(ANSA) - BELGRADE, OCT 24 - According to the German business newspaper Handelsblatt, a contract between the Bundeswehr and Rheinmetall for forty low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites over the next two years is nearly complete. These are intelligence-oriented tools: according to the German newspaper, the satellites can identify objects up to 25 centimetres in size. Rheinmetall will also work with the Finnish company Iceye. The German parliament could approve the contract as early as the end of the year. The amount is expected to be around three billion euros. According to Handelsblatt, with forty satellites, Germany could have one of the world's most powerful satellite detection capabilities. (ANSA).