Patent ID: 7581480

Claim:
A method for detecting a launch and flight of a missile which is targeted at aircraft traveling along a takeoff and landing path at an airfield comprising the steps of: (a) monitoring the launch and flight of said missile which is targeted at the aircraft traveling along said takeoff and landing path, wherein a plurality of imaging EO sensors monitor the launch and flight of said missile; (b) generating video data of the launch and flight of said missile, wherein each of said plurality of EO sensors generate said video data; (c) digitizing and processing said video data from each of said EO sensors to determine when a plume of said missile is within a field of view for said EO sensor; (d) generating sightline data for each of said EO sensors representing a line of sight from said EO sensor to the plume of said missile; (e) transferring said sightline data for each of said EO sensors to a central processor; (f) processing said sightline data for each of said EO sensors to determine when the line of sight for one of a pair of EO sensors having overlapping field of views intersects with the line of sight for the other of said pair of EO sensors to provide one of a plurality of data points for said missile during the launch and flight of said missile, wherein said central processor includes a sightline correlator for processing said sightline data from each of said pair of EO sensors having said overlapping field of views to locate each of said plurality of data points for said missile; (g) correlating and combining said plurality of data points to provide estimates of position, velocity and acceleration for said missile, and enhanced threat declaration performance; (h) comparing track dynamics including said estimates of position, velocity and acceleration for said missile with missile flight profiles to determine if said missile is a threat missile launched against one of said aircraft; and (i) generating a launch confirmed signal sent to a countermeasures system when said threat declaration module determines that said threat missile is being launched against said aircraft.