When Putin decided upon a “special operation” in Ukraine, his focus was on Europe and his way ahead in his effort to emulate Catherine the Great.
Only it has not turned out that way.
The conflict has enhanced pressure on the multipolar authoritarian world which had been making significant gains with a relatively quiet game of advancement.
But his invasion has led to his reawakening Europe to its defense future and has triggered actions which affect its partners in Asia, not positively.
An example of this are actions which Japan is taking triggered both by Chinese and Russian actions, and given the uncertain relationship between Russia and China over the future of Manchuria this has to be of concern to the Kremlin as well.
And the story of the coming together of Japan in support of Ukraine by providing satellite intelligence is part of the spin off created by Putin’s misguided and unacceptable actions.
The story goes something like this.
The secure conference room at Kyushu University’s Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS) buzzed with nervous energy on a cold February morning in 2025.
Dr. Shunsuke Onishi, the CEO who had transformed a struggling academic spin-off into Japan’s most promising commercial satellite operator, sat across from Ukrainian intelligence officials whose nation had been at war for nearly three years.
What transpired in those discussions would mark a watershed moment but not just for Ukraine’s intelligence needs, but for Japan’s carefully constructed post-war identity as a pacifist nation that kept its advanced military technologies at arm’s length from foreign conflicts.
The catalyst for this unprecedented meeting had arrived just weeks earlier, when the United States temporarily suspended its intelligence sharing with Ukraine
Ukrainian officials, who had grown accustomed to the steady flow of American satellite imagery and signals intelligence, suddenly found themselves partially blind on the digital battlefield.
As Ukrainian officials reached out to allies across Europe, they discovered a harsh reality: no single European operator could match the quality and quantity of intelligence traditionally supplied by American satellites.
Germany’s SAR-Lupe and SARah systems, Finland’s ICEYE constellation, and Italy’s COSMO-SkyMed satellites were all providing imagery, but the coverage remained incomplete.
That’s where Japan’s iQPS satellites, each equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, offered something unique in the crowded satellite intelligence market.
Unlike optical satellites that required clear skies and daylight to function, SAR satellites could see through clouds, darkness, and even dense foliage by bouncing microwave pulses off the Earth’s surface.
For Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), this capability was a game-changer. The ability to monitor Russian positions during the harsh Ukrainian winter, track supply convoys through forest cover, and assess bomb damage through smoke and debris could provide crucial advantages in a conflict where information superiority often determined success or failure,
But the technology came with a compelling economic argument as well. iQPS claimed its satellites cost just one-hundredth the price of traditional SAR platforms. This dramatic cost reduction had allowed the small Japanese company to deploy five operational satellites by April 2025, with plans for a seventh by late 2026 and a full constellation of 24 satellites by 2027.
The decision to share Japan’s most advanced surveillance technology with a foreign military represented a dramatic departure from decades of cautious policy.
Since World War II, Japan had maintained strict limitations on defense exports and intelligence sharing, preferring to keep its technological capabilities within carefully controlled boundaries.
The 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake had provided a preview of iQPS’s capabilities when the satellites delivered high-resolution images that helped emergency responders track landslides and infrastructure damage.
But using the same technology to help Ukraine target Russian forces was an entirely different proposition.
The practical challenges of implementing the agreement were substantial. Ukrainian intelligence officers would need to adapt their systems to receive, process, and analyze SAR data from iQPS satellites This is a task that would stretch technical resources but promised significant battlefield advantages.
The integration process was expected to take two to three months, during which iQPS would install programming tools and image reception systems at Ukrainian intelligence facilities.
The goal was to create seamless data flows that would allow Ukrainian analysts to access near-real-time radar imagery alongside existing intelligence streams from European partners.
SAR technology’s unique capabilities made it particularly valuable for Ukraine’s military operations. The radar could reveal heat signatures from running engines, detect camouflaged vehicles, and map changes in terrain caused by artillery strikes.
In a 2024 report, Ukraine’s intelligence service noted that SAR satellites were being used to “directly prepare strikes on the enemy,” with nearly two-fifths of imagery from Finland’s ICEYE satellites contributing to attacks that caused billions of dollars in damage.
The agreement represented more than just technical cooperation for it signaled Japan’s willingness to take a more assertive role in international security affairs. As tensions continued to rise in the Indo-Pacific region, Japan’s participation in the Quad alliance with the United States, Australia, and India had already suggested a shift toward more active security cooperation.
In other words, the spill over impact from the war in Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific is significant.
For Ukraine, the Japanese satellite partnership offered crucial redundancy in intelligence sources. Even after U.S. intelligence sharing resumed in mid-March, Ukrainian officials remained determined to diversify their capabilities. The experience of being temporarily cut off from American intelligence had underscored the risks of over-dependence on any single ally.
The timing also coincided with broader European efforts to support Ukraine’s intelligence needs.
France had confirmed on March 6, 2025, that it was providing military intelligence to Kyiv, while General Patrick de Rousiers, former President of the Military Committee of the European Union, advocated for forming an intelligence coalition among Ukraine’s allies.
The Japan-Ukraine satellite agreement emerged against a backdrop of shifting geopolitical dynamics. The temporary suspension of U.S. intelligence support had highlighted the fragility of Ukraine’s information lifelines, while also demonstrating the growing importance of commercial satellite operators in modern warfare.
The proliferation of SAR technology had democratized space-based intelligence gathering, allowing smaller nations and private companies to compete with traditional intelligence superpowers.
This technological leveling had created new opportunities for partnerships like the one between Japan and Ukraine, where advanced capabilities could be shared outside traditional alliance structures.
As the war in Ukraine continues to evolve, the Japanese satellite partnership represents a new model for international security cooperation that is one where technological innovation and private sector capabilities could reshape the balance of power in conflicts around the world.
The success of this unprecedented arrangement would likely influence future decisions about intelligence sharing, technology transfer, and the role of commercial space companies in national security.
For Japan, it marked a significant step away from its post-war constraints toward a more active role in global security affairs.
For Ukraine, the partnership offered not just enhanced intelligence capabilities, but also a demonstration that the international community remained committed to supporting its defense against Russian aggression, even as traditional partnerships faced new challenges.
Additional Note:
Japan’s iQPS satellites, equipped with advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, have swiftly carved out a unique position in the rapidly expanding domain of space-based intelligence. Unlike traditional optical satellites, SAR satellites can peer through clouds and darkness, providing high-resolution images regardless of weather or time of day which is a vital capability in Asia’s often cloudy skies.
But iQPS offers more than just imaging power; it has delivered a compelling economic and technological breakthrough. Thanks to a patented foldable 3.6-meter antenna and local Kyushu manufacturing partnerships, iQPS satellites weigh ~100kg and cost just one-hundredth as much as conventional SAR platforms. This radical cost reduction enabled iQPS to deploy five operational satellites by early summer 2025, each with enhanced in-orbit image processing, inter-satellite links, and radar resolution as fine as 0.46 meters.
The pace of deployment has only accelerated. After the successful launch of QPS-SAR-9 “SUSANOO-I” in March, QPS-SAR-10 “WADATSUMI-I” in May, and QPS-SAR-11 “YAMATSUMI-I” by Rocket Lab in June, iQPS now operates five active satellites and are on track for nine in space by year’s end and a planned 36-satellite constellation by 2027. This will enable near real-time Earth observation, with global revisit intervals as short as ten minutes which offers strategic responsiveness unmatched in the Asian region.
What sets iQPS further apart is its integration of artificial intelligence. The company’s satellites now perform onboard data analysis, enabling continuous monitoring of moving targets, prompt detection of infrastructure changes, and economic forecasting. Japanese government agencies, as well as new private-sector clients, are leveraging this next-generation intelligence for disaster response, smart city development, and, increasingly, security missions.
This commercial-military synergy reflects a major shift in Japanese policy. The government has moved to integrate private space startups into national security planning. By purchasing commercial satellite data, the government is supporting dual-use development, and treating space as a strategic growth industry. In 2025, over ¥3.5 billion was allocated to space in Japan’s record ¥8.7 trillion (approx. $55 billion) defense budget, including a new multibillion-yen satellite constellation for real-time tracking and a next-generation secure communications satellite.
iQPS is not alone. The Japanese synthetic aperture radar sector is booming. Synspective, builder of the StriX SAR satellites, recently partnered with JAXA for access to L-band ALOS-4 data, offering broader spectrum coverage. Global players like ICEYE, in collaboration with IHI, are building a separate 24-satellite SAR constellation tailored for Japanese government and defense needs. These constellations, already signing data-sharing deals with domestic and international agencies, are ushering in a new competitive space intelligence ecosystem shaped by public–private cooperation.
Perhaps the most dramatic changes have been in policy. After decades of self-imposed restrictions, Japan began reforming its defense export laws in 2025, lifting prohibitions on dual-use (commercial and defense) satellite technology. This opens the door for iQPS and its peers to expand globally and for Japan to deepen strategic intelligence-sharing with allies, from the US to Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, the government is expected to amend the Space Activities Act and establish a “Space Operations Unit” within the Air Self-Defense Force. These steps mark a clear transition: from seeing space as a scientific frontier to treating it as a critical strategic high ground, where commercial ingenuity and national security now converge.
Driven by the tectonic events of recent years, Japan has moved decisively to close its space intelligence gap. The iQPS satellite constellation is on course to reshape not only Japan’s surveillance power but also its role in a rapidly transforming global security landscape. What was once a cautious, insular approach to space is now a leap forward—built on innovation, collaboration, and a new resolve to play a leading role in the world’s emerging space domain.
Among the sources consulted in writing this story were the following:
Japan’s secret satellite weapon now in Ukraine’s ‘war hands’
Japan’s iQPS to provide Ukraine with satellite intel amid US support uncertainty
Japan to Share SAR Satellite-Based Data With Ukraine for the First Time
Satellite Warfare: Japan’s iQPS SAR Satellites Set to Strengthen Ukraine’s Intelligence Arsenal
Ukrainian intelligence will receive satellite imagery from Japan