GPS Translator for Artillery Projectiles - A Progress Report

George Wiles and Jeff Smuk

Abstract:	The Army has been developing a GPS translator to allow tracking of artillery projectiles as part of the ongoing effort to improve artillery effectiveness. Since the original proof- of-concept test (October 1991), the design has been minia- turized to fit in the 9-in.3 volume of a standard artillery fuze, which can screw onto any of the several million projectiles already in the stockpile. The 9-in.3 package includes trans- lator electronics, a thermal reserve battery, and transmit and receive antennas. The first prototype was successfully tested in December 1994, when an artillery round with translator was tracked 12 km to impact. This paper details the significant electronic design improve- ments that miniaturized the translator. An overview of the antenna and power supply system is given, as well as a de- tailed description of the monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) translator chip set.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 8th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1995) September 12 - 15, 1995 Palm Springs, CA
Pages:	437 - 441
Cite this article:	Wiles, George, Smuk, Jeff, "GPS Translator for Artillery Projectiles - A Progress Report," Proceedings of the 8th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1995), Palm Springs, CA, September 1995, pp. 437-441.
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