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American defence giant reaches out to Emirati youth to explore innovations
Defence giant Lockheed Martin’s Centre for Innovation and Security Solutions (CISS), is designed to foster cooperation between Lockheed Martin and UAE government entities, academia and industry.
Abu Dhabi — Nestled inside Abu Dhabi’s low-carbon, eco-friendly Masdar City, a small state-of-the-art office is bringing together American technologies with Emirati desire to explore new innovations.
Defence giant Lockheed Martin’s Centre for Innovation and Security Solutions (CISS), is designed to foster cooperation between Lockheed Martin and UAE government entities, academia and industry across a variety of sectors, including aerospace and air defense systems, cyber security, space exploration and advanced nanotechnology.
Among the centre’s current partners are Masdar Institute, Khalifa University and the UAE Air Force.
The office, while small, is equipped with high-tech communication equipment which allows the centre’s UAE partners to receive real-time advice from Lockheed defense and technology experts at any one of the company’s numerous facilities across the US, as well as conduct realistic simulations of air, naval or cyber warfare command and control scenarios.
The CISS’ Executive Director, Dr Mohammad Abu-Tahnat, has long experience working with the UAE’s government and armed forces, having first come to the UAE in 2003 as a senior engineer and operations analyst for the country’s newly acquired F-16 jet fighter programme. Since then, his career in the UAE has included stints as a senior advisor to the Chief Executive – UAE and as an advisor to the commander of the UAE Air Force and Integrated Missile Defense Training Wing, a joint US-UAE project.
In an interview with Khaleej Times, Dr. Abu-Tahnat explained that working with Emirati youth is a key part of the centre’s mission to help the UAE.
“With the new generation, we are trying to enable them, equip them, to be part of this transition to the future,” he said. “Also, we try to influence education in terms of having curriculum in order to prepare students for the future, by doing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) problems from a young age. All of that will equip them with a look towards the future,” he added. “We’re here to help them bring those dreams into reality.”
As part of the centre’s effort to train the next generation of tech-savvy Emiratis, the CISS, through its local partner organisations, has invited local students to tour and participate in training exercises at Lockheed Martin aerospace, defence and cybersecurity facilities in the United States.
Dr. Abu-Tahnat explained that he believes that increasing awareness of math, science and technology will eventually lead to a greater affinity and desire to contribute to those topics among young people in the UAE.
“The unknown brings fear,” he said. “But if you try to take down that barrier, show them the space and give them inspiring stories and show them they are capable of contributing, then they will start developing love for it.”
Additionally, Dr. Abu-Tahnat explained that the centre provides support to UAE military operations and training programmes.
“We have so many programmes. We have the F-16, we have training, logistics, going on with the Air Force and Air Defence,” he said. “Especially at this time that the country is involved in Yemen, the company is giving full support to those operations in whatever the Air Force and Air Defence needs.”
As an example of the centre’s capability to help UAE’s military training, Dr. Abu-Tahnat noted that the it can provide virtual, but extremely realistic, depictions of aerial warfare scenarios.
Dr Abu-Tahnat noted that cybersecurity will continue to be an increasingly important area for the CISS and its local partners.
Looking to the future, Dr Abu-Tahnat said he sees the mission of the CISS as providing a space in which Lockheed Martin and the UAE can work together to solve any issues. —bernd@khaleejtimes.com
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