Air Force Taps Clear Align for Next-Gen Perimeter Security
Integrated Electro-Optical Cameras and Motion Sensors
Imagine the high-tech security seen in heist movies but with heightened military precision and stakes. In June 2025, the U.S. Air Force awarded a $199 million contract to Clear Align to enhance perimeter and base defense using sophisticated, integrated surveillance systems designed for extreme, remote environments.
Mission Overview
Protecting forward-deployed installations, remote airfields, and vital infrastructure presents a constant challenge for the Air Force. These aren’t conventional, stable bases but dynamic, occasionally temporary sites situated in harsh tactical environments where traditional security measures fall short.
Clear Align’s mission is to supply a modular, scalable, lightweight, and rapidly deployable Tactical Security System (TSS) capable of integrating multiple sensors to quickly detect, assess, and respond to threats and intrusions.
About Clear Align
As a U.S.-based technology enterprise, Clear Align is renowned for its advanced imaging, electro-optical, and AI-driven surveillance systems tailored for defense and aerospace. Their expertise spans from border surveillance to counter-UAS solutions and even space imaging. Clear Align isn’t just a camera supplier but an innovator crafting solutions for challenging, high-stakes environments where reliability is paramount.
Fun fact: Clear Align technology isn’t limited to defense bases; it also secures the U.S. northern border, monitoring threats across varied terrains.
Inside the Tactical Security System
The TSS isn’t just a single device—it’s a comprehensive system:
- Electro-Optical Cameras: Offer high-resolution imaging any time of the day, capable of recognizing vehicles, individuals, or even tiny drones over great distances.
- Thermal Imaging/Infrared Sensors: Detect heat signatures crucial for night operations or visibility through smoke and fog.
- PTZ Cameras (Pan-Tilt-Zoom): Allow operators to remotely control camera movements for strategic assessment.
- Acoustic Ground Sensors: Detect disturbances like footsteps or engines to pinpoint intrusions even in complete darkness.
- Fence and Physical Sensors: Alert to tampering or climbing attempts.
- Portable Operations Kit: Facilitates rapid setup in remote areas, effective for pop-up airfields or disaster zones.
- Command and Control Software: Combines all data for instant situational awareness, often utilizing AI for reducing human fatigue and false alarms.
Key Features
- Rapid Deployment & Scalability: Systems are modular and adaptable to operational needs, whether protecting a single gate or extensive open areas.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI analyzes multiple sensor inputs to autonomously detect, classify, and predict threats.
- Reliability in Harsh Climates: The hardware withstands extreme conditions, proving durable through extensive testing.
- Open Architecture & Upgradability: The Modular Open Systems Architecture allows the Air Force to update systems easily, minimizing obsolescence.
- Secure Communications: All components use encrypted, tamper-proof communications, preventing unauthorized access.
Real-World Impact
Consider a remote forward-operating base with no city lights or backup. Traditional patrols are sparse. The TSS offers operators a comprehensive, real-time digital defense:
- Early Threat Detection: Ground sensors alert if a breach occurs. Cameras and thermals verify heat presence, while AI distinguishes between threats and innocuous objects.
- Force Protection: Security teams get immediate alerts with accurate location data, enabling swift responses.
- Temporary Installations: TSS supports quick setup for emergency situations, operational in hours instead of days.
- Reduced Human Risk & Fatigue: Automation curtails required patrol personnel, minimizes event oversight, and ensures an efficient security team.
Comparison: Old vs. New
| Feature | Legacy Systems | Clear Align’s TSS Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Variety | Often single sensor type | Multiple: visual, thermal, acoustic, etc. |
| Real-time AI Analysis | Rare | Integrated & automated |
| Deployability | Fixed/permanent | Rapid, mobile, modular |
| Scalability | Difficult/expensive | Easily scaled up or down |
| Weather/Environment Resilience | Limited | All-weather, harsh environment rated |
| System Longevity/Upgradability | Risk of obsolescence | Modular open architecture |
| Centralized Command & Control | Siloed systems | Unified, with secure comms |
Clear Align’s Selection Rationale
The Air Force did not openly bid this contract. Clear Align was chosen in a sole-source, seven-year agreement due to their proven capabilities and successful Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III project.
Applications Beyond the Air Base
Clear Align’s solutions are not confined to Air Force uses:
- U.S. Northern Border Surveillance: Uses optical systems for continuous monitoring across remote expanses.
- Counter-UAS Operations: Employs combined sensor technologies to handle drone threats.
- Critical Infrastructure: Civil agencies benefit from sensor technology for protecting key facilities.
Future-Proofing Security
As adversaries evolve, so do threats. Clear Align’s modular TSS keeps pace with advancing technologies by allowing seamless integration of new features as they develop, circumventing supply-chain challenges.
The Human Element: Smart and Sustainable Security
Advanced AI and sensors enhance the capabilities of human security forces without replacing them, providing actionable insights rather than excessive alerts, empowering decision-makers.
Conclusion and Outlook
- Clear Align’s Air Force contract signifies a critical shift towards innovative, AI-powered, multi-sensor security solutions.
- Their technologies support early threat warning, diminish human weariness, and allow flexible expansion.
- Broader uses in border and anti-drone measures highlight the system’s versatility.
As security tech races forward, Clear Align proves that adaptable, smart perimeter defense is now paramount.
“You’re not just watching the perimeter anymore. The perimeter is watching for you.”
— Security Technology Specialist, Clear Align
For more detailed updates on this deployment, refer to Clear Align’s resources or follow Military & Aerospace Electronics industry reports.
