The core requirement: defensible decisions
In defence environments, an alert is not just a notification. It becomes part of a controlled decision chain. Vision AI must produce defensible evidence: what was detected, on what basis, with what confidence, and what actions followed.
Priority use cases
1) Restricted-zone intrusion detection
The system must detect entry into defined zones, handle environmental variance, and reduce false alarms that create fatigue. Zone definitions and escalation logic are more important than raw detection sensitivity.
2) Evidence-first incident handling
Outputs should include: event clip/frames, time/location metadata, confidence and reason codes, and a case record. This is what makes review, escalation, and later audit possible.
3) Correlation with access and sensor systems
Vision-only systems create ambiguity. Correlation with access control logs, perimeter sensors, and site metadata improves confidence and reduces noise.
Governance and security requirements
- Role-based visibility (who can see which feeds and events)
- Audit logging for access, review, escalation, and closure
- Secure deployment patterns (on-prem/edge as required)
- Controlled updates and model versioning
- Drift monitoring and re-validation when site conditions change
Metrics that matter
- False-positive rate per zone (and trend over time)
- Mean time to validate and escalate an event
- Case closure time and evidence completeness
- Operator workload reduction without loss of detection coverage
- System uptime and event pipeline reliability
Common pitfalls
- Using a generic “intrusion” model without site zoning and operational definitions
- Alert floods that degrade response discipline
- Lack of evidence packaging that forces manual reconstruction
- No drift strategy (lighting changes, camera shifts, seasonal conditions)
Practical deployment approach
Start with a limited set of zones, enforce evidence-first workflows, and make governance visible in the product (permissions, audit, case records). Defence Vision AI must behave like mission-critical software: controlled, reliable, and reviewable.