Resource Centre

Ahead of Maritime ISR 2026, Defence iQ spoke with Arturo Ojeda Demaria, UXS Specialist in Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance at the United Nations Global Service Centre. Drawing on experience across the Chilean Navy, the private defence sector and the United Nations, Ojeda Demaria offers a global perspective on the evolving ISR landscape, the operational realities of integrating autonomous systems, and why collaboration is becoming one of the sector's most valuable strategic assets.

In this exclusive Defence iQ interview, Commodore (Ret.) Jüri Saska, former Commander of the Estonian Navy, shares unique insights on the demands of maritime ISR in the Baltic region. He reflects on capability gaps facing smaller navies, the lessons learned from integrating Estonia’s naval and border guard fleets, and the future of mine warfare in contested waters.

Commodore Saska also explores the role of private sector innovation, the integration of space and cyber with traditional platforms, and the challenges of countering grey zone threats. Drawing on three decades of leadership, he also reveals the reforms he is most proud of and why allied cooperation remains the cornerstone of security in the region.

Designed for senior naval leaders, programme managers, and ISR stakeholders, this interactive market report provides a clear and accessible overview of the evolving maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance landscape. Bringing together key capability trends, operational priorities, procurement activity, and emerging technologies, the report enables defence professionals to navigate a complex global environment with greater confidence and strategic insight. Including information on autonomous platforms, AI-enabled analytics and persistent maritime awareness, the report highlights the developments shaping the future of maritime ISR across allied and international forces.

Maritime ISR is moving from a supporting capability to a strategic necessity. The shift is being driven by a harsher security environment at sea, greater reliance on maritime infrastructure, and the growing use of coercive tactics that fall below the threshold of open conflict. For the principal countries covered in this report, maritime awareness is no longer only about naval operations. It now underpins deterrence, economic resilience, border security, and coalition action. This is why investment is increasingly focused on persistent surveillance, faster data fusion, and wider operational visibility across the maritime domain.

Discover so much more - including all the latest trends and insights - in our global market report. Download it today. 

In our latest infographic, we highlight the top five reasons why Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) has become essential to global maritime security in 2025. As threats develop and change - from grey zone drone attacks to undersea sabotage and illicit trafficking - ISR is now a critical first line of defence. Today’s capabilities are not just about surveillance but about delivering real-time insights across sea, air, and space to protect vital infrastructure, shipping lanes, and global stability.

This infographic offers a visual breakdown of how today’s maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations are conducted across space, surface, and subsurface domains. From satellites and submarines to unmanned surface vessels and advanced sensor networks, it illustrates how integrated platforms and real-time data sharing support effective command and control.

Designed to showcase the complexity and connectivity of modern maritime defence, this resource highlights the importance of interoperability in achieving mission success.

It also provides a preview of the key themes to be explored at Maritime ISR 2025, taking place on 28–29 October in London. 

Maritime theatres are becoming more contested and technologically advanced. Nations across the globe are stepping up investment in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) to maintain situational awareness, secure territorial waters, and deter emerging threats. The Maritime ISR News Roundup 2025 provides a curated summary of the most significant ISR-related developments from the past 12 months, drawing on open-source news and government announcements from more than 25 countries. It captures how defence forces are expanding capability through both crewed and uncrewed systems, satellite and radar technology, and modernised patrol assets.

This roundup aims to:

- Offer a global overview of key ISR procurement, deployment, and innovation efforts

- Highlight national and regional trends in maritime domain awareness

- Support attendees of the upcoming Maritime ISR 2025 conference with relevant, up-to-date background information

- Promote knowledge-sharing and collaboration across the ISR community

From the UK’s seabed surveillance and India’s coastal radar expansion, to Canada’s Arctic patrol investments and Turkey’s shipborne UAV tests, the roundup shows how ISR is fast becoming a critical pillar of maritime defence strategy worldwide.

Defence iQ proudly presents a four-co-located event, content-led maritime defence experience, exclusively in association with REPMUS 2026. Taking place at the Design Hotel in Tróia—steps from one of NATO's most active maritime innovation theatres—these events bring together the global naval community to exchange insights, shape operational doctrine, and drive capability integration across domains.

Maritime ISR specialists will gain hands-on understanding of maritime reconnaissance, ocean surveilance, and multi-domain capabilities, while connecting with experts in seabed security, uncrewed naval systems, and surface warships to see how uncrewed technologies influence the broader maritime landscape.

The Maritime ISR Conference 2025 took place on the 28th–29th October 2025 at the Copthorne Tara Hotel, London, bringing together senior defence, naval, civilian government, international organisations, academia and industry stakeholders to examine the future of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance across the maritime domain. With 180 attendees, representation from 28 nations and a highly targeted and bespoke group of expert speakers, the event provided a truly international forum focused on strengthening maritime security through innovation, collaboration and operational insight. This Post Show Report captures the core insights and outcomes from the conference. It is designed both as a record for those who attended and as a reference for stakeholders who could not be there in person.

View the 2025 Maritime ISR - Attendee Snapshot, and explore:

• Attendee Organisations joining us onsite
• Attendee Job Titles joining us onsite

Check out the Maritime ISR - 2026 Agenda, and explore:

• Early confirmed Speakers
• Producer's welcome
• Meet the Chairman
• Pre-conference Day info
• Day 1 Topics & Overview
• Day 2 Topics & Overview

If you have any questions, contact Ben Bevan - partner@defenceq.com

View the Maritime ISR- 2025 Attendee Snapshot, and explore:

• 2025 Attendee Organisations
• 2025 Attendee Job Titles

If you have any questions, please contact Ben Bevan (Sponsorship Sales Manager) - partner@defenceiq.com

View the Maritime ISR - 2025 Post Show Report, and explore:

• Audience Organisations & Job Titles
• Audience Geography
• Chairman's Summary
• Testimonials
• 2025 Partners