Approaching a universal E-O test collimator

The downsizing of the U.S. military budget has led efforts towards development of multi-purpose electro-optic (E-O) test collimators for testing multiple E-O systems. This has led to the DOD policy of equipment standardization and the use of non-developmental Items (NDI) and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) items to the maximum extent possible. These efforts have lead to thought about the possibility of making a “universal collimator”, which could test everything from the oldest, to the newest and most sophisticated ground, tank, and aircraft fire control systems. Is a universal collimator possible? Can we expect to see a universal collimator in the near future? The authors conclude a truly universal collimator may not be possible, but that a more modest, scaled down, “practically” universal collimator is realizable today