A detection system (22, 322) for analyzing an environment about the detection system during movement of the detection system along a flight path through the environment, the detection system comprising: a laser light assembly that transmits temporally spaced pulses of light outwardly from the detection system; an optical detector that receives photonic energy of the transmitted light reflected back towards the detection system by the environment and that converts the photonic energy to electrical energy; a charge storage architecture that receives and stores the converted electrical energy; a charge reading architecture that digitizes the electrical energy stored at the charge storage architecture and transmits data regarding an energy level of the stored energy, wherein the electrical energy is digitized in a plurality of samples per emission of each pulse of light from the laser light assembly; a controller that receives digitized data from the charge reading architecture and analyzes said data, wherein the controller compiles a profile of the environment about the detection system including the measurements of the electrical energy from the analyses versus the time elements, and compares the compiled profile against predetermined profiles of environmental elements to enable recognition of the environmental elements by the detection system, and wherein the controller is configured to output a target declaration signal upon recognition of a pre-determined environmental element; and wherein the detection system further includes a temporal filter tuned to provide a signal in response to a change in energy level received to facilitate detection of a leading edge of the signal released from the charge storage architecture. a laser light assembly that transmits temporally spaced pulses of light outwardly from the detection system; an optical detector that receives photonic energy of the transmitted light reflected back towards the detection system by the environment and that converts the photonic energy to electrical energy; a charge storage architecture that receives and stores the converted electrical energy; a charge reading architecture that digitizes the electrical energy stored at the charge storage architecture and transmits data regarding an energy level of the stored energy, wherein the electrical energy is digitized in a plurality of samples per emission of each pulse of light from the laser light assembly; a controller that receives digitized data from the charge reading architecture and analyzes said data, wherein the controller compiles a profile of the environment about the detection system including the measurements of the electrical energy from the analyses versus the time elements, and compares the compiled profile against predetermined profiles of environmental elements to enable recognition of the environmental elements by the detection system, and wherein the controller is configured to output a target declaration signal upon recognition of a pre-determined environmental element; and wherein the detection system further includes a temporal filter tuned to provide a signal in response to a change in energy level received to facilitate detection of a leading edge of the signal released from the charge storage architecture.