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Abstract. This paper is the second in a series of short
tutorial articles loosely based on tutorial sessions given at the
Royal Military College of Science to Masters of Science (MSc)
students who are studying on defence technology courses. The purpose
of the tutorials is to enable students to do first-pass
(rough) calculations on various aspects of electro-optical systems (electro-optical system
analysis). This type of electro-optical systems analysis is typical of
that which they may carry out in their potential future
role as defence analysts. This second paper looks at calculating
the power received at a detector from a target that
may be considered to be either a point source or
an extended source. Such calculations enable the estimation of, for
example, the lock-on range of an infrared homing missile.
In any
theatre of conflict or potential conflict the shear number of
infrared homing missiles available is quite bewildering. These missiles range
in complexity and cost from the simple hot-spot trackers such
as SA7 to the complex fully imaging systems such as
IR Maverick or the Advanced Short Range Air to Air
Missile (ASRAAM). The success of these missiles is also very
impressive with IR missile systems accounting for approximately 55% of
worldwide combat aircraft losses in the past 20 years. It
is necessary in some instances, for example in defence analysis,
to make rough calculations on the feasibility of the operation
of such systems in various conditions with little or practically
no data available on the systems to be used. In
some circumstances the data may simply be a report that
an IR missile was used against a particular target and
a poor quality photograph of the alleged missile. Under these
circumstances it is therefore appropriate to undertake a process of
very low-fidelity modelling to enable a decision of the probability
of successful utilisation. This paper looks at such a low-fidelity
model for IR homing missile systems.
Related topics:
IR signature, sensors, electro-optical analysis, surveillance and target acquisition
View first page of "Richardson: Electro-optical Systems Analysis - Part 2"
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