Speckle image processing for conformal sub-aperture arrays

Future Air Force platforms require electro-optic long range imaging systems conformal to the surface of the aircraft to minimize drag and maximize stealth. The long imaging range often means having to compensate for atmospheric turbulence as well as the boundary layer around the aircraft. During the first phase of this STTR project, Optical Physics Company (OPC) demonstrated the feasibility of its speckle image processing approach for conformal subaperture arrays through analysis, simulation and laboratory demonstration. The technique demonstrated is not only completely immune to boundary layer turbulence but also mitigates atmospheric turbulence. It can achieve 7.5 cm resolution at 100 km range, 7X better than the boundary layer turbulence limit for airborne imagery. During Phase II a complete imaging system will be demonstrated outdoors under a broad range of imaging conditions day and night. The test will be conducted across a 1 km horizontal path using an eye-safe 1.55 micron laser and a fast frame NIR camera with 0.5 m square receiving aperture. This setup matches that of a 2 meter aperture operating with 100 km range to target from 6 km aircraft altitude, which also coincides with the target flight system scenario. BENEFIT: A conformal imaging system that offers diffraction limited resolution for remote imaging has many application platforms and prime contractor customers. Boeing is our commercialization partner on this project. Two divisions have expressed interest, the Advanced Global Strike Systems (AGSS) and Space and Intelligence Systems (S&IS). Correspondingly, one set of candidate customers are the hypersonic X-43A, X-43C, X-51, Conventional Strike Missile, and Long Range Time Critical Strike Missile systems; the F-15, F-18, B-1, AWACS, MMA, P-8, and future Long Range Strike Aircraft; and future weapon systems. The second set of applications entail satellite systems for imaging and recognizance. In the LEO-to-ground scenario where the technology has the potential to offer NIIRS 8 imaging of an interest-specific area at a fraction of the cost of traditional large aperture optical systems, the technology offers support to the fractionated space philosophy of the DARPA F6 program.