IMPROVED PROJECTILE TRACKING SYSTEM

摘要

A projectile tracking system (2) for acquiring and precisely tracking a projectile in flight in order to reveal the source from which the projectile was fired. The system (2) is particularly suited for tracking a bullet fired by a sniper and identifying the location of the sniper. A telescope focuses infrared light from a relatively large field of view on to an infrared focal plane array (20). In a detection mode, the system (2) searches for the infrared signature of the projectile. The telescope's (18) field of view is steered in the azimuth by a step and stare mirror (8) which is driven by an azimuth drive motor (10) mounted on the frame. When a projectile is detected, the system (2) switches to a tracking mode and the mirror (8) is steered by the azimuth drive motor (10) and a pivot motor (14) to track the projectile. A laser radar system (24) provides a laser beam optically coaligned with the telescope axis.