Abstract: An optical and mechanical scanner including a device for scanning a field of vision to detect and recognize with high resolution distant objects in the field of vision. Scanning is accomplished in two directions including a direction x for line scanning and a direction y for raster or image scanning. One embodiment of the scanning device includes, in order along the direction of a path of a mean incident beam from the field of vision, an objective, a raster scanning mirror for scanning in the y direction, a field mirror which delimits the field of the objective in the x direction, a rotating drum and an image transport system for line scanning in the x direction, the field mirror deflecting the beams towards the drum, and a detector sensitive to the radiation contained in the beams, the scanning device ensuring convergence of the beams at the detector.