Stochastic Optimization of Some of the Design Parameters of Airborne Laser-Seeker Systems

The search process of an airborne laser-seeker system is studied to maximize the probability of target acquisition with respect to the following parameters: altitude, velocity, seeker scan angle, seeker depression angle, laser illuminator peak power, scan pattern, and acceptance logic. The relationships between the objective variable and the first five parameters are established through a regression analysis of data points collected from a computerized system model. Classical techniques applied to the regression equation isolate a local maximum. Scan pattern and acceptance logic are each studied separately since their optima are independent of the other parameters of the system. Maximum probability of target acquisition is nearly unity.