Doppler Lidar Feasibility Study for the Ballistic Winds Initiative

摘要

The goal of the Ballistic Winds initiative is to improve the accuracy of bombdrops from high altitude aircraft. It has been shown that knowing the vertical wind profile can markedly improve the accuracy of ballistic weapons. As part of the Ballistic Winds Initiative program, the high altitude wind field will be measured with an airborne coherent lidar system. The measurements will then be used by the onboard targeting system to make more refined real time wind corrections. This report investigates the feasibility of obtaining the wind field profile for real time corrections during targeting runs. This study was primarily concerned with obtaining a methodology for predicting the performance of coherent lidar systems which could be used in both the design and field test measurement phases of the Ballistic winds Initiative Program. The predictions in this report rely on the nominal atmospheres contained within the LOWTRAN models. The expected wind conditions and the atmospheric attenuation and backscatter due to the molecular and aerosol constituents are characterized for mid-latitude spring. The lidar simulation parameters used in the feasibility analysis, which dealt primarily with a 2 micrometers coherent laser, and the signal-to-noise performance relations are described. Lidar performance predictions are given, including range and velocity accuracies, and the utility of pulse integration to improve the signal-to-noise is shown. The wind effects on the aircraft and velocity measurements are also discussed.