Practical Performance Model for Airborne Lidar in Undersea Warfare

This report describes a mathematical model for making first-order assessments of the potential performance of airborne Lidar in undersea warfare with a minimum of generally available input values. The model is based on the ORADS range equations of 1976 which has been extended to address area search by a scanning Lidar and the integrated effect of multiple hits on the target. It permits one to interrelate operational, environmental, sensor, and target parameters in ways that enable calculation of tactical performance parameters such as search rave vs. water clarity and target depth, sensor operating altitude and field of view, and target detection depth for submarines and mines in day and nighttime operations.