IRFPA development for ballistic missile defense needs

Meimei Z. Tidrow; Walter R. Dyer; Paul D. LeVan; Christopher Michael Wolfson

doi:10.1117/12.450559

23 January 2003 IRFPA development for ballistic missile defense needs

Meimei Z. Tidrow, Walter R. Dyer, Paul D. LeVan, Christopher Michael Wolfson

Proceedings Volume 4820, Infrared Technology and Applications XXVIII; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.450559
Event: International Symposium on Optical Science and Technology, 2002, Seattle, WA, United States

Abstract

Ballistic Missile Defense has been set as a national priority for the Department of Defense. IR focal plane arrays (IRFPAs) are needed for ballistic missile defense (BMD), as well as many other military systems. BMD IRFPA applications extend from surveillance using ground, airborne and space-based platforms, to both endo- and exo-atmospheric interceptor seekers. Even though IRFPAs using material systems, such as HgCdTe and InSb, are adequate for most tactical military applications, certain IR systems for BMD exert a much more stringent requirements. For example, when IRFPAs are used in a system where the target is very cold, the background noise is orders of magnitudes lower than tactical scenes. In this case, the total noise of the IRFPA is dominated by the internal detector noise. With a cold dim target at a far away distance, IRFPAs with extended wavelengths are needed to receive as many photons as possible. The requirements of BMD IRFPAs with high sensitivity, large format, small pixel size and high frame rate, plus long cutoff wavelength and operating at low temperatures presents great challenges to IRFPA technology. Multi-color FPAs and active/passive fusion can greatly enhance the important task of discrimination and aim point selection.

Citation Download Citation

Meimei Z. Tidrow, Walter R. Dyer, Paul D. LeVan, and Christopher Michael Wolfson "IRFPA development for ballistic missile defense needs", Proc. SPIE 4820, Infrared Technology and Applications XXVIII, (23 January 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.450559

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available