OVERVIEW

The ultimate goal of most EO research and development is to create systems that generate quality information, often (but not always) in the form of images with high information content. Systems represent the integration of myriad optical, structural, electronic, and mechanical systems into a group of things that work together to execute some function. An amazing and fun attribute presented to managers and project engineers is to "get it all right" across a multitude of disciplines. As we see in the set of rules presented in this chapter, some key and underlying factors are reliable aids to the system design analysis and optimization process.

Although optical systems have been developed since the sixteenth century, EO systems experienced little development before WWII. This is the result of immature component technologies and the fact that commercial and scientific instruments seemed to concentrate on film technology. Film technology was not well suited for broadcast television, and visible electro-optical systems were always pushed by the television industry. (Please review the introduction to Chap. 18, "Visible and Television Sensors", for a history of television cameras and to the introduction to Chap. 7, "Displays", for a brief discussion of the standards.)

In fact, it was not until the Vietnam War that electro-optic missile seekers and laser-guided bombs first proved their utility. Later, the Soviet-Afghan war again underscored the usefulness of night vision and low-cost electro-optic seekers on low-cost missiles. By the time of Desert Storm, warfare was being largely fought and won at night, placing...