Infrared signature

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The term infrared signature is used by defence scientists and the military to describe the appearance of objects to infrared sensors. Infrared signatures depends on many factors - including the shape and size of the object, its temperature and emissivity, the background against which it is viewed and the waveband of the detecting sensor. As such there is no all-encompassing definition of infrared signature nor any trivial means of measuring it. For example the infrared signature of a truck viewed against a field will vary significantly with changing weather, time of day and engine loading.

The military aim is to understand the likely infrared signature of threats (and thus the equipment required to detect them) and to reduce the infrared signature of their own assets to threat sensors. For example, an aim might be to equip a warship with sensors to detect the exhaust plumes of incoming anti-ship missiles whilst itself having an infrared signature below the detection threshold of the infrared sensor guiding the missile.

Two fairly successful examples of defining the infrared signature of an object are the apparent temperature difference at the sensor and the contrast radiant intensity (CRI) definitions.