Five SAR-Lupe satellites will be launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region, about 480 miles north of Moscow this year, undisclosed sources at the cosmodrome told the Russian Itar-Tass news agency. The satellites will be put into orbit by a Russian Kosmos 3M launch vehicle.

SAR-Lupe is Germany's first satellite-based reconnaissance system consisting of five identical small satellites and a ground installation. The system is being developed by OHB-System AG, a space technology company from Bremen, for the German Federal Armed Forces, the company said.

SAR-Lupe, operating independently of weather conditions, can deliver up-to-date and highly detailed images from virtually all regions of the world, OHB-System AG said. Radar images are planned to be delivered by the system for at least 10 years.

Earlier the company said the overall SAR-Lupe system was planned to be completed in 2007.

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