US Central Command, UAE to launch artificial intelligence task force

U.S. Central Command and the United Arab Emirates will establish the first bilateral task force aimed at boosting the development of military artificial intelligence applications.

The team, dubbed Task Force Talon Synapse, is slated to launch in the “coming weeks,” according to a Tuesday release , and will focus on incorporating AI applications into intelligence support, protecting critical infrastructure and monitoring the regional security environment.

“This will be a historic milestone as we work with one of our most capable regional partners to rapidly deliver evolving AI advancements to our warfighters,” Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in the statement.

“Together, we and our Emirati partners share a strong commitment to adopting AI applications that will foster innovation at speed and scale,” he continued.

The Abu Dhabi-based unit will be made up of around 20 American and Emirati personnel with AI, data and cybersecurity expertise, the announcement says.

The task force’s creation was discussed last year by Cooper and UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al-Nahyan, per the release.

During a trip to the region last month, CENTCOM and AI industry leaders gathered together as well.

For almost a decade, the UAE has strived to accelerate its defenses with AI capabilities through collaborations, like with Anduril to coproduce advanced autonomous drones.

In March 2025, the White House hosted al-Nahyan, who views adopting artificial intelligence as a national responsibility . The talks focused on bilateral relations between the two countries, AI and emerging technology, according to a UAE release at the time of the official visit.

Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.

美国中央司令部和阿拉伯联合酋长国将成立首个双边工作组，旨在促进军事人工智能应用的发展。

根据周二发布的消息，该团队名为“Task Force Talon Synapse”，计划在“未来几周”内启动，其重点是将人工智能应用融入情报支持、保护关键基础设施和监控区域安全环境。

“这将是一个历史性的里程碑，我们将与我们最有能力的地区合作伙伴之一合作，迅速将不断发展的人工智能技术交付给我们的作战人员，”中央司令部司令布拉德·库珀海军上将在声明中说。

他继续说道：“我们和我们的阿联酋合作伙伴共同致力于采用人工智能应用，以促进快速、大规模的创新。”

公告称，这家位于阿布扎比的机构将由大约 20 名美国和阿联酋人员组成，他们拥有人工智能、数据和网络安全方面的专业知识。

根据新闻稿，库珀和阿联酋国家安全顾问谢赫·塔赫努恩·本·扎耶德·阿勒纳哈扬去年曾讨论过成立该特别工作组。

上个月访问该地区期间，美国中央司令部和人工智能行业领导人也齐聚一堂。

近十年来，阿联酋一直致力于通过合作，例如与 Anduril 合作生产先进的自主无人机，来加速其人工智能防御能力的发展。

2025年3月，白宫接待了阿联酋总统阿勒纳哈扬。阿勒纳哈扬认为，采用人工智能是国家的责任。根据阿联酋在正式访问期间发布的消息，会谈重点讨论了两国双边关系、人工智能和新兴技术。

克里斯蒂娜·斯塔西斯是一位记者，主要报道国防工业、国家安全、军事/退伍军人事务等领域的新闻。她曾于2024年在《防务新闻》担任编辑助理，协助Sightline媒体集团旗下新闻编辑室处理突发新闻。