Field testing of a next generation laser pointer/tracker for IRCM

摘要

SELEX Galileo has been involved in the development, manufacture and support of high performance electro-optic pointing and stabilisation systems for over forty years. The Company currently supplies the pointer/trackers for the AN/AAQ-24(V) NEMESIS DIRCM system, for which over 1,000 combat-proven units have been produced and deployed in the US, the UK and other nations. In 2007, SELEX Galileo embarked on an internally funded programme to develop ECLIPSE, a new advanced, lightweight, low-cost IRCM pointer/tracker, exploiting the extensive knowledge and experience gained from previous targeting and IRCM programmes. The ECLIPSE design is centred on a low inertia, two-axis servo mechanism with a strap-down inertial sensor and advanced sightline control algorithms, allowing effective tracking through the nadir and providing superior sightline performance. The programme involved the production of three demonstrator units in 2007, and two pre-production units in 2008. The demonstrator units were first trialled as part of a NEMESIS DIRCM system in late 2007, and in April 2008 100% success was achieved in jamming live-fire demonstrations. Helicopter installation and ground testing of a UK only trials system is complete, initial flight testing has just begun, and the airborne test and evaluation scheduled for late summer 2008 will bring the ECLIPSE System to technology readiness to level 7 (TRL7). This paper describes the Eclipse performance demonstrated to date.