L3Harris Technologies : How Electro-Optical/Infrared Provides Critical Warfighting Capabilities

Comparing Radar to EO/IR

The U.S. military has relied on radar since the 1930s and continues to improve the system, which bounces radio waves off objects to determine their location. However, as with other active sensors, radar creates a signal that can be detected by adversaries. It is also difficult to detect small objects like Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC) with radar due to their size and surrounding clutter.

Electro-optical sensors work by converting visible light and infrared energy into electronic signals, which are then analyzed. Invisible to the naked eye, infrared radiation can be detected in total darkness. EO/IR technology combines the two capabilities into one view to create a clearer picture of threats for the warfighter. The benefit of fusing visible light with infrared signatures provides the ability to detect, recognize and identify potential threats during all conditions of visibility such as day/night and through atmospheric obscurations.

Unlike radar technology, which relies on emitting active radiation signals and waiting for a return signal, EO/IR sensors are totally passive. EO/IR sensors detect signals in the visible/infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, naturally emitted by objects of interest. This passive operation is a key strategic advantage of EO/IR sensors by assisting Navy ships in avoiding detection and becoming targets themselves.

EO/IR technology, such as the SPEIR program, uses infrared heat signatures and algorithms that look for objects based on size, motion, characteristics and other factors. It can point out objects as small as one to two pixels on a screen - including incoming targets, such as anti-ship cruise missiles, FIAC and UAV systems.

"We're sampling a part of the electromagnetic spectrum that has not been sampled before and allows you to better understand what it is you're looking at," McClanahan said. "Every object has a distinct electromagnetic fingerprint, and our EO/IR sensors provide a more complete picture of that electromagnetic spectrum. This enables better target discrimination and identification in a cluttered and congested environment."

The SPEIR program leverages the L3Harris technologies developed under the Office of Naval Research's Future Naval Capability Shipboard Panoramic Electro-Optical/Infrared Cueing and Surveillance System (SPECSS) and an L3Harris solution known as SPATIAL (Shipboard Passive Automated Target Imaging And Localization), which expands existing systems' scope of tasks.

This additional capability is another example of how L3Harris continues to innovate as a Trusted Disruptor in our industry.

"Using agile Model-Based System Engineering, our approach in how we deliver technical artifacts, technical reviews, performance and design reviews is fundamentally different," McClanahan said. "One thing that sets us apart, is we've fully embraced being a 'Trusted Disruptor.' Our agile-based approach is to develop fast, demonstrate frequently and often."