Infrared Tracking System Research Articles

A high resolution infrared tracking system

A High Resolution Infrared Tracking System was developed for the Air Force Missile Test Center for use at Cape Canaveral. The infrared tracker is used to provide reliable tracking data during the launch phase when the radars experience difficulty due to multipath ground and sea returns. A unique reticle and associated signal processing circuitry makes possible a high degree of background suppression while generating proportional azimuth and elevation error signals using a single detector. A multistage AGC provides the large dynamic range required by the proximity of the tracker to large missiles at launch and the distance to small missiles at burnout.