<title>Demonstration of a real-time acousto-optic range-Doppler processor</title>

Abstract

An acousto-optic (AO) range-Doppler processor is being developed to interface to an advanced ground-based radar system developed by the U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM). The AO processor will replace the function ofseveral digital processor boards currently in the radar. The primary objective of this program is the real-time demonstration of an optical processor in the MICOM radar. This paper provides an overview of the MICOM radar system, discusses the design of the AO range-Doppler processor, and describes the radio frequency (RF) and digital electronic interfaces required to achieve real-time operation in the MICOM radar. Upcoming integration and test activities are then described.