A new consortium of international companies, called IRSA Development Group (IDG), was announced October 1, 2019, at DEFSEC Atlantic in Halifax, Canada. IDG consists of international companies with expertise in selected technology domains to bring the world an advanced remote sensing network.
Integrated Remote Sensing for the Arctic (IRSA) is a scalable, civilian, all-domain system-ofsystems remote sensing solution designed to provide more persistent monitoring of the Arctic.
The network comprises satellites, high altitude long endurance (HALE) drones, medium
altitude long endurance (MALE) drones, small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), sea-surface
and sub-sea platforms, and ground stations. Technology development for each segment, and
their integration, is underway. Initial IRSA services are expected to be available to clients in
early 2020.
“We are excited to be part of the IDG collaboration and the development of IRSA. The potential
benefits of the IRSA system range from enhancing safety and security applications to supporting
Northerners in their response to climate change. The agile team is made up of international
leaders in their respective technology areas,” says Paul Adlakha, Managing Director of
LOOKNorth at C-CORE.
Recognizing the need for more persistent remote sensing, robust communication and data
connectivity in the Arctic, Boeing Defense, Space, and Security (BDS) began an intensive study
in 2015, mapping the challenges and identifying gaps in designing and creating a solution to
address them. Since then, Boeing has invested in establishing an international consortium to
develop the technologies, products and services that can provide that solution through the
IRSA program.
“This project is another testament to the reputation of Boeing’s industrial programs and the
path for future growth it can provide our partners,” says Maria Laine, Vice President, Boeing
International Strategic Partnerships. “Projects like this underscore our commitment to provide
opportunities for innovation and technology collaboration around the globe to develop
advanced capabilities.”
IRSA Development Group (IDG)
The IDG is a multi-national collaboration among Arctic nations and world-leading innovators in
advanced technologies for the polar regions. IDG’s objective is to develop and commercialize
the IRSA solution as a service for safety and security in the Arctic. The partner organizations
are: C-CORE (Canada), MyDefence System Integration (Kingdom of Denmark), Andøya Space
Center (Norway), VTT (Finland), Scott Polar Research Institute (United Kingdom), Karl Osen
(Switzerland), ViaSat Antenna Systems (Switzerland), and Boeing Phantom Works (USA).
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