Level 2 (Self)
TECHNOLOGY AREAS
Air Platform
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Electronics
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Materials
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Sensors
MODERNIZATION PRIORITIES
Advanced Computing and Software
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Advanced Materials
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Integrated Sensing and Cyber
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Microelectronics
KEYWORDS
hyperspectral, infrared imagery, MWIR, sensors, plume signatures
OBJECTIVE
The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 3.5 of the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.
Development of an infrared hyperspectral imager covering the wavelength range 2.0 micrometer to 5.0 micrometer with spectral resolution of 40 nm or better.
ITAR
The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 3.5 of the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.
DESCRIPTION
Hyperspectral MWIR infrared imagers are required to characterize signatures of military targets, both cooperative and hostile. The specific need is the characterization of missile plume and hardbody signatures in static and free flight tests. This threat characterization supports the design and testing of missile warning and countermeasure systems. The hyperspectral imagery data would also be useful in temperature/emissivity determination of hypersonic thermal protection systems during ground tests in arc-heated facilities.The focal plane of the imager should consist of at least 100 x 100 spatial pixels (threshold) with an objective of 256 x 256 spatial pixels or greater. Full-frame hyperspectral cube data rate should be at least 60 cubes per second (threshold) with an objective of 120 cubes per second or faster. The spectral resolution should be 40 nm (threshold) with an objective of 30 nm or better. The detector pixel pitch should be no bigger than 30 mm, with an objective of 15 mm. The detector well depth should be at least 30 Me-. The field of view of the hyperspectral imager shall be adjustable through the use of optics/lenses that do not impact the basic functionality. Snapshot data acquisition is preferred over scanning mode.
PHASE I
The Phase 1 effort should develop and prove the feasibility of the proposed approach through an analysis of alternatives, identification of high-risk technical elements, and generation of a conceptual design matrix that lays out how achievable design parameters impact system requirements e.g. cube rate achievable as a function of focal plane array size and spectral resolution. The system design should be sufficiently detailed to guide the Phase II work with a minimum of risk. The Phase I effort will culminate in a conceptual design that optimally meets system requirements and a detailed plan for development of a prototype system during the Phase II effort.
PHASE II
The conceptual Phase 1 design will be matured into a detailed design. Iterative prototypes may be developed to validate the fundamental approach. The Phase II effort will culminate in the demonstration and delivery of a fully operational prototype hyperspectral imager that offers the best compromise of the threshold/objective requirements described above, along with a validated design for future larger scale production.
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS
Phase III efforts would include a limited production of a number of imagers for inclusion in existing DoW signature measurement systems, such as the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Field Measurement Team and the Center for Countermeasures Joint Standard Instrumentation Suite. Hyperspectral infrared imagers of this type would find wide military application for surveillance, night vision, and target detection, identification, and tracking. As mentioned above, applications for non-contact temperature/emissivity measurements for hypersonic systems and other defense applications are also possible. Commercial applications for security, surveillance, and non-contact imaging thermometry for manufacturing should also be pursued. Infrared hyperspectral imagers are now a ubiquitous piece of laboratory hardware. Advances in infrared hyperspectral imagery will find wide application supporting many disciplines.
REFERENCES
Fang, J., Huang, K., Qin, R. et al. Wide-field mid-infrared hyperspectral imaging beyond video rate . Nat Commun 15, 1811 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46274-z
Anuja Bhargava, Ashish Sachdeva, Kulbhushan Sharma, Mohammed H. Alsharif, Peerapong Uthansakul, Monthippa Uthansakul, Hyperspectral imaging and its applications: A review , Heliyon, Volume 10, Issue 12, 2024, ISSN 2405-8440,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33208.
M. Shimoni, R. Haelterman and C. Perneel, "Hyperspectral Imaging for Military and Security Applications: Combining Myriad Processing and Sensing Techniques," in IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 101-117, June 2019, doi: 10.1109/MGRS.2019.2902525.
