Aimed at ground target recognition in forward looking infrared（FLIR）images,a novel method based on 3D model was proposed.Firstly,a 3D model of the target is constructed from the 3D data of the scene,and is manually labeled to reserve the borderlines.Then 2D template images are obtained by projecting the 3D model with the real-time observation parameters.Finally,edge weighted HOG features are extracted and matched.The experiment result from plenty of real data proves that the proposed method is effective and robust,and performs very well in any case of view point,distance,environment and complex background.This method has great practical value,while it also provides new ideas and approaches for the precision guidance,autonomous navigation and other research areas.