October 7, 2022
Release Number 20221007-04
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Central Command hosted an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance summit, Oct. 5-6, 2022, at USCENTCOM headquarters. The technology innovation discovery event focused on long-endurance alternate airborne ISR capabilities to solve continuity gaps across the USCENTCOM area of responsibility.
The summit brought together more than 200 vendors, academic experts and industry leaders from research and development organizations, and representatives from across the Department of Defense.
“The U.S. military does not have a monopoly on good ideas for the employment of new technology,” said Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of USCENTCOM. “We have troops in harm’s way; bringing in leading experts from the defense technology industry and academia, along with pioneers in physics research to share knowledge will inspire the kind of innovation our warfighters require. The threats in the region, rapid technological change, and competition for resources in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility require us to reexamine and reinvent our future approach to airborne ISR.
“For us, this kind of event will serve to enhance the culture of innovation across USCENTCOM and our components. We know new ideas are out there and summits like this bring many of them here to the USCENTCOM campus.”
The summit was intended to identify and accelerate warfighter capabilities by providing awareness and understanding of a cross-section of innovative and emerging technologies, including hands-on demonstrations on cutting-edge ISR technology. The event was held at a classified level and was not open to the public or the media.