Early Launch Detection, Booster Typing, and Kill Assessment Sensor Concepts

We propose to develop a novel aircraft-based sensor system for early launch detection, typing, tracking and kill assessment. In addition to providing enhanced capabilities with respect to current aircraft-based sensors for long range detection over wide areas in clear sky and cloud obscured scenarios, our proposed sensor will provide single sensor altitude estimations and capabilities for Kill Assessment. This effort will focus on development of a wide field of view, staring acquisition sensor system with MWIR and SWIR bands. Compared to scanning systems, the staring system provides capabilities for faster detection, enhanced detection of missiles under clouds, as well as enhanced booster typing via collection of signatures from launch spike through upper boost phase. The sensor will employ a MWIR CO2 Red spike band (4.58 - 4.72 mm) with demonstrated capabilities for long range, see to the ground detection (in a cloud free line of sight) as well as for booster typing. The sensor will also employ a SWIR band to enhance detection of missiles underneath clouds. The use of a staring focal plane has demonstrated advantages of detection of missiles under clouds via the spatial and temporal characteristics of the plume signatures relative to those of reflected solar radiance from clouds. In addition, the SWIR band, when used in conjunction with the MWIR band, will provide capabilities for single sensor altitude determination, to enhance 3 dimensional geolocation capabilities, using a novel technique demonstrated by SciTec on a variety of missile types. Additional sensor options will be considered during Phase I, including the use of polarization filters and/or Visible bands to enhance detection of missiles under clouds, the implementation of hypertemporal capabilities (i.e. frame rates > 500 Hz) on the Visible and/or SWIR system, and a novel concept for the implementation of spectrometer capabilities on the SWIR system