Real Time On Board SWIR Video for Gun Launched Munitions

A small size, weight, and power visible/Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) camera will be developed for precision guided gun launched munitions. This 640x512 on 8 µm pixel pitch InGaAs imaging system will be able to image light from 0.4 to 1.7 µm wavelength enabling the precision engagement of targets during the day and night and through fog and smoke. InGaAs SWIR imagers are better than visible imagers at atmospheric penetration for long range imaging with the added virtue of being an uncooled infrared technology. The capabilities of SWIR enable the user to image and track laser designators and pointers that are deployed on the battlefield. The proposed camera will be designed and built to survive 30,000g shock loads while still small enough to fit in the front of a 40 mm munition. The camera will provide non-uniformity corrected imagery at = 300 frame per second without any temperature stabilization. The high frame rate is required to remove image blur from scene, allowing the guidance system on board of the projectile to track targets in real-time.