstream, AI-enhanced solutions. The company’s vast dataset comprises daily imagery covering around 150 million square kilometres of land and 20 million square kilometres of significant ocean regions. Backed by a historical archive containing over 3,000 images per terrestrial point, this intelligence trove supports identification of emergent threats that elude traditional reconnaissance methods.
Planet’s CEO and Co-Founder, Will Marshall, highlighted the transformative impact of these wins, stating in a recent company announcement that the modern geopolitical environment and drive to modernise security technologies have created unprecedented demand for their AI-driven offerings. He underscored the importance of ‘peripheral vision’—the ability to survey extensive regions to preemptively identify threats—as a critical capability sought by national defence agencies worldwide.
The company’s partnership with AI firm Preligens further exemplifies its commitment to enhancing monitoring for defence and intelligence operations by automating the detection and classification of military assets across thousands of sites. This collaboration accelerates the intelligence cycle and enriches situational awareness for customers operating in complex and fast-changing environments.
Ashley Johnson, President and CFO of Planet, has echoed this growth trajectory, noting that these contracts validate the company’s pivot toward integrated solutions that add tangible value beyond raw data. The significant annual contract values and pipeline of new wins reflect a robust demand that Planet intends to leverage in upcoming quarters.
Overall, Planet Labs’ recent contract announcements collectively underscore its evolution from a satellite imagery provider to a key player in the AI-enabled defence intelligence space. By combining its expansive data coverage with cutting-edge AI analytics, Planet is positioning itself as a vital “eye in the sky” for government and military clients confronting increasingly complex and dynamic security challenges across the globe.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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