The US Department of Defense has deployed a new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered image recognition system, the Enhanced Regional Situational Awareness (ERSA) system, to protect the Washington DC airspace. The system will replace the old cameras, which were installed after the September 11 attacks in 2001 and have not been updated for years. So, what will the US use these AI cameras for?
US AI-powered air defense cameras will protect Washington DC
First, let’s briefly explain what the ERSA system is. The ERSA system is controlled by the Eastern Air Defense Division (EADS) in New York State and operates about 300 miles north of Washington DC. If the Joint Air Defense Operations Center (JADOC) is unable to identify an object detected by radar signals, ERSA’s AI-powered cameras kick in.
The system performs a visual check of suspicious flying objects to determine whether they pose a threat. When a threat is detected, objects that violate flight rules are warned and directed to leave Washington DC’s special flight zone. It should be noted that the ERSA system is equipped with optical and infrared cameras that can operate in both daylight and low visibility conditions.
It also includes an eye-safe laser measurement system that uses red and green laser lights to safely mark aircraft cockpits. The system can even track small-sized objects and targets such as birds in different flight modes. So, these AI cameras know what’s flying.
In fact, the old camera systems, which have been in use in the Washington DC airspace since 2001, were commissioned after the September 11 attacks. In fact, today is the first time in 22 years that the old systems have been replaced. What do you think about this? You can write your opinions in the comments section below.
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