Ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) is a weapon system for intercepting enemy ballistic missiles. It includes ballistic-missile warning system, target discrimination system, anti-ballistic-missile guidance systems, and command-control communication system. Infrared imaging detection and laser imaging detection are widely used in BMDS for surveillance, target detection, target tracking, and target discrimination. Based on a comprehensive review of the application of target-detection techniques in the missile defense system, including infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPA), ground-based radar detection technology, 3-dimensional imaging laser radar with a photon counting avalanche photodiode (APD) arrays and microchip laser, this paper focuses on the infrared and laser imaging detection techniques in missile defense system, as well as the trends for their future development.

Date Published: 24 November 2009
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 7513, 2009 International Conference on Optical Instruments and Technology: Optoelectronic Imaging and Process Technology, 751318 (24 November 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.837672

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7513:
2009 International Conference on Optical Instruments and Technology: Optoelectronic Imaging and Process Technology
Toru Yoshizawa; Ping Wei; Jesse Zheng, Editor(s)