Foveated Imaging and Spectral Discrimination Sensor

The Airborne Laser (ABL) is a key component of the US government's overall ballistic missile defense systems. In an operational scenario, the ABL's sensor system will detect and track enemy's boosting missile, determine its position and destroy it with a high energy laser. The ABL's sensor system also identifies the launch location and predicts the impact location, which is communicated to other assets in the missile defense systems. Existing missile detection and tracking sensors cannot meet advanced missile defense requirements including wide field of view (FOV), long detection range, increased capability to correctly discriminate between ballistic missile targets and other types of tracks, high angular resolution for a 2-D passive only angle-angle track, and low weight, volume and power requirements, et al. There is a demand to enhance the ability of today’s airborne surveillance systems for missile defense. New Span Opto-Technology Inc. proposes herein a novel optical configuration that is capable of simultaneously providing wide FOV global monitoring, high spatial resolution and spectral details in areas of interest for enhanced missile detection rate, and precise positioning and tracking without mechanical scanning. In Phase I we will establish the model, demonstrate the feasibility, and recognize challenging issues of the proposed concept.