The pulsed airborne 3D imaging system can quickly acquire 3D images of ground targets,complete digital topographic map drawing,target recognition,power line inspection and other work,which has important military and civil value.Firstly,the characteristics and principle of pulsed airborne laser radar are briefly introduced.Then,it is divided into two types:scanning and flashing.Secondly,the development history and application status of many typical airborne laser three-dimensional imaging in foreign countries are summarized.At last,this paper introduces the research results in this direction in recent years in China,and summarizes the advantages and development prospects of airborne laser radar.