Infrared seeker/sensor dynamic performance prediction model

This paper describes an analytic, end-to-end, IR seeker/sensor dynamic performance model developed to facilitate system level design trades and performance analyses for proposed IR missile seeker/sensor systems. The model has been extensively validated against actual simultaneous dual-band IR imagery (midwave 3 - 5 micrometers , and longwave 8 - 10 micrometers ), collected so as to emulate tactical airborne seeker engagement geometries against a variety of backgrounds. Over 20,000 SIR comparison measurements, with both injected and real targets, have been made. Agreement between predicted and measured SIR is typically within 2 - 3 dB, over a wide range of target brightness, background types, atmospheric conditions, and processing algorithm approaches.