GPS Guidance in a Jamming Environment: Assessing the Impact of Anti- Jam Technologies on Mission Performance

Irving Lachow

Abstract:	question one of the most difficult challenges facing peacemakers throughout the world. The threat posed by ballistic missiles has been well- documented; however, the threat posed by cruise missiles may be as great or greater. One reason--if not the driving factor-behind the growing attention to the spread of cruise missiles throughout the world is the development and deployment of satellite-based navigation systems, such as the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Russian Global Navigation System (GLONASS). This paper examines the issue of GPS performance in a jamming environment; specifically, we study the affect of anti-jam technologies on the performance of a GPS-guided cruise missile in tactical roles. We begin by defining missile lethality in terms of accuracy, payload and target hardness. We then examine how inertial drift and jamming range affect cruise missile accuracy. The paper then explores the impact of several anti-jam techniques-- inertial aiding, filtering, beam steering antennas, and null steering antennas--on the performance of the GPS/INS-guided cruise missiles against soft and semi-hard targets. The paper finds that anti-jam technologies can significantly improve mission performance in a jamming environment. The utility of specific anti-jam techniques depends on the particular mission scenario. Airborne jammers are the most effective jamming platforms against GPS-guided cruise missiles. The benefits an attacker can gain by using DGPS are limited. Finally, the importance of using a high quality INS cannot be overemphasized.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 49th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1993) June 21 - 23, 1993 Royal Sonesta Hotel Cambridge, MA
Pages:	339 - 352
Cite this article:	Lachow, Irving, "GPS Guidance in a Jamming Environment: Assessing the Impact of Anti- Jam Technologies on Mission Performance," Proceedings of the 49th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1993), Cambridge, MA, June 1993, pp. 339-352.
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