“We should turn to a European army that is taking great steps to build a military infrastructure.” That was what Izaskun Bilbao, a PNV MEP, spoke about a few months ago. In 2016, in the so-called “Ukraine crisis”, two Russian bombers travelled on the Basque coast and the Jelkide representative made greater efforts to speed up the creation of a European army and “prevent the Russians from making more such entries.”

Satlantis Microsats is one of the Basque companies participating in the European Industrial Development Programme. Leioa headquarters (Bizkaia) was opened in February 2019 by lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu. The company in its presentation states that it offers “satellite solutions”, satellite solutions to respond to “security challenges”. In particular, he points out as the main key to his business model “the care of the sea and borders”. He currently leads the Nemo and Optisse projects, which have received EUR 4 million and EUR 874,000 respectively, from funds for European bijilance.

Public grants CAPV

Basque public administrations spend millions on helping Satlantis Microsats. For example, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia has awarded a grant of EUR 959,999 to the enterprise project “Bizkargi”, the aim of which is “to develop the first high-resolution standardized earth observation satellite”. It has also provided money for other initiatives of the satellite company, EUR 422,880 for the Kubekam project, 85,587 for Stalan-Bat, 52,642 for Lamia and 30,000 for ISM.

In addition, the Basque Government has allocated public funds under the Hazitek programme for other Satlantis projects: Lur-1 (EUR 1.053.247), Igela (118.102), Pegasso (56,000) and Lur (54.807). In addition, the Basque Government will invest in the company’s inFocus project.

To conclude the subsidy section, the public entity Seed Capital Bizkaia has EUR 997,839 invested in shares of this company. In total, in the midst of the threat of war between NATO and Russia, contributions to the European Army and the conquest of space will cost public coffers four million more.

President Bush

Among the shareholders of Satlantis Microsats, the consulting firm Everis, which presides over the former Defense Minister, Eduardo Serra, stands out. This has been particularly relevant to the operation of the satellite company. According to a document that Hordago -El Salto has had access to. When the Everis management team decided to purchase all the shares of the company FIT Investment de Satlantis, an industrial partner received the prior approval of the Spanish Ministry of Defense and the Spanish secret service CNI. In this sense, Satlantis is consolidated in the Spanish state as the main protagonist.

On the other hand, the company’s relationship with NATO has been even more consolidated since last April, when the American company of origin Satlantis LLC appointed new president Sean O’Keefe, president of George H. W. Bush. O’Keefe has been, among others, Deputy Director of the President’s Budget Office, Secretary of the US Navy and Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Defense.

Ricardo Martí Fluxá, president of the Association of Defence Companies TEDAE, former president of the Basque company ITP Aero and former Secretary of State for Security, has praised the Basque Government’s support for the arms industry.

In the opinion of Juan Tomás Hernani, CEO of the company Satlantis, “we are in a new Cold War in defense”. So your company decides to help the West.

It is noted that one of the company’s customers is the Pentagon, which has collaborated with the Biscay company to facilitate “spying and monitoring from space oil refineries, oil extraction plants, gas and oil pipelines and deposits, land and marine wind turbines, high-voltage lines and nuclear power stations.” This has been made possible by the iSIM satellite camera, a star product of Satlantis.