The Asia Pacific office will be located in Canberra, with Kleos saying it is aligning itself with the Australian Government’s recent pledge to invest $500 million to improve Australia’s space-based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities.

Kleos Space is planning to publicly list on the Australian Stock Exchange in spring 2018 and announced earlier this month the signature of an Authorisation To Proceed with GomSpace, part of GomSpace Group AB, on a contract to deliver the first of 20 satellite system constellations.

Erik Tyler, an Australian national and executive director of Kleos Space, will lead the regional subsidiary as its managing director.

Kleos says Tyler will leverage his defence contacts, as well as his public company and capital market experience, to drive the Australian presence for Kleos Space.

Data that the Kleos Space satellites gather via geolocated radio transmissions is designed to allow countries to guard borders, protect assets and save lives by delivering global activity-based intelligence and geolocation as a service.