Patent ID: 8638426

Claim:
A system for detecting a seaborne object situated on the surface of the water by an airborne vehicle, comprising: a seeker head having an axis in the direction of flight; at least one sensor mounted on said seeker head; said at least one sensor being operative to transmit towards the sea water surface at least a first laser radiation beam of a wavelength selected to provide a radiation that can penetrate sea water, and to receive radiation reflected from the direction of the sea water surface; the system having at least one of the following configurations: a. a detector for detecting reflection received from the direction of the sea water surface, wherein the radiation impinging on a seaborne object results in a single reflection from the seaborne object, and the reflection impinging on the sea water surface results in a double reflection including a first part reflected from the sea surface and a second part reflected from under the sea surface and wherein each of said first and second parts travel a different distance; and a computing system for differentiating between the reflection received from the direction of the sea water surface and determining whether a single reflection or a double reflection is received, and in case of a single reflection detecting said sea borne object; b. said at least one sensor being operative to transmit towards the sea water surface at least a second laser radiation beam of a wavelength selected to provide a radiation that does not penetrate sea water; a first detector for detecting a reflection of said first laser beam; a second detector for detecting a reflection of said second laser beam; and a computing system for utilizing the reflection of said second beam as a reference to the reflection of said first beam and in case the reflection of said first beam and the reflection of said second beam are the same detecting said seaborne object.