Optronic system for a countermeasure unit and method to optically communicate

An optronic system for a countermeasure unit to optically communicate with another communication terminal, the countermeasure unit comprises a laser beam source and a directing device for a laser beam of the laser beam source, the optronic system comprising:

• a detector configured to detect an incoming communication in an incoming signal;
• a modulation unit configured to demodulate the incoming signal or cause a modulation of an outgoing laser beam by a coherent modulation in which an amplitude and a phase is modulated simultaneously;
• and
• a control unit configured, in response to the detected incoming communication, to control the modulation unit to demodulate the incoming signal or to modulate the outgoing laser beam to enable an optical communication via the laser beam source of the countermeasure unit,
• wherein the detector includes a retroreflection detector, the retroreflection detector being configured:
• to detect signals reflected by the other communication terminal due retroreflections,
• to initiate the optical communication based on detected retroreflections, the optical communication being performed via the laser source of the countermeasure unit, and
• to keep alive a laser communication path by tracking retroreflections.