In order to meet the urgent need of infrared search and track applications for accurate identification and positioning of infrared guidance aircraft, an active-detection mid-wave infrared search and track system (ADMWIRSTS) based on "cat-eye effect" was developed. The ADMWIRSTS mainly consists of both a light beam control subsystem and an infrared search and track subsystem. The light beam control subsystem uses an integrated opto-mechanical two-dimensional pointing mirror to realize the control function of the azimuth and pitch directions of the system, which can cover the whole airspace range of 360°×90°. The infrared search and track subsystem uses two mid-wave infrared cooled 640×512 focal plane detectors for co-aperture beam expanding, infrared and illumination laser beam combining, infrared search, and two-stage track opto-mechanical design. In this work,the system integration design and structural finite-element analysis were conducted, the search imaging and two-stage track imaging for external scenes were performed, and the active-detection technologies were experimentally verified in the laboratory. The experimental investigation results show that the system can realize the infrared search and track imaging and the accurate identification and positioning of the mid-wave infrared guidance or infrared detection system through the echo of the illumination laser. The aforementioned work has important technical significance and practical application value for the development of compactly-integrated high-precision infrared search and track and laser suppression system, and has broad application prospects in the protection of equipment, assets and infrastructures.