Imaging seeker surrogate for IRCM evaluation

Abstract

NATO-SCI-139 and its predecessor groups have more than a decade of history in the evaluation and recommendation of EO and IR Countermeasures against anti-aircraft missiles. Surrogate Seekers have proven to be a valuable tool for this work. The use of surrogate seekers in international co-operations has several advantages over the use of an operational seeker, which is in service or in development: 1) the system is flexible, allowing both hardware and software modifications to be made in order to test the effectiveness of specific IRCM techniques; 2) the seeker design is openevery last parameter is available to the science team, allowing detailed, end-to-end validation of software models and simulations; 3) the availability of an unclassified seeker facilitates open discussions on CM issues between the participants in the NATO-group. Testing of high intensity countermeasures (for example based on lasers) needs a system with realistic seeker optics, with proper representation of optical scatter in seeker optics, which differs from scatter in commercial infrared camera optics. A technical description of the ISS is given: an overview of the optical design and the detector, the principle of the tracking software and the possibilities to implement alternative tracking algorithms in order to represent different threat CCM techniques. The ISS is built for use both in the laboratory and in the field. Finally, some experimental results will be presented.

Review and prospects of optical countermeasure technologies

“…They provide additional functions and features to an OCM system: some techniques are essential to ensure proper system performance such as the detection of dim target [51] or tracking sensors [52], some methods provide new functionalities to the system using laser-based sensors [53], e. g. for time-of-flight profiling [54], laser detection and ranging [55] or detection of polarization anomalies [56]. Field trials [22,41,57], IRCM spectral signature measurements [58], or laser safety analyses for DIRCM systems [59] are further examples of supporting activities.…”

“…Correspondingly, OCM systems must adopt their countermeasure techniques to these new challenges. The research towards new OCM techniques was supported by the NATO-SCI-139 group who built an unclassified infrared imaging surrogate seeker (ISS) as an evaluation tool [22]. The ISS was used by the group members to gain insight into the dazzling of focal plane arrays, i. e. preventing the seeker from converting the information from the optical onto the electronic carrier [23].…”

Simulating the DIRCM engagement: component and system level performance

“…Interestingly, the interest in safety from commercial aviation 14 may lead to more open dissemination of ManPADS information. Surrogate seekers and seeker simulators 18,19 can provide a good starting point for hardware and simulator experimentation to grow experience and insight in missile counter-countermeasures.…”

Novel laser beam steering techniques

“…prism flipping, are encountered [6]. The implementation of prism drives for scanning the line of sight of passive and ladar sensors is established [9,11]. However, the realization of the control loops for random step and stare mode is not an easy and straight forward task.…”