Infrared imaging detection technology is an important means of precision guidance. With the development of missile weapons to supersonic and hypersonic, the working environment of infrared imaging detection devices is worse. The structure safety of infrared windows faces great challenges because of the severe aerodynamic thermal environment in high speed flight. The radiation interference of high-temperature radiation sources such as shock wave and window seriously affects the infrared detection ability. The transmission effect of flow field and window reduces the detection and guidance accuracy. Aero-optical effect is the most essential difference between high-speed infrared detection and traditional infrared detection, and it is also the key factor to determine the feasibility of infrared detection applied to high-speed missiles. This paper mainly introduced the aerodynamic thermal effect, thermal radiation effect, transmission effect and their influence of high-speed infrared imaging detection, expounded the progress of aero-optical effect in mechanism research, test research, numerical simulation and correction technology, and finally gave the thoughts and suggestions on the research of aero-optical effect of high-speed infrared detection.