Integrated detection, monitoring and response capabilities can help operators strengthen situational awareness and respond to an increasingly complex security environment
Dubai, UAE – September 2026: ATERMES, a French leader in advanced surveillance and security solutions, today highlighted the growing importance of layered surveillance and protection in safeguarding critical infrastructure across the GCC. As the region navigates an increasingly complex and evolving security environment while continuing to invest in energy, transport, logistics, industrial and urban infrastructure, the ability to detect, assess and respond to potential threats at an early stage is becoming increasingly important.
The scale and geographic spread of strategic infrastructure across the Gulf create distinct security challenges. Energy installations, airports, ports, industrial facilities and major urban developments can cover extensive areas, requiring continuous monitoring across wide perimeters and sensitive zones. Operators must also account for an evolving range of risks, including threats from drones and other low-altitude aerial activity.
“As critical infrastructure expands across the GCC, security teams are being asked to protect larger and more complex environments against a broader range of risks,” said Lionel Thomas, Chairman and CEO of ATERMES. “Early detection is critical, but it is only one part of the equation. Operators need the ability to bring together information from multiple sources, understand what is happening and coordinate an appropriate response quickly and effectively.”
Addressing these challenges increasingly requires a layered approach that combines complementary technologies rather than relying on a single sensor or detection method. Electro-optical and infrared systems can provide long-range visual identification and day-and-night monitoring, while radar and radio-frequency detection can extend awareness of activity across the surrounding environment, including potential aerial threats.
Bringing these capabilities together through command-and-control systems can provide operators with a more coherent operational picture. Information from different sensors can be consolidated and assessed in context, helping security teams verify potential risks, prioritise events and determine the appropriate course of action.
Artificial intelligence can further support this process by analysing large volumes of sensor data, identifying anomalies and drawing operators’ attention to events that may require closer assessment. Rather than replacing human judgement, AI-assisted capabilities can help security personnel manage increasingly complex information environments and focus their attention where it is most needed.
For critical infrastructure, this layered model can extend beyond detection and identification to support the response phase. Depending on the operational environment and requirements, response capabilities can include interceptor drones, providing operators with options to address certain aerial threats as part of a wider protection framework.
The approach is particularly relevant to the Gulf, where security technologies may need to operate across large or remote sites and under demanding conditions, including high temperatures, dust, haze, darkness and changing visibility. Combining different detection methods can help maintain situational awareness when the effectiveness of any single technology may be affected by environmental or operational factors.
“The objective is not to add more individual technologies, but to make different capabilities work together as one coordinated system,” added Thomas. “By integrating electro-optical and infrared surveillance, radar, RF detection, AI and command-and-control capabilities, security teams can build a more complete picture of their environment, from initial detection through assessment and response. This layered approach is becoming increasingly relevant as GCC operators look to strengthen the resilience of strategic assets against evolving security challenges.”
Alongside technology, ATERMES sees regional cooperation as an important part of building sustainable security capabilities. The company is focused on developing long-term partnerships and exploring opportunities for industrial cooperation and localization that can support the development of local expertise and capabilities across the region.
About ATERMES:
Founded in 1989, ATERMES is a leading French company specializing in advanced high-tech solutions designed for demanding environments. With over 30 years of expertise, ATERMES has prioritized research and development to continuously enhance its capabilities across four core areas: Mechanics, Electronics, Optronics, and Software. Today, ATERMES combines its dual focus on Services and Products to deliver customized solutions for partners in the challenging defense sector, backed by a robust industrial foundation. With a strategic emphasis on the Middle East and Africa, ATERMES offers specialized solutions for border protection, critical infrastructure surveillance, and military applications, effectively addressing the security needs of governments and organizations throughout the region.
