The issues discussed in this paper provide for further development of studies in the sphere of imaging spectroscopy and laser vision. In terms of forming the information fields (radiation fields), the electro-optical systems are subdivided into the passive and active ones. Passive electro-optical systems use the information fields formed by natural radiation sources, whereas the active ones suggest using artificial sources. Comparative analysis of mathematical and physical issues of designing the electro-optical systems with dynamic spectral processing of optical radiation of the passive and active types has been performed. It has been shown that the controlled dynamic spectral processing of optical radiation can be implemented within the passive and active electro-optical systems on the basis of the same algorithm that represents operation of the optical processor performing the mathematical operation of dot product. The authors have developed the block diagram of an active electro-optical system with dynamic spectral processing. The algorithm for optimal detection of optical signals has been developed using basics of the signal detection theory. Mathematical modeling of target detection against an inhomogeneous background has been performed. It has been shown that the optimal dynamic spectral processing of optical radiation in active electro-optical system enables to separate the desired optical signal by suppressing the background signal.