Servicio Aerofotogramétrico del "General Juan Soler Manfredini" - Fuerza Aérea de Chile

What Servicio Aerofotogramétrico del "General Juan Soler Manfredini" - Fuerza Aérea de Chile does

The Servicio Aerofotogramétrico del "General Juan Soler Manfredini" (SAF) is the official, permanent aerophotogrammetric and satellite remote-sensing service of the Chilean Air Force, established by Law 15.284 on October 11, 1963, and reorganized under the Dirección Espacial in 2021. Operating primarily from Base Aérea Pudahuel in Santiago with additional facilities at Los Cerrillos, Colina, and El Bosque, SAF delivers high-resolution satellite imagery (down to 0.48m–70cm from a ~200-sensor national constellation plus proprietary FASat-Charlie and FASat-Delta satellites), aerial photography via DHC-6 Twin Otter and RPAS platforms, LiDAR-derived digital terrain and surface models (2cm definition), SAR/DInSAR radar processing, aeronautical cartography, GIS products, and the IDE-SAF web-based Spatial Data Infrastructure platform. The organization is ISO 9001:2015 certified since 2005 for planning, execution, and distribution of aerophotogrammetric surveys, aeronautical cartography, and satellite imagery.

SAF's business model is non-commercial: it is funded through Chilean government defense and civil budget allocations and delivers products and services to ministries (Defense, Public Works, Agriculture, Mining, Environment), regional and municipal authorities, and specialized state agencies (SAG, SERNAPESCA, SHOA, Contraloría General, SUBTEL) under formal cooperation agreements and the statutory mandate of Law 15.284. There are no commercial sales channels, e-commerce platforms, or publicly disclosed pricing; quotes are negotiated per project through government procurement. Demand generation occurs through institutional visits, FIDAE and Space Summit participation, technical symposia, academic partnerships with Chilean universities, and government-to-government exchanges rather than traditional marketing. The customer base is entirely institutional, with episodic international humanitarian engagements (e.g., 2023 Colombia search operation, 2024 PLA delegation, 2026 Texas National Guard exchange). Strategic direction is shaped by the ongoing buildout of the Centro Nacional Espacial, the planned expansion of the FASat constellation to ten satellites, and increasing integration of AI-driven analytics (Desafíos Públicos 2023 disaster damage assessment program, AI search-and-rescue algorithms in development).

Name

Servicio Aerofotogramétrico del "General Juan Soler Manfredini" - Fuerza Aérea de Chile

Legal name

Servicio Aerofotogramétrico del "General Juan Soler Manfredini" - Fuerza Aérea de Chile

Website

https://saf.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The official aerophotogrammetric and satellite remote-sensing service of the Chilean Air Force, founded 1963 under Law 15.284, providing high-resolution satellite imagery, aerial photography, LiDAR, and cartography exclusively to Chilean government ministries, defense agencies, and state institutions under a non-commercial, budget-funded model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geospatial and Aerial Survey Services

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136), Space Research and Technology (92711), Satellite Telecommunications (517410), Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)

akta.pro primary industry

Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Remote Sensing & Earth Observation Analytics (Satellite/UAV/LiDAR, Image Processing) (EUAHAKAD), Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) & Multirotor Drones (IMABAIAA), Satellite Imagery & Monitoring Platforms (AFAAAFAI), Remote Sensing & Geospatial Vision (satellite/drone imagery) (HDAAAEAL), Satellite Network Operations & Capacity Services (NOC, Capacity Leasing, Managed Payload Services) (HDAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Aerial photogrammetry services
• Satellite imagery distribution
• Airborne LiDAR mapping
• Aeronautical cartography production
• Geospatial information services

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Contract Services: SAF operates as a state service under Law 15.284 and is funded through the Chilean government's defense and civil budget. It provides products and services (aerial photography, satellite imagery, cartography, LiDAR, topographic surveys) to the Chilean Armed Forces, government ministries, regional governments, municipal authorities, and other state agencies on a contractual basis. Revenue derives from government budget allocations and inter-agency service agreements rather than commercial sales.
2. Geospatial Data and Satellite Imagery Products: SAF distributes satellite imagery, aerial photographs, LiDAR data products, digital elevation models, and cartographic outputs to government and institutional customers. Products include unclassified and classified point clouds, Digital Terrain Models, Digital Surface Models, contours, orthorectified mosaics, and multitemporal image archives. Revenue is generated through government procurement channels and state-to-state agreements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SAF is Chile's official state aerophotogrammetric service under the Fuerza Aérea de Chile, producing and distributing aerial photography, satellite imagery (optical and SAR), LiDAR-derived digital terrain and surface models, aeronautical and topographic cartography, GIS products, and ortho-rectified mosaics. It operates the National Satellite System (SNSat) and provides end-to-end geospatial services including data acquisition, processing, and distribution via the IDE-SAF web platform to government ministries, armed forces, and public institutions.

Product overview

SAF Chile operates as Chile's official technical aerophotogrammetric service under the Chilean Air Force, providing a comprehensive geoespatial data portfolio. The core offerings include satellite imagery products (from constellations including SKYSAT, JILIN, EROS B, FASAT, and ICEYE) at resolutions from 0.48m, aerial photography from DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, aeronautical cartography, LiDAR point clouds with Digital Elevation Models (MDT/MDS), and GIS products (planimetry and altimetry). These are supported by image processing services including ortho-rectified mosaics, aerial inspection, topographic surveys using GNSS, and the IDE-SAF Spatial Data Infrastructure platform for web-based geospatial data access. The Sistema Nacional Satelital (SNSat) program, with FASat-Delta (launched 2023) and planned 10-satellite constellation, forms the national space infrastructure backbone.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Satellite Imagery Products (Imágenes Satelitales) Satellite imagery available at resolutions from 0.48m to 70cm, including multispectral bands (RGB, NIR), optical imagery from constellations (SKYSAT, JILIN, EROS B, FASAT), and SAR radar (ICEYE). Historical archive from 2010 to present is available for multitemporal analysis. Sold to government and institutional customers for monitoring, planning, and disaster response.
• Aerial Photography Products (Imágenes Aéreas)
• Aeronautical Cartography (Cartografía Aeronáutica) Official aeronautical charts and cartographic products for Chilean airspace navigation and aviation safety. Includes photointerpretation, vectorization of geographic entities, and digital elevation modeling. Distributed to aviation, defense, and civil aviation authorities.
• LiDAR Products Airborne LiDAR data products including classified and unclassified point clouds (from 8 points per square meter), Digital Terrain Models (DTM), Digital Surface Models (DSM), contour lines at 50cm, and 3D elevation data with up to 2cm definition. Used for municipal regulatory planning, infrastructure monitoring, and environmental studies.
• GIS Products (SIG - Sistemas de Información Geográfica) Geographic Information Systems products including planimetry (vector mapping of roads, parcels, utilities, hydrography, vegetation) and altimetry (digital elevation representation with contour lines and elevation points). Includes field classification services for attribute collection.
• Image Processing Services (Procesamiento de Imágenes) Digital image processing including ortho-rectified mosaics, image enhancement, and georeferencing for various cartographic and monitoring applications. Sold to government and institutional customers.
• Satellite and Radar Image Capture Services (Captura de Imágenes Satelitales y Radáricas) Service offering multitemporal monitoring, land use studies, object/person detection, and web application development using satellite and radar imagery. Available to government and institutional clients.
• Aerial Inspection Services (Inspección Aérea) Aerial inspection services including 3D modeling, construction monitoring, infrastructure inspection, and web applications using airborne platforms. Sold to government infrastructure and construction entities.
• Topographic Services (Servicios Topográficos) Topographic field classification, inspections, georeferencing, and point layout services using GNSS equipment for precise positioning. Provided to government and institutional clients.
• Laser Topography / LiDAR Survey Service (Topografía Láser) Airborne laser scanning for urban modeling, pulse analysis, environmental studies, and high-density point cloud acquisition. Sold to government agencies and municipal authorities.
• Aerophotogrammetric Flight Services (Vuelo Aerofotogramétrico) Aerial photogrammetric flight operations for cadastral surveys, photo interpretation, and monitoring services using equipped aircraft. Contracted by government, municipal, and institutional clients.
• IDE-SAF Spatial Data Infrastructure Platform Web-based geospatial viewer and interoperable data platform delivering satellite imagery, hydrological network data, landfill locations for fire management, mobile antenna concentration mapping, and other thematic layers for decision-making. Distributed to authorized government and institutional users.

Quantifiable outcome

• First national satellite constellation download of 70cm resolution imagery from 200+ satellite sensors, enabling monitoring of individual solar panels across a 1,000+ hectare solar installation.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Contraloría General de la RepúblicamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2025Meeting held May 28, 2025, between SAF, the Centro Nacional Espacial, and the Controller General's Center for Data and Artificial Intelligence and Division of Regional and Municipal Governments. Objective: identify joint work lines to promote use of geoinformation in territorial fiscalization, infrastructure monitoring, land use analysis, and public management control processes.
• Ejército Popular de Liberación de China / People's Liberation Army of ChinaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 May 2024Delegation visit May 30, 2024, led by Vice Admiral Xhao Xiaozhe (Director of the Science and Technology Committee of the Central Military Commission) and Defense Attaché Colonel Superior Wang Wui. Exploration of cooperation areas including SNSat implementation and space technology innovation for defense and security. Interest in SAF's AI algorithms for search and rescue operations.
• Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones (SUBTEL)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2024Technical meeting on February 20, 2024, to present SAF's remote sensing capabilities and teledetection solutions for national development. SUBTEL and SAF agreed to develop joint work to incorporate new data into a web visualizer displaying mobile phone antenna concentrations nationwide, strengthening it as a decision-making tool for emergencies.
• Corporación de Fomento de la Producción (CORFO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Technical meeting held February 7, 2024, at SAF headquarters to present capabilities and innovation areas. CORFO's Subdirector for Innovation Environment and technical executives explored how SAF's remote sensing and geoinformation solutions can support productive sectors. CORFO sees opportunity for SAF's developments to focus on enterprise competitiveness and national territory.
• Academia Politécnica Aeronáutica (APA)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Cooperation for professional education of future Air Force officers. Aviation academy cadets receive visits to SAF to learn about geospatial capabilities, remote sensing technologies, and applications for their future military careers. Four Alférez and one Subteniente from the Anti-Air Defense Escalafón visited in June 2026 as part of their professional training.
• Laboratorio de Gobierno / Desafíos Públicos ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023SAF was selected into the Desafíos Públicos 2023 program (among 150 public organizations applying, 5 selected). The challenge: use AI, satellite imagery, and geoinformation to determine affected areas and disaster damage assessment, reducing response times in natural disaster situations. Supported by the Ministry of Science, ANID, and the Government Lab.
• Servicio Hidrográfico y Oceanográfico de la Armada (SHOA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Specific instruction and knowledge exchange agreement signed in 2022. SAF provides SHOA personnel with training in SAR image processing for digital spatial models, DInSAR (terrain displacement using radar images), temporal studies for vessel detection, and drone photogrammetry using AGISOFT METASHAPE software. Mutual collaboration as official technical state services for geographic activities.
• Servicio Nacional de Pesca y Acuicultura (SERNAPESCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2021Collaboration agreement signed November 15, 2021, for strengthening fiscalization of fishing and aquaculture activities and sustainability of marine resources using SAF's aerial and satellite imagery archives. SAF imagery supports SERNAPESCA's surveillance and monitoring system to combat illegal fishing.
• ISI Imagesat (Israel)coreTechnology or Integration · 6 September 2021Contract with ISI Imagesat of Israel grants Chile access to a satellite constellation of more than 200 satellites. The first official download from this constellation took place on September 6, 2021, at SAF facilities (Base Aérea Pudahuel), producing 70cm resolution imagery of Cerro Dominador. This is the primary data source for Chile's National Satellite System (SNSat).
• Centro de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada del Riesgo de Desastres (CIGIDEN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration agreement enabling CIGIDEN researchers to access SAF's national historical image archive for characterization of socio-natural threats, measurement of disaster impacts, and visualization of city conditions and surrounding geographic environments. Joint activities include the traveling photographic exhibition 'Desde el cielo: los desastres de Chile en imágenes,' a joint conversatory attended by 130+ participants, and collaborative research projects.
• Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Bilateral cooperation agreement signed by SAF Director (Coronel Carlos Tabilo) and SAG National Director (Horacio Bórquez). Objective: joint research development in monitoring Andean wetlands (humedales altoandinos) and collaborative development of technological and innovative applications for environmental and silvo-agricultural studies. Includes joint development of technology applications.
• Instituto Profesional Duoc UCmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Cooperation agreement providing professional internship opportunities for Duoc UC students (Technician in Geology, Agricultural Engineering, Topography programs) at SAF facilities. Students receive hands-on training in aerial image capture, data processing, photogrammetry, and geospatial technologies. Multiple visit groups have been received under this agreement since 2021.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Satellogic: Latin American (Argentina) commercial Earth observation company operating sub-meter multispectral satellites. Comparable in geography, government-customer orientation, and use cases (agriculture, environment, infrastructure, defense) for the Latin American market SAF serves.
• ICEYE: Commercial SAR satellite operator providing all-weather, day/night Earth observation. SAF already contracts ICEYE sensors for its constellation, and ICEYE represents a comparable SAR capability for disaster monitoring, vessel detection, and terrain displacement — directly adjacent to SAF's DInSAR expertise.

Direct peers

• Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE Argentina): Argentina's national space agency, operating the SAOCOM SAR constellation and providing Earth observation data. Comparable in mission and capabilities to SAF's SNSat program, including SAR, optical imagery, and disaster monitoring applications.
• Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN Argentina): Argentina's official mapping agency, producing national cartography, geodetic reference, and geospatial data. Comparable as a state-military/civil institution providing authoritative geospatial information in a similar Latin American regulatory environment.
• Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE Brazil): Brazil's space research institute, operating Earth observation satellites and producing national geospatial data and environmental monitoring. Comparable as a Latin American state agency providing satellite imagery, remote sensing analytics, and disaster response data.
• Instituto Geográfico Militar (IGM Chile): Chile's military geographic institute, the closest domestic peer. Both are state-military organizations producing official cartography, geodetic data, and mapping products for Chilean public institutions, with overlapping mandates in territorial representation.

Broad incumbents

• Planet Labs: Global commercial Earth observation company operating the largest fleet of imaging satellites. Comparable in providing high-revisit, medium-to-high-resolution satellite imagery for agriculture, environment, and government applications, with overlapping service offerings to SAF's portfolio.
• Maxar Technologies: Global commercial provider of high-resolution Earth observation imagery and geospatial intelligence. Comparable in providing sub-meter optical and SAR satellite imagery to defense, intelligence, and government customers — a commercial alternative that competes for portions of SAF's customer base internationally.
• Airbus Defence and Space — Intelligence: European commercial provider of satellite imagery (Pléiades, SPOT, TerraSAR-X) and geospatial analytics. Comparable as an established satellite imagery supplier competing for the same government, defense, and environmental monitoring customers SAF serves.

Regional players

• Servicio Geográfico Militar del Uruguay: Uruguay's military geographic service, producing official cartography and geoinformation for the Uruguayan state. Comparable as a small Latin American state-military mapping organization with similar structure, scale, and mandate to SAF.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xsaf.cl/redes-sociales#twitter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saf-chile
• Instagramsaf.cl/redes-sociales#instagram

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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