Coherent Ladar Algorithm for Robust Target Acquisition, Discrimination, Aimpoint Selection and Maintenance

Coherent Technologies Inc., proposes "Coherent Ladar Algorithm for Robust Acquisition, Discrimination, Aimpoint Selection and Maintenance" to address MDA Ladar algorithm development and signature processing for advanced missile seekers. The proposed algorithm exploits unique capabilities of emerging Doppler Ladars, fused with passive sensors, to acquire/discriminate threats that may contain off-nominal components and various countermeasures. Range and Doppler measurement exploitation assure rapid acquisition, track convergence. For Phase I, resilience to backgrounds will be demonstrated. Processed adaptive multiplet waveforms will yield mass-dependent discriminants for good target class separation, compensate for platform and other noise, and adapt for flexible application to diverse target types. Adaptive waveform temporal bandwidth and optimum component spacing will be used to achieve high range/velocity resolution and precision, over transient events such as staging, target deployment, and deployment response. Multi-waveform averaging mitigates speckle and drives-up measurement precision and effective carrier-to-noise ratio. Range and velocity resolution/precision will be adaptively traded to optimize algorithm performance. For Phase II/III, the algorithm will be demonstrated on Ladar hardware currently under development at Eastern and Pacific Test ranges, in a real-time processor/interface. Algorithm/waveforms make achievable sub-cm/sec velocity-precision for millidoppler/microdoppler discriminants, cm's range-precision for target discrimination, and reduced miss-distance via Doppler-null tracking for aimpoint selection and maintenance.