Derivation of an optomechanical tolerance budget for a bistatic sensor pod

摘要

Pointing errors can compromise the performance of laser systems and cause numerous operational problems. In this paper, alignment tolerances for a bistatic sensor pod are derived from first principles. The method applies to a sizeable class of problems but is particularly relevant to military applications like laser target designation and rangefinding. It yields exact or conservative estimates in most cases of practical interest. Various results are explored from the point-of-view of employment methods and military deployment.