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Infrared techniques, particularly as applied to military problems, have been developing in a gradual way for many, many years. One of the first main uses was in World War II in such applications as the DOVE guided bomb and the German Lichtsprecher. Since then, the Sidewinders, the Midas satellites, communication devices, and a myriad of other instruments and systems have been proposed, designed, developed, and used. Whereas in the early iSSO's a small group of researchers could convene and discuss most of the infrared problems that were then facing the nation, now such meetings encompass between five hundred and a thousand people. The techniques have changed, the components have improved, and the means of use for these components have become more sophisticated and more complicated. Early in 1961, Al Canada, who was then at ARPA - the Advanced Research Projects Agency - and the editor of this Handbook had a series of conversations including discussions of ways to improve communications among infrared workers and of methods by which the talents of these workers could be used more effectively. Both of us were aware of the capabilities of organizations like IRIS (the Infrared Information Symposia) and IRIA (the Infrared Information and analysis Center), but w« felt that something different would be useful. In the field of microwaves and radar, one of the first unclassified treatments of their application to fairly complicated guidance and control and related problems was a series of books written by staff members of the Radiation Laboratory of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Many of these became classics. We felt that the infrared field could benefit from a similar publication program. Unfortunately, monetary problems fo