Sweden launched its first military reconnaissance and surveillance satellite into orbit at 9:00 a.m. Swedish time, marking the country's operational entry into the space domain and delivering a national capability to detect and analyze threats on a global scale. The
I’m not a spy expert, but shouldn’t that be a secret?
For a country that’s outwardly neutral? Seems the right call. Other nations agencies are gonna know anyways.
We were neutral, that ended when we joined Nato.
Exactly. Also, one should never underestimate Sweden’s defence capabilities: they will fight to the last Finn!
You can’t keep a satellite launch secret. Also you can send a message by announcing such a launch. Especially to so-called “allies” who don’t take the whole being allied thing that seriously, and like blackmailing their supposed allies with denying them assistance.
You can see most satellites with fairly basic telescopes. The launch is also really easy to track, as you need to clear the launch area and so also there are satellite constellations looking for really hot objects above the atmosphere. The main purpose is to detect ICBMs, but they of cause can also track satellite launches.