Patent ID: 8049870

Claim:
A tracking system for use with a high energy laser, the system comprising: an illuminator for generating electromagnetic radiation to be directed at an airborne target; a track telescope having a track detector configured to receive electromagnetic radiation reflected from the airborne target; a track source selector for selecting a type of airborne target to track, wherein the selector is operable in a first setting when the airborne target is a mortar shell and operative in a second setting when the airborne target is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); a processor coupled to the track detector, the track source selector and a steering controller of a high energy laser (HEL), wherein the processor processes target information based at least in part on the received electromagnetic radiation detected from the track detector by applying a band-limited edge detection operation to the target information and generates band-limited edge detection data used to identify edges of the airborne target in order to track the airborne object.