• Infrared and Laser Engineering
  • Vol. 54, Issue 5, 20240567 (2025)
Junting YU1, Shaoyi LI2,*, and Bangrong XIE1
Author Affiliations
  • 193184 Unit, Beijing 100076, China
  • 2School of Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
  • show less
    DOI: 10.3788/IRLA20240567 Cite this Article
    Junting YU, Shaoyi LI, Bangrong XIE. Review of intelligent technology in infrared imaging tracking systems[J]. Infrared and Laser Engineering, 2025, 54(5): 20240567 Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    Significance In recent localized wars, infrared imaging-guided missiles and multi-mode composite guidance weapons, such as air-to-air, air-to-ground, and air-to-sea types, have been widely used in actual combat to strike important or high-value military targets such as radar positions, missile weapon depots, military command centers, and airports. These systems have played an important role in successfully carrying out tactical and operational objectives, securing air/sea superiority, and supporting ground operations. However, current infrared tracking systems face challenges in actual combat environments, such as complex background environments, strong countermeasures, intelligent countermeasures, and multi-target, multi-task demands, which significantly increase uncertainty in operational effectiveness. Intelligent technology in tracking systems is one of the core aspects of intelligent infrared imaging stabilization and tracking systems, and an important technological approach to improving stable tracking capabilities in increasingly complex battlefield environments. Researching and summarizing the development status and trends of foreign infrared imaging tracking systems' intelligent technology is of significant guiding importance for the development of infrared imaging stabilization and tracking technology in China.ProgressFigure 1 and Tab.1 present and summarize several typical infrared imaging-guided missiles in recent years, indicating that infrared imaging-guided weapons have been widely used in air, sea, and ground operations. However, the recent emergence of infrared-guided weapons facing complex countermeasure environments highlights their vulnerability to interception or deception, revealing the inadequacy of current infrared-guided weapons in counter-jamming capabilities. At the same time, the development of the intelligence levels of infrared imaging stabilization and tracking systems in different application scenarios, as shown in Tab.1, indicates that: 1) Introducing artificial intelligence technology into infrared imaging stabilization and tracking platforms to significantly improve the intelligence level of tracking systems is a key development direction. 2) Utilizing intelligent tracking systems with strong capabilities such as automatic target acquisition, automatic target recognition and tracking, autonomous situational awareness and trajectory planning, and anti-jamming has become a current trend in missile intelligent technology development. Based on the current development status of foreign infrared imaging tracking systems' intelligent technology, the intelligent capabilities that infrared imaging tracking systems should possess include intelligent multi-dimensional detection, intelligent countermeasure situational awareness and analysis, intelligent recognition and anti-jamming, and intelligent tracking. In addition, combining the current status of tracking system capabilities and demand analysis, the intelligence levels of tracking systems are categorized into five levels: elementary intelligence (weak intelligence), general intelligence (hybrid intelligence), moderate intelligence (perceptual intelligence), advanced intelligence (cognitive intelligence), and super intelligence (brain-like intelligence). In terms of key technologies, domestic and foreign institutions conducting research on intelligent infrared imaging tracking systems focus on key technologies such as intelligent detection, intelligent perception, intelligent recognition and tracking, and intelligent indication.Based on the system’s ability to acquire information, process information, adapt to environments, and collaborate, the development path of intelligent infrared imaging tracking systems is divided into five stages: 1) Single-function level weak AI (Artificial Intelligence) tracking system technology. 2) Single-function level hybrid AI tracking system technology. 3) Single-function level perceptual AI tracking system technology. 4) Single-system level cognitive AI tracking system technology. 5) Group-collaborative brain-like AI tracking system technology. Currently, the field is in the single-function level perceptual stage, and the future development focus is on achieving single-system level cognitive AI tracking and group-collaborative brain-like AI tracking.Conclusions and Prospects The increasing complexity of future battlefield environments and the diversification of tasks will inevitably drive the development of tracking system technology toward intelligent solutions. In a combat environment characterized by strong countermeasures, intelligent technologies, and collaboration, the development of interference and anti-interference technologies will always represent an enduring scientific challenge. Intelligent anti-jamming in complex environments will remain a fundamental problem in the field of infrared imaging stabilization and tracking systems. This study aims to provide a reference for the intelligent development of infrared imaging tracking systems in China. In the future, infrared imaging tracking systems will gradually achieve single-system level cognitive AI tracking technology and group-collaborative brain-like AI tracking technology, which will improve performance in collaborative detection, collaborative penetration, collaborative anti-jamming, and collaborative strike through the integration of multi-platform collaborative sensing and intelligent guidance methods.
    Junting YU, Shaoyi LI, Bangrong XIE. Review of intelligent technology in infrared imaging tracking systems[J]. Infrared and Laser Engineering, 2025, 54(5): 20240567
    Download Citation