The metropolitan area surrounding Washington, D.C., is partially protected by the Integrated Air Defense System, which was installed after 9/11 to monitor the skies and protect against threats from the air. It is being monitored through a network of cameras and lasers during the upgrade.
A new artificial intelligence-based visual recognition and identification system has become widespread across the NCR, offering significant improvements in functionality compared to older systems. The ERSA system, known as the Enhanced Area Situational Awareness System, is closely monitored by the Eastern Air Defense Division in Rome, New York.
“If we need to verify radar data that we can’t definitively say what it is, we can utilize the camera system as an asset to look at the set location and assist in the verification process,” said Airman Sgt. said. Kendrick Wilburn, New York Air National Guard noncommissioned officer in charge of capabilities and requirements at the Joint Air Defense Operations Center, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, DC.
JADOC hosts EADS National Guard companies and works with the Army to operate ERSA. If a threat is recognized within the NCR, whether JADOC ERSA operators should act as an extension of the department to quickly assess the situation and warn unauthorized air traffic to exit the NCR special flight rules area. judge.
Each new ERSA camera has an unaided-eye type view known as electro-optical vision, as well as an infrared view of the landscape. The system, developed by small technology company Teleidscope, replaces a system installed in 2002 that replaced the cameras first installed after 9/11.
Wilburn said the new AI-enabled cameras are a significant improvement over traditional systems.
“You have more range, you can see farther. We went from standard definition to high definition. The fidelity is incredible,” Wilburn said. “On the infrared side, we have multiple enhancements such as IR colorization. For example, we can utilize RGB (red, green, blue) filters to see where the object we are tracking sticks out by its thermal signature. .”
Laser rangefinders allow operators to fire an eye-safe laser at an object and measure its altitude and distance. The system also has some machine learning elements, including enhanced auto-tracking with different lock modes.
“The system itself tries to identify what it believes the target is, and then the operator can evaluate whether to override or tweak it,” Wilburn said. “The more you use this feature, the better it gets.”
There will be some growing pains, but that’s to be expected, he said.
“The camera itself is great. We were able to capture small targets such as birds flying in all kinds of patterns. The camera locked on to it and held that lock,” Wilburn said. Ta. “If you have legacy (cameras), it’s going to be even more difficult to get the system to do that.”
“You can imagine if you look at the quality of iPhone cameras from 2011 to today,” said Marine Corps Maj. Nicholas Ksiazek, a project manager with the Defense Innovation Unit working on the upgrade project. “Instead of trying to stay still in the plane…[operators]can spend more time doing more appropriate things…like thinking about the plane’s intentions.”
The camera also incorporates a visual warning system, a laser that can illuminate the cockpit of the aircraft. The new lasers are being used on aircraft that are not following an assigned flight plan, are not communicating by radio, or are not compliant with special flight rules from the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Non-compliant aircraft are aware that if they see a red-green laser, they should veer away from the center of the restricted flight area (SFRA) as soon as possible and immediately contact the FAA to attempt a response.” Understand why they’re being stared at,” Wilburn said, referring to the technical terminology of the visual warning system in use. “I’ve used it too…and (offenders) are responding to it.”
Without that option, military aircraft would have to be sent in to investigate, a much more expensive alternative.
Teleidscope’s camera was tested by air defense operators during the acquisition process. Two other companies were selected to create prototypes from commercially developed and available technology. All three systems were installed and tested in 2022.
“They were able to understand what would work best in their unique scenario,” Ksiazek said.
Wilburn said Teleidscope’s software enhancements are what set the company’s camera apart.
“That camera (system) felt like an upgrade, while the other camera (systems) felt like a refresh,” he said.
The Defense Innovation Unit helped Teledoscope secure funding from the Air Force and the Innovative Technology Acquisition and Deployment Acceleration Program to quickly field the new camera system.
Two of the new cameras have been installed and are operational. The team is now working on installing seven new cameras per year.
