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A new tactical airborne multicolor missile warning testbed was developed and fielded as part of an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) initiative focusing on clutter and missile signature measurements for algorithm development. Multicolor discrimination is one of the most effective ways of improving the performance of infrared missile warning sensors, particularly for heavy clutter situations. Its utility has been demonstrated in multiple fielded sensors. Traditionally, multicolor discrimination has been performed in the mid-infrared, 3-5 μm band, where the molecular emission of CO and CO2 characteristic of a combustion process is readily distinguished from the continuum of a black body radiator. Current infrared warning sensor development is focused on near infrared (NIR) staring mosaic detector arrays that provide similar spectral discrimination in different bands to provide a cost effective and mechanically simpler system. This, in turn, has required that multicolor clutter data be collected for both analysis and algorithm development. The developed sensor test bed is a multi-camera system 1004x1004 FPA coupled with optimized filters integrated with the optics. The collection portion includes a ruggedized field-programmable gate array processor coupled with with an integrated controller/tracker and fast disk array capable of real-time processing and collection of up to 60 full frames per second. This configuration allowed the collection and real-time processing of temporally correlated, radiometrically calibrated data in multiple spectral bands that was then compared to background and target imagery taken previously |
