1. An improved method for recognizing a target, comprising the steps of: (a) detecting a target relative to a sensor platform; (b) determining a set of range and angle parameters from said sensor platform to the target; (c) transferring said set of range and angle parameters to an imaging recognition sensor associated with said sensor platform, said imaging recognition sensor comprising a laser source and a gated television sensor; (d) illuminating the target according to said set of range and angle parameters with an imaging laser pulse from said laser source, the target reflects at least some of the energy of the imaging laser pulse generating reflected energy from the target; (e) collecting and highly magnifying a portion of said reflected energy; (f) imaging said highly-magnified portion using said gated television sensor to generate a plurality of target images; and (g) recognizing the target from at least one of said plurality of target images as the target.