ANDVRN-6 GPS Integration on Navy Surface Ships

William Pettus and Edward Zantek

Abstract:	The NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite based radio navigation system which provides extremely accurate three dimensional position, three dimensional velocity and time outputs. The GPS program is currently in Phase III (limited rate production), wherein GPS receivers are being tested while integrated on various host vehicles to ensure that the design is adequate for full scale production. As the lead Navy lab for GPS testing, the Naval Air Development Center has conducted Phase III integration and testing on three surface platforms: the aircraft carrier USS JOHN F.KENNEDY (CV-67), the guided missile cruiser USS WAINWRIGHT (CG-28). and the guided missile fast frigate USS ANTRIM (FFG-20). The AN/WRN-6 GPS Receiver 3S, a five channel GPS receiver, was used to support each of these integrations. On the USS KENNEDY, the AN/WRN-6 was integrated with the Aircraft Carrier Navigation System (CVNS), an inertial navigation system (INS). Information was exchanged over a two way, parallel, asynchronous digital interface (MILSTD-1397A). The Kalman filter of the CVNS utilized GPS position updates at three, fifteen or thirty minute periods, either with or without GPS velocity aiding Approximate position and velocity accuracies for each case were determined, but in general, all scenarios resulted in excellent performance. Numerous Carrier Aircraft Inertial Navigation System (CAINS) alignments were performed by the CVNS while it was interfaced with the AN/WRN-6. On the USS WAINWRIGHT, the AN/WRN-6 GPS was similarly integrated with the ship’s INS, the AN/wSN-5, using a MILSTD-l397A communications bus. Many AN/WSNJ alignments, both slave and self, were performed while using GPS data. It was also demonstrated that GPS velocity could be used to damp the systems if the normal velocity source (EM Log) was not available. The AN/WSN-5 integration effort also included Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) alignment testing. The AN/WRNd on the USS ANTRIM was used in a stand alone mode with synchro aiding from the AN/WSN-2 gyroscope and speed from the Electromagnetic Log. In addition, MIL-STD-1397A communications were established between the AN/WRN-6 and the ship's Combat Direction System. This paper will discuss the designs peculiar to each integration, the results of this testing and the lessons learned.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 4th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1991) September 11 - 13, 1991 Albuquerque, NM
Pages:	129 - 138
Cite this article:	Pettus, William, Zantek, Edward, "ANDVRN-6 GPS Integration on Navy Surface Ships," Proceedings of the 4th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1991), Albuquerque, NM, September 1991, pp. 129-138.
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