Error Analysis of Optical System in Laser Warning Receivers Based on Monte Carlo Method

Laser warning receivers (LWRs) locate laser threat sources by measuring the incident direction of incoming laser radiation. Parametric errors inherent in their optical systems constitute a critical factor that affects angle measurement accuracy. Existing error analysis methods are largely confined to single-factor investigations or empirical estimations, lacking a systematic treatment of coupled multi-source errors. To address this limitation, this paper proposes an error analysis approach for LWR optical systems based on Monte Carlo simulation. Major error sources—including principal point offset, focal length error, detector focal plane tilt, distortion, and spot center extraction error—are systematically analyzed, and a comprehensive error propagation model is established, which circumvents cumbersome theoretical derivations and intuitively reveals the influence patterns and coupling effects of individual error factors on angle measurement precision. Simulation results indicate that, within a 120° × 120° field of view (FOV), the 3σ value of the comprehensive error is 4716.46 arcsec. Experimental verification shows that the measured maximum error is 4901.12 arcsec, deviating from the simulation prediction by 184.66 arcsec (approximately 0.05°). The proposed methodology can provide a theoretical foundation and engineering guidelines for error calibration, tolerance optimization, and high-precision manufacturing of LWRs.