A Midwave FLIR imaging optical apparatus has both a narrow and wide field of view. The imaging optical apparatus has a See Spot mode of operation, where a laser designator spot image is superimposed on the FLIR image in the narrow field of view. A laser rangefinder receiver path is also provided. A
A Midwave FLIR imaging optical apparatus has both a narrow and wide field of view. The imaging optical apparatus has a See Spot mode of operation, where a laser designator spot image is superimposed on the FLIR image in the narrow field of view. A laser rangefinder receiver path is also provided. A shared aperture collects incident radiation, which after manipulation by a plurality of optically significant surfaces, projects radiation to a detector. The imaging optical system is lightweight and compact and efficiently transmits FLIR energy and a narrow band of laser energy so that a signal due to a source outside the pass bands of interest (including solar energy) will not adversely effect operation of the imaging optical apparatus.
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1. An imaging optical apparatus, comprising:a first detector; a first optical system with a first entrance aperture and having a first field of view for projecting at least a first portion of a first wavelength range on the first detector; a second optical system having a second field of view narrow
1. An imaging optical apparatus, comprising:a first detector; a first optical system with a first entrance aperture and having a first field of view for projecting at least a first portion of a first wavelength range on the first detector; a second optical system having a second field of view narrower than the first field of view for projecting at least a second portion of the first wavelength range on the first detector; and a third optical system configured to receive radiation in a second wavelength range, the third optical system being operable with the second optical system to project the radiation in the second wavelength onto the first detector, wherein the second and third optical systems share a second entrance aperture and wherein the first portion and the second portion of the first wavelength range have a coincident focal plane located at the first detector. 2. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first wavelength range is wavelengths emitted from a target.3. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second wavelength range is wavelengths emitted from a first laser and reflected from an object.4. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a fourth optical system configured to receive radiation in a third wavelength range emitted by a second laser toward the target and reflected from the target, the fourth optical system sharing the entrance aperture with the second and third optical systems. 5. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:a second detector, wherein the second detector only receives radiation from the fourth optical system. 6. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 4, wherein the fourth optical system is a laser ranger.7. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fold mirror disposed in an optical path between the first entrance aperture and the second entrance aperture and the detector selectively directs to the first detector the first portion of the first wavelength range or the second portion of the first wavelength range and the radiation in the second wavelength range.8. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the incident radiation is at least partially included within the first portion of incident radiation.9. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third optical system is configured to receive radiation in a second wavelength range emitted by a designator laser toward the target and reflected from the target, the third optical system being selectable to project a designator image onto the detector.10. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the imaging optical apparatus is a catadioptric optical system.11. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the narrow field of view (NFOV) optical system comprises at least one catadioptnc optically significant surface with a narrowband filter.12. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second optical system and the third optical system share an optical axis.13. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is a single focal plane array.14. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is a hyperspectral detector.15. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one optically significant surface is a split Mangin mirror with a cemented doublet and a narrowband filter, the optically significant surface having a coating disposed on a first surface that reflects at least a first desired wavelength and transmits a second desired wavelength.16. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second desired wavelength is reflected at a second surface.17. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second desired wavelength is filtered twice by a single narrowband filter.18. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one optically significant surface is a Mangin mirror comprising a first element and a second element, the first element having a coating disposed on a first surface that reflects at least a first desired wavelength and transmits a second desired wavelength.19. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second element has a second surface that reflects only the second desired wavelength.20. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 18, wherein the coating is a narrowband filter.21. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 18, wherein the coating is a rugate coating and the first surface is a backside surface of the first element.22. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first optical system and the second optical system are a forward looking infrared radar and the third optical system is a laser designator.23. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one optically significant surface is a combination of a lens and a Mangin mirror.24. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 23, wherein the lens and the Mangin mirror are separated by an air space.25. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 24, comprising a mirror located within an opening in the radial center of the combination of the lens and the Mangin mirror.26. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the imaging optical apparatus is passively athermalized.27. An imaging optical apparatus, comprising:a first optical system having a first field of view for projecting at least a first portion of incident radiation emitted from a target to a first focal plane; a second optical system having a second field of view narrower than the first field of view for projecting at least a second portion of the incident radiation to a second focal plane; and a third optical system configured to receive radiation reflected from the target, the third optical system being selectable to project the reflected radiation to the second focal plane, wherein the second and third optical systems share an entrance aperture and wherein the first focal plane and the second focal plane are coincident, wherein the second and third optical systems include a common primary mirror and wherein the common primary mirror is a Mangin mirror with a narrowband coating, and wherein the primary mirror is a split mirror with a first portion and a second portion and the narrowband coating is at an interface of the first portion and the second portion. 28. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:a fourth optical system configured to receive radiation in a third wavelength range emitted by a ranging laser toward the target and reflected from the target, the fourth optical system sharing the entrance aperture with the second and third optical systems. 29. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 28, wherein the fourth optical system is a laser ranger.30. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 27, wherein the second portion is at least partially included within the first portion.31. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 27, wherein the third optical system is configured to receive radiation in a second wavelength range emitted by a designator laser toward the target and reflected from the target, the third optical system being selectable to project a designator image onto the detector.32. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first optical system and the second optical system are a forward looking infrared radar and the third optical system is a laser designator.33. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 27, wherein the split mirror is a cemented doublet with a narrowband filter at a cemented surface.34. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 27, wherein the narrowband coating is a rugate coating.35. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 27, wherein the second and third optical systems include at least one optically significant surface, the optically significant surface having a combination of a lens and a Mangin mirror.36. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 35, wherein the lens and the Mangin mirror are separated by an air space.37. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 35, comprising a mirror located within an opening in the radial center of the combination of the lens and the Mangin mirror.38. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 27, wherein the imaging optical apparatus is passively athermalized.39. A method of gathering imagery from a target, comprising the steps of:receiving radiation emitted from a target in a first wavelength range using a first optical system having a wide field of view (WFOV), the first optical system projecting a WFOV image onto a first detector; receiving radiation emitted from the target in the first wavelength range using a second optical system having a narrow field of view (NFOV), the second optical system projecting a NFOV image onto the first detector; and receiving radiation in a second wavelength range using a third optical system, said radiation in the second wavelength range being emitted from a first designator laser toward the target and being reflected by the target, the third optical system projecting a designator image onto the first detector, wherein the second and third optical systems share an entrance aperture and wherein the NFOV image and the designator image can be simultaneously projected onto the first detector, wherein the second and third optical systems include a common primary mirror and wherein the common primary mirror is a Mangin mirror with a narrowband coating, and wherein the primary mirror is a split mirror with a first portion and a second portion and the narrowband coating is at an interface of the first portion and the second portion. 40. The method of claim 39, comprising a step of:switching between the narrow field of view and the wide field of view. 41. The method of gathering imagery from a target of claim 39, further comprising the step of:receiving radiation in a third wavelength range using a fourth optical system, said radiation in the third wavelength range being emitted from a second designator laser toward the target and being reflected by the target, the fourth optical system projecting a designator image onto a second detector. 42. The method of gathering imagery from a target of claim 41, wherein the fourth optical system is a laser ranger.43. The method of claim 39, wherein the first optical system and the second optical system are a forward looking infrared radar and the third optical system is a laser designator.44. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 39, wherein the split mirror is a cemented doublet with a narrowband filter at a cemented surface.45. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 39, wherein the narrowband coating is a rugate coating.46. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 39, wherein the second and third optical systems include at least one optically significant surface, the optically significant surface having a combination of a lens and a Mangin mirror.47. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 46, wherein the lens and the Mangin mirror are separated by an air space.48. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 46, comprising a mirror located within an opening in the radial center of the combination of the lens and the Mangin mirror.49. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 39, wherein the imaging optical apparatus is passively athermalized.50. A method of constructing an imaging optical apparatus, comprising the steps of:providing a first detector; providing a first optical system having a wide field of view (WFOV) and being configured to receive radiation emitted from a target in a first wavelength range, the first optical system being selectable to project a WFOV image onto the first detector; providing a second optical system having a narrow field of view (NFOV) and being configured to receive radiation emitted from the target in the first wavelength range, the second optical system being selectable to project a NFOV image onto the first detector; and providing a third optical system configured to receive radiation in a second wavelength range emitted by a first designator laser toward the target and reflected from the target, the third optical system being selectable to project a designator image onto the first detector, wherein the second and third optical systems share an entrance aperture and wherein the NFOV image and the designator image can be simultaneously projected onto the first detector, wherein the second and third optical systems include a common primary mirror and wherein the common primary mirror is a Mangin mirror with a narrowband coating, and wherein the primary mirror is a split mirror with a first portion and a second portion and the narrowband coating is at an interface of the first portion and the second portion. 51. The method of constructing an imaging optical apparatus of claim 50, further comprising the step of:receiving radiation in a third wavelength range using a fourth optical system, said radiation in the third wavelength range being emitted from a second designator laser toward the target and being reflected by the target, the fourth optical system projecting a designator image onto a second detector. 52. The method of constructing an imaging optical apparatus of claim 51, wherein the fourth optical system is a laser ranger.53. The method of constructing an imaging optical apparatus of claim 50, wherein the first optical system and the second optical system are a forward looking infrared radar and the third optical system is a laser designator.54. The imaging optical apparatus of claim 50, wherein the split mirror is a cemented doublet with a narrowband filter at a cemented surface.55. The method of constructing an imaging optical apparatus of claim 50, wherein the narrowband coating is a rugate coating.56. The method of constructing an imaging optical apparatus of claim 50, wherein the second and third optical systems include at least one optically significant surface, the optically significant surface having a combination of a lens and a Mangin mirror.57. The method of constructing an imaging optical apparatus of claim 56, wherein the lens and the Mangin mirror are separated by an air space.58. The method of constructing an imaging optical apparatus of claim 56, comprising a mirror located within an opening in the radial center of the combination of the lens and the Mangin mirror.59. The method of constructing an imaging optical apparatus of claim 50, wherein the imaging optical apparatus is passively athermalized.
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