Determination of Characteristics of Scanning Sub-matrix Thermal Direction-finders

Two notions of a potential of a thermal direction-finder are introduced: the informational instrumental potential, based on the instrumental characteristics, and the tactic and technical potential, based on the application characteristics - monitoring of the accessible space area. The "bi-lateral" criterion for optimization and comparison of thermal direction-finders by the "efficiency-cost" parameter is considered. Relations connecting the introduced potentials and criterion with parameters of the target-background situation and necessary instrumental parameters are analyzed. This makes possible to estimate a degree of perfection of the specified thermal direction-finder in comparison to the ideal thermal direction-finder with ultimately perfect characteristics.