Positioning United States Aids-to-Navigation Around The World

Joseph W. Spalding, Frank van Diggelen

Abstract:	The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) maintains many aids to navigation far from the U.S. mainland, Alaska and Hawaii that are outside of USCG differential GPS (DGPS) coverage. Historically, these aids have been positioned with horizontal sextant angles. The USCG has completely transitioned to the use of DGPS for setting aids-to-navigation where available. This has produced significant efficiency and performance gains. There is a desire to realize equivalent gains in all areas of USCG aids-to-navigation (AtoN) operations. Options for achieving this goal are the military GPS precise positioning service (PPS), contracting for DGPS service via satellite, and most recently, the utilization of combined GPS+GLONASS receivers, known in the industry as GNSS receivers. The USCG accuracy requirement is 10 meters 95% confidence level with recording of integrity measures for AtoN positioning. If a GNSS receiver meets this requirement, it would have advantages of no recurring cost (satellite DGPS) and no security requirements (GPS-PPS). The USCG R&D Center conducted laboratory evaluations to determine if AtoN positioning requirements could be met by GNSS receivers. Procedures and methods to ensure that the required accuracy is being met are detailed. The results of this effort and the development of a buoy positioning software tool are presented.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 10th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1997) September 16 - 19, 1997 Kansas City, MO
Pages:	981 - 987
Cite this article:	Spalding, Joseph W., van Diggelen, Frank, "Positioning United States Aids-to-Navigation Around The World," Proceedings of the 10th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1997), Kansas City, MO, September 1997, pp. 981-987.
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