Advanced ISR capabilities are critical to overcoming the prevalent and emerging defense and security challenges in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf regions, where state and non-state actors and hostile interest groups are transforming theaters of operation. National and regional security in an increasingly politically volatile region is necessitating more capable surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, as well as integration within “system of systems” architectures to enable enhanced intelligence-sharing.

As a result, GCC defense and security establishments now have a heightened interest in ISR realms to meet critical emerging capability requirements. Technologies developing in unmanned systems, communications and surveillance satellites, surveillance radars, as well as network-centric data processing, dissemination and protection solutions are coming to the forefront of GCC procurement priorities.

Themed on “Integration and Data Fusion for Sustained Operations," the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA) under the support of the UAE Ministry of Defense launched MEISR on January 11, 2010, at the Armed Forces Officers’ Club in Abu Dhabi, UAE. MEISR hosted a variety of distinguished speakers and security experts to analyze and discuss principal challenges, solutions and technologies within this rapidly advancing field.