Abstract: A beam director subsystem and method for use in a weapons system. The beam director subsystem includes a source of electromagnetic radiation for generating a high energy laser (HEL) beam. The electromagnetic radiation is directed to a secondary mirror that reflects the electromagnetic radiation to a primary mirror for output of the HEL beam. The secondary mirror is generally curved and expands the electromagnetic radiation received from the source prior to outputting the HEL beam from the primary mirror. The subsystem further includes a track telescope coupled to the housing. The track telescope has a track detector configured to receive electromagnetic radiation originating from the HEL and electromagnetic radiation emitted from an illuminator and reflected from an airborne target.

Abstract: A system and method for tracking an airborne target including an illumination source (e.g., a diode laser array) is used to enhance a target signature and a detector (e.g., a passive high-speed camera) is used to detect to electromagnetic radiation (e.g., infrared radiation) reflected off the target. The received electromagnetic radiation may be processed by a digital computer and passed through a spatial filter that implements a band limited edge detection operation in the frequency domain. The filter may remove low spatial frequencies that attenuate soft edged clutter such as clouds and smoke as well as filter out artifacts and attenuated medium to high spatial frequencies to inhibit speckle noise from the detector as well as speckle from the laser return off the target.

Abstract: A method and system for aligning a tracking beam and a high energy laser (HEL) beam includes a tracking beam and a HEL beam. A detector receives at least a portion of the tracking beam, wherein the tracking beam received at the detector has been reflected from the airborne target. The detector also receives a first portion and a second portion of the HEL beam prior to output through a housing. A processor processes the signals to determine a relationship between the tracking beam and the HEL beam; and generates a control signal to steer the HEL beam to the airborne target based upon the determined relationship.

Abstract: A method and system for aligning a tracking beam and a high energy laser (HEL) beam includes a tracking beam and a HEL beam. A detector receives at least a portion of the tracking beam, wherein the tracking beam received at the detector has been reflected from the airborne target. The detector also receives a first portion and a second portion of the HEL beam prior to output through a housing. A processor processes the signals to determine a relationship between the tracking beam and the HEL beam; and generates a control signal to steer the HEL beam to the airborne target based upon the determined relationship.

Abstract: A system and method for tracking an airborne target including an illumination source (e.g., a diode laser array) is used to enhance a target signature and a detector (e.g., a passive high-speed camera) is used to detect to electromagnetic radiation (e.g., infrared radiation) reflected off the target. The received electromagnetic radiation may be processed by a digital computer and passed through a spatial filter that implements a band limited edge detection operation in the frequency domain. The filter may remove low spatial frequencies that attenuate soft edged clutter such as clouds and smoke as well as filter out artifacts and attenuated medium to high spatial frequencies to inhibit speckle noise from the detector as well as speckle from the laser return off the target.

Abstract: A beam director subsystem and method for use in a weapons system. The beam director subsystem includes a source of electromagnetic radiation for generating a high energy laser (HEL) beam. The electromagnetic radiation is directed to a secondary mirror that reflects the electromagnetic radiation to a primary mirror for output of the HEL beam. The secondary mirror is generally curved and expands the electromagnetic radiation received from the source prior to outputting the HEL beam from the primary mirror. The subsystem further includes a track telescope coupled to the housing. The track telescope has a track detector configured to receive electromagnetic radiation originating from the HEL and electromagnetic radiation emitted from an illuminator and reflected from an airborne target.

Abstract: A discrete state-space filter directly applies a linear transfer function that describes the frequency-domain representation of an IIR filter or control plant to asynchronously sampled data. The discrete state-space technique maps a continuous time transfer function into the discrete state-space filter and stores the states of the filter in a sample-time independent fashion in a discrete state-space vector. The filter states are propagated with the asynchronous time measurements provided with the input data to generate the filtered output.