Flight test of an imaging O2(X-b) monocular passive ranging instrument

An instrument for monocular passive ranging based on atmospheric oxygen absorption near 762 nm has been designed, built and deployed to track emissive targets. An intensified CCD array is coupled to variable band pass liquid crystal filter and 3.5 - 8.8 degree field of view optics. The system was first deployed for a ground test viewing a static jet engine in afterburner at ranges of 0.35 - 4.8 km, establishing a range error of 15%. The instrument was also flight tested in a C-12 imaging an the exhaust plume of another aircraft afterburner at ranges up to 11 km.

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