Frequency Based SAL Seeker

Systems & Processes Engineering Corporation (SPEC) proposes a frequency based Semi Active Laser (SAL) seeker. Using a ROIC architecture, originally LADAR based, that allows capturing the temporal waveform of the received signal and combining this with a pulse code tracker, allows frequency domain discrimination of spill over designator illumination, foliage pre-target hits, smoke illumination and countermeasures. Tracking countermeasure jammers in the frequency domain allows determination of which designator returns are distorted with jammer pulses, eliminating missile pull off, by ignoring these returns. This discrimination capability can be further enhanced by using a small field of view sensor array, combined with a large field of regard tracker. This allows tight cross range pixels to be correlated temporally, allowing further discrimination of pre-hit and over spill targets, as well as countermeasure sources. This gives a 3D picture of where the designator beam is reflecting from and where countermeasure illumination is being received from.