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 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 computer-based thermal scene simulation system and method for generating synthetic images to facilitate the design and test of missile-borne electro-optical seeker systems. A scene is comprised of objects and a background selected from available target and background database files. Stationary or mobile objects are modeled by combining small planar facets to cover their three dimensional surface. Each facet is associated in the database files with the thermal and optical properties of the surface that is modeled. The background is modeled on the interior surface of a pyramid defining the extent of the scene, with the floor of the pyramid representing the surface of the earth and the sides of the pyramid representing an above horizon image. The pyramid surface is then divided into triangular facets that represent portions of the surface. Each facet is assigned a uniform texture selected from the background database files comprising background materials.