A Covert Location and Identification Communicator Augmented with GPS

Jack Moses

Abstract:	The recent Desert Storm war clearly demonstrated the successes of a number of U.S. military systems. Un- questionably, GPS was the unsung techno-hero of the war. Navigating in the treacherous terrain of the featureless desert was extremely difficutt. GPS saved many allied units not containing a number of skilled navigators. However, from the war came a list of technical concerns that need immediate resolution. High on that list is the need for friendly troop identifica- tion in order to eliminate friendly-fire losses. There were IO7 killed and wounded by friendly fire in Desert Storm. Eighty-one out of those 107 resulted from ground-to-ground incidents. Nearly all confirmed friendly-fire incidents involved U.S. forces. Reducing battlefield fratricide and providing systems to the mili- tary that can avoid friendly-fire casualties is imperative. GPS can play a significant role in this area. SPARTA has researched and developed a conceptual design for a hand-held covert location and identification commu- nicator incorporating GPS, which can enhance the survivability of light infantry artillery spotters, patrols, and special operations units in a tactical battlefield environment. This device uses the ultra-violet (UV) medium to transmit data and will increase the surviv- ability of combat units operating ahead of friendly lines by providing them the ability to transmit coded identifi- cation and location, as well as the location and types of enemy forces discovered. This paper describes a preliminary design for the covert location and identifi- cation communicator augmented with GPS for military and commercial applications.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 6th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1993) September 22 - 24, 1993 Salt Palace Convention Center Salt Lake City, UT
Pages:	1443 - 1447
Cite this article:	Moses, Jack, "A Covert Location and Identification Communicator Augmented with GPS," Proceedings of the 6th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1993), Salt Lake City, UT, September 1993, pp. 1443-1447.
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