The planned ASBM elliptical orbit will enable more direct coverage of Arctic latitudes compared to geosynchronous satellites that orbit at the equator approximately 36,0 m above Earth.
The Norwegian Ministry of Defence does not plan to provide ASBM capacity as part of the European Union's Govsatcom initiative.
The ASBM satellites are planned to have elliptical orbits with an apogee of about 43,500 km, a perigee of roughly 8,100 km, and an inclination of 63.4 degrees.
The Norwegian Ministry of Defence may purchase commercial Ka-band capacity from Space Norway for military use in addition to the X-band payload the MoD will have on the ASBM satellites.