Optimizing targeting performance for superband optical systems

Superband camera systems with broadband short-wave infrared (SWIR) through mid-wave infrared (MWIR) response present an interesting alternative to traditional long-range infrared targeting systems. As detector technologies have continued to mature, these superband systems have become more common and readily available to the imaging community, making it of utmost importance that the targeting capabilities of such systems be quantified. To do so, a 1–5 µm superband camera with individual 1–1.9 µm SWIR, 2–2.5 µm extended short-wave infrared (eSWIR), and 3–5 µm MWIR filters is used to image a target at range. Images in each of the respective individual bands, along with images using the full superband response, are captured, and the contrast signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of each is measured. Using the measured contrast SNR for the target in each band, targeting range performance can be compared to theoretical models. By using the F λ/d metric as a design guide, range performance across the entire superband waveband can be optimized to maximize the overall range performance without sacrificing nighttime performance.