Multi-Color Filter Development for Hardward-In-The-Loop Facility

The Integrated Infrared Complex at the Air Force Electronic Warfare Evaluation Simulator (AFEWES) Hardware-In-The-Loop (HITL) facility in Fort Worth, Texas, simulates high fidelity IR signatures for realistic testing and evaluation of IR sensors and countermeasures; a current growth requirement is the capability to appropriately simulate the IR Band IV to IR Band I Color (radiance) ratio. The team of Technology Service Corporation (TSC) and Oriel Instruments (Oriel) proposes to develop and demonstrate a multi-color filter system that will meet this requirement. Candidate solutions such as anti-reflection and high-reflectance films, an innovative dual-polarizer filter approach, and others will be developed and evaluated. Tradeoff studies will address the filter performance, operating enviroment , cost, placement, and installation. Following selection of the best solution (to be coordinated with the Air Force), a multi-color filter demonstration system will be developed and demonstrated at AFEWES to show feasibility of the technical approach for developing the full multi-color filter system capability under a Phase II effort. Under Phase I, TSC will develop the filter system technical approach and design; the optical design and fabrication resources of Oriel will be used in support of TSC's design effort and to fabricate and test the demonstration system.