Target-designation detection used to shutter camera images for locating target

A seeker for a Semi-Active Laser (SAL) guided missile, the seeker comprising:

• a Short-Wave Infra-Red (SWIR) camera comprising:
• a focal plane array having an imaging region comprising a plurality of pixels;
• and
• an optical lens stack configured to receive SWIR light from a scene aligned along an optical axis of the optical lens stack and further configured to focus at least a portion of the received SWIR light onto the imaging region of the focal plane array thereby forming an image of the aligned scene, the image comprising pixel intensity data generated by the plurality of pixels;
• and
• a Pulse Timing Logic (PTL) detector comprising:
• a SWIR photo detector aligned parallel to the optical axis so as to be operable to detect a sequence of SWIR pulses generated by a SAL target designator and reflected by the aligned scene;
• and
• a pulse timer configured to identify a sequence pattern of the detected sequence of SWIR pulses, and further configured to predict a timing of a next SWIR pulse in the identified sequence pattern so as to synchronize the SWIR camera exposure to capture a next image of the aligned scene at the predicted timing of the next SWIR pulse.