Test and Evaluation of Mitigating Technologies for UAS in GPS Degraded and Denied Environments

Timothy Pitt, Greg Reynolds, Will Barnwell, Jonathan Jones, Laura McCrain, and Adam Simmons

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have been proven as an effective technology in performing Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions for military applications. As a consequence, the mission flight hours of UAS over the previous decade have grown significantly. With the predominance of this technology, there is a corresponding need to address potential threats against UAS. One such threat is a degradation or denial of Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, which have a significant role in the complex navigation solutions used by UAS. The Navigation Function within the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) has partnered with the Army’s Project Office for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PM UAS) to test, evaluate, and mitigate the effects of these navigation threats on Army UAS platforms. The Army has developed a five-year road map to address these threats with two complementary and parallel approaches. The first approach uses new and emerging technologies to increase the robustness of the GPS-based navigation solution in the presence of threats. The second approach uses novel concepts to lessen the system’s dependency on GPS for a navigation solution. The AMRDEC Navigation Function supports PM UAS in testing and evaluating these approaches.
Published in:	Proceedings of the ION 2017 Pacific PNT Meeting May 1 - 4, 2017 Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa Honolulu, Hawaii
Pages:	1002 - 1013
Cite this article:	Pitt, Timothy, Reynolds, Greg, Barnwell, Will, Jones, Jonathan, McCrain, Laura, Simmons, Adam, "Test and Evaluation of Mitigating Technologies for UAS in GPS Degraded and Denied Environments," Proceedings of the ION 2017 Pacific PNT Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, May 2017, pp. 1002-1013. https://doi.org/10.33012/2017.15094
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