Artificial intelligence is reshaping the defence sector by fusing information from space and Earth that offers real-time insights, allowing militaries to act within minutes, experts say.
US company Vantor, for example, has launched an AI platform that combines data from satellites, drones and ground systems to create a live 3D picture of the planet.
“AI is rapidly transforming defence planning,” Dr Sarath Raj, project director of the Satellite Ground Station at Dubai's Amity University, told The National.
“This allows commanders to detect threats and act in real time rather than waiting hours for analysis.
“It’s similar to how traffic apps merge GPS and road cameras to show instant congestion or diversions, only here it’s applied to military decision-making.”
He said such systems help to distinguish between drone swarms, decoys and real missiles by combining radar tracking, drone footage and satellite thermal signatures.
“Platforms like these shorten decision loops, improve situational awareness and co-ordinate across land, sea, air and space,” Dr Raj said.
“In contested regions, that means forces can adapt immediately to shifting conditions.”
The growing use of AI-driven “sensor fusion” is part of a global effort to modernise command-and-control systems.
In the US and Europe, companies such as Lockheed Martin, Anduril and ICEYE are developing similar technologies to deliver live intelligence maps that can feed directly into battlefield operations.
From satellite images to real-time intelligence
Vantor, a space intelligence company, launched Tensorglobe on October 1, an AI-powered spatial intelligence platform that the organisation calls “a living globe”.
The platform uses data from multiple domains, including space, air and ground, to provide defence and emergency agencies with a real-time view of activity around the world.
Amal Ezzeddine, vice president of international sales for the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia at Vantor, told The National that the company’s goal was to move beyond just providing imagery.
“Tensorglobe delivers real-time insights and allows autonomous systems and defence operations to act with speed and precision,” she said.
She said the system automates the intelligence cycle, from tasking to data collection and analysis that help with faster decisions.
“Tensorglobe activities can be done behind the customer’s firewall, which means total autonomy and security and no other government, including the US government, has any ability to see what they’re looking at or what they’re trying to do on that platform,” she said.
Transformation from Maxar Intelligence
The company was rebranded from Maxar Intelligence earlier this month after a year-long restructuring.
Maxar had provided high-resolution satellite images to governments and humanitarian organisations for several years.
After being acquired by private-equity firm Advent International in 2023, Maxar split its operations into two entities, including Lanteris, which continues spacecraft manufacturing, and Vantor, which focuses on artificial intelligence and data analytics.
Vantor has also developed other AI-enabled systems that aims to improve navigation and surveillance.
One of them, Raptor, integrates the company’s 3D terrain data with a drone’s on-board camera to help autonomous aircraft navigate and identify ground targets accurately even when GPS signals are unavailable.
Another product, Sentry, is designed for large-scale monitoring and can flag potential threats across hundreds of locations at once.
It does this by combining data from multiple satellite constellations, including government-owned assets, with AI-powered analytics to detect changes or unusual activity in near real time.
Dr Raj said the rise of these AI tools in the defence sector reflects a wider trend in which governments are looking to merge commercial and defence data streams into a single platform.
He said governments want the same AI systems that track missile threats to be also used for disaster response and humanitarian missions.
“The result is a defence architecture that is faster, smarter and far more resilient,” he said.
Interest in spatial intelligence systems in the Middle East is also growing as countries expand their space programmes and invest in national resilience.
Ms Ezzeddine said regional customers were particularly focused on maintaining control of their data.
“We’ve been delivering this to customers, and we’ve discovered that it’s really what they want from us,” she said.
“It’s transforming the way they do business and how they access intelligence.”
