The Research Of Dual-Mode MW/IR Simulation System

MW missile seeker which can work even under adverse weather conditions has the advantage of a longer range target acquisition, a larger FOV (field of view) and a wider working wave-band, while an IIR (imagery infrared) missile seeker offers an unsurpassed seeker resolution terminal guidance. Thus, an MW/IR dual-mode missile seeker uses MW seeker for searching long distance target, and use the IIR seeker for terminal tracking which can yield an improvement in target detection, acquisition, identification, and terminal tracking performance. The advent of dual-mode MW/IR missile seekers has led to an upsurge of researching in developing a hardware-in-the-loop simulation system around the world.A centimeter microwave (CMW) and middle wave infrared (MWIR) dual-mode simulation system has been researched and demonstrated in this paper. Both wavebands will simultaneously be used to stimulate the common aperture of a dual-mode seeker that is normally mounted in a flight motion simulator (FMS). A target array of antenna generates the MW radiation of a 8~18GHz waveband. A dichroic beam combiner that is located in the anechoic chamber can reflects the IR scene while transmitting MW signals.Research has been done in this paper on the characteristics of RF and IR target simulation. Far work distance of MW signal has been concerned in the simulation system, and the material and size of the dichroic beam combiner should be contented the requirements of the MW intensity and modulation in the RF seeker. A large aperture fused quartz is utilized here as basis material.The beam combiner serves as a fold mirror in the IR system by coated in the other side, so the IR and MW target can be detected by the missile seeker in identical line of sight. Therefore MW signal has an incidence angles none-zero to the beam combiner which induct polarization effect to the transmittance of the MW radiation. The optimal angle has been calculated through analyzing of the whole system.The design of IR scene projector and optics generates the MWIR scene, which is another chief point of researching in this paper; the goal of this design was not only to project IR scenes of acceptable image quality, but also to minimize the effect of RF transmittance. Studying the characteristics of RF transmittance, using a shielding device in this IR system to approach an IR system which can satisfy the optical and mechanical specifications, which can be located in the RF environment.