Simulation-Based Analysis of the 746th Test Squadron’s Locata Pseudolite System for Navigation Testing

Sean Abrahamson, Kalyn Jones, Joseph Murphy, and Jesse Schlosser, ANSYS Government Initiatives

Abstract:	The 746th Test Squadron has been utilizing Locata pseudolites, GPS-like navigation systems operating in the 2.4 GHz band, to provide highaccuracy navigation solutions in GPS-denied environments. The integrated Locata system broadcasts signals that are processed by an onboard, airborne receiver during flight testing, and post-processing techniques are applied to improve the precision of navigational truth. The unique infrastructure of ground pseudolites at WSMR provides a valuable resource for test and evaluation in GPS-denied scenarios by providing a localized, off-band signal for reference. The high-accuracy Time Space Position Information (TSPI) provided by the Locata system enables the evaluation of navigation systems against other navigation solutions of varying precision. However, the availability of this high-accuracy solution is limited by the placement of transmitters on range and the location of the antenna on the aircraft, emphasizing the need for careful mission planning.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 38th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS+ 2025) September 8 - 12, 2025 Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor Baltimore, Maryland
Pages:	2804 - 2816
Cite this article:	Abrahamson, Sean, Jones, Kalyn, Murphy, Joseph, Schlosser, Jesse, Initiatives, ANSYS Government, "Simulation-Based Analysis of the 746th Test Squadron’s Locata Pseudolite System for Navigation Testing," Proceedings of the 38th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS+ 2025), Baltimore, Maryland, September 2025, pp. 2804-2816. https://doi.org/10.33012/2025.20459
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