Strategic demand for airborne intelligence in Europe is outpacing the capacity of regional armed forces, according to military leaders. Dual pressures from growing Russian infringement in the east and the threat of Islamic State terrorism in the south has presented NATO forces with the need to increase watch over both borders at the same time as budget cutbacks continue to bite.

As announced at NATO Summit Wales 2014, the Alliance has established a permanent Joint ISR system to ?provide information and intelligence to key decision-makers, helping them make well-informed, timely and accurate decisions?. Exemplifying the ?advantages of multinational cooperation,? JISR aims to combine the data and information gathered through projects such as the Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system and NATO?s AWACS aircraft, as well as a wide variety of national JISR assets from the space, air, land, and maritime domains. Meanwhile, it was promised that the AEW&C forces will continue to be modernized.

?The industry must find ways of reducing the cost and time of introducing capability in this area, leveraging investments in the civilian sphere,? Brigadier David Evans, the Royal Navy?s Head of Information Superiority, told Defence IQ this month. Meanwhile, Rear Admiral Brett Heimbigner, director of the Intelligence Division at the NATO International Military Staff, stated that industry ?needs to come up with innovative capabilities so that manpower concerns become less of an issue.?

Subsequently and ahead of the Airborne ISR & C2 Battle Management 2015 symposium, Defence IQ has released the Global Airborne ISR & C2 Battle Management Holdings & New Requirements report and it?s available for download here:

WHAT?S NEXT FOR JOINT ISR?
The event comes at a time of operational challenges and change for NATO and partner nations – the importance of accurate and timely intelligence provision and dissemination cannot be understated, but nor can the dangers of a reactionary approach to strategic planning.

Consequently, #AirborneISR will ask ?What?s next for Joint ISR? – for NATO as an organisation, for individual NATO states and for non-member partner nations – examining operational demands, desired capabilities and asset sustainment / support over the next five years.

Find the complete program, event details and registration information here:, call +44 (0)20 7036 9737 or email [email protected].