Department of Defense to Improve DC Airspace Monitoring With AI-Enabled Threat Detection System

The Department of Defense will deploy an artificial intelligence-powered airspace ​monitoring ​system in Washington, D.C., in the coming months to better defend the controlled airspace around the area.

The monitoring solution, which will be part of the National Capital Region-Integrated Air Defense System, has already undergone an 18-month prototype demonstration led by the Defense Innovation Unit. It can be applied to full-motion video feeds to automatically detect potential aerial threats, including unmanned aerial systems and cruise missiles, the Department of Defense said.

According to Air Force Lt. Col. Kurtis Engelson, the materiel leader for battle control systems, the new system will provide superior detection and warning capabilities compared to the system it replaces.

The DOD is planning to expand the system’s deployment to cover other U.S. government installations. 

Recently, the department awarded Teleidoscope a potential $100 million contract to produce the system and modernize the NCR-IADS. Work under the contract also includes upgrading the cameras and lasers used for tracking and warning aircraft violating special flight rules.