Precision Targeting

The ideal Precision Targeting Sensor could be realized if a single sensor provided angle/angle imaging, target ranging, gross body Doppler and fine Doppler (vibrations sensing) for target detection and identification. This proposal addresses a coherentladar that can realize all the above plus additional capabilities to mitigate speckle and to further enhance target identification and decoy discrimination including polarization analysis.The coherent ladar proposed utilizes three new concepts applied to an otherwise conventional Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) system; these are:1. A new (patent pending) FMCW receiver that improves ranging, reduces receiver cost and is compatible with the recovery of both gross body Doppler and fine Doppler for detection of target vibrations signatures,2. A distributed multiaperture coherent array receiver that provides angle/angle imaging and speckle mitigation. It incorporates fiber optic optics coupling of the subapertures to enable efficient and versatile distribution of the apertures and efficientmixing of the local oscillators, and3. A sophisticated polarization modulation scheme which enables the determination of the targets Mueller matrix for further discrimination (polarization) between target and decoys and, in certain cases, to penetrate scattering media, such as plumes, smokeand other backgrounds. Military applications for the subject CLPT system are substantial. Most military aircraft will use this long range CLPT system for target identification and discrimination from long ranges and not necessarily for targeting. Thus,there are substantial military platforms that could use the CLPT systems. In addition, commercial applications for the low-cost, miniaturize, rugged, laser transmitter and receiver include surveying, medical diagnostics, industrial imaging, processcontrol, non destructive testing, and for surveillance/security applications.