Electromagnetic Remote Sensing for Airfield Assessment

The subject of this report is a study of current state of the art electrooptical systems used in remote sensing. Various passive and active imaging systems were analyzed for application to remote sensing of airfields. Descriptions of systems are The purpose was to determine an effective standoff sensing of the safety of remote airfields, especially when hostilities are underway. Criteria of interest were type of material (including differences in material, such as patches), delamination, cracks, holes, spalls, debris, surface roughness (large scale, such as trenches) and subsurface voids. Detailed results are included, supplemented with illustrations, as well as a summary of findings. The conclusion was that a combination of imaging systems is necessary to detect all of the defects. Recommendations include that the thermal imaging system, which yielded the most information, be further studied for this purpose. Enhancements to the thermal system were also recommended. Further study was recommended to determine if the thermal system can distinguish runway material (asphalt, concrete, etc.) based on knowledge of material properties (emissivity, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity) and ambient temperature.Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Div VA is the author of 'Electromagnetic Remote Sensing for Airfield Assessment', published 1997 under ISBN 9781423578383 and ISBN 1423578384.