WASHINGTON —  Planet Labs will supply satellite imagery to the U.S. Navy’s Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific for vessel detection and monitoring, the company announced March 5. 

Based in San Francisco, California, Planet Labs operates a fleet of more than 200 Earth observation satellites that capture images of the entire planet on a daily basis.

The company did not disclose the value of the one-year “seven figure” contract.

Planet’s electro-optical imagery will be shared via SeaVision, a web-based platform used by the U.S. and allies to improve maritime domain awareness. The Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific last year awarded a contract to HawkEye 360 to integrate radio-frequency data in SeaVision.

SynMax AI to work with Planet

For this project Planet will work with SynMax, a data analytics company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite imagery to provide actionable intelligence to  customers. 

“Planet’s daily, global coverage, powered by its flagship PlanetScope constellation, is uniquely suited for broad area management, and will provide the SeaVision platform with a comprehensive and timely view of millions of square kilometers of ocean areas,” the company said.

SynMax’s AI tools “enable the detection of maritime events at strategic and tactical levels, crucial for revealing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, illicit ship-to-ship transfers and vessel spoofing,” Planet said. 

This is Planet’s first contract with the Naval Information Warfare Center and the first time Planet data is being integrated into the SeaVision platform.

Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...