IR multispectral imaging for ground applications

IR multispectral imagers acquire information simultaneously in various spectral ranges of the thermal infrared. Compared to single-band IR imagers they are expected to have several advantages in military applications. These advantages include the opportunity to use the best spectral range for given atmospheric conditions, the potential of a better detection of camouflaged targets, an improved discrimination between targets and decoys etc. The Paper gives an overview on the different types of multispectral imagers, their practical realization and the possibilities to improve observer performance due to multispectral image fusion.