France bets €1.5 billion on new spy satellites to keep its own eyes in the sky

France has placed a massive €1.5 billion order for two new military spy satellites, named IRIS, to be built by a consortium led by Airbus and Thales Alenia Space. The satellites will replace three existing orbiters and are designed to provide higher quality, faster-available images day and night, in both visible and infrared spectrums, securing France's sovereign space-based intelligence capability well beyond 2035.

As one of the few European nations with its own high-end optical spy satellite constellation, France's move ensures it won't have to rely on others, like the U.S., for critical intelligence. The first satellite is slated for operation in 2033, with the second following around 2035, maintaining France's strategic autonomy and its role as a major intelligence provider, notably having supplied two-thirds of intelligence capabilities to Ukraine. This massive investment locks in France's independent, high-tech eyes in the sky for the next generation.