NATO Tactical Fighter Centre Instrumentation Requirements Force Use of Global Positioning System

Carl E. Hoefener, Robert J. Van Wechel, and Ernst C. Willert

Abstract:	Because of the large number of military aircraft accidents in Western Europe during the last few years and the increasing requirement for low level combat flight training, NATO will establish a Tactical Fighter Training Centre outside of Europe. Because of the extraordinary instrumentation requirements imposed, an innovative range instrumentation system will be required. Tactical fighter training must take place over a 25,000 square mile area with up to 100 aircraft flying from just above ground level to 100,000 feet. In addition, a minimum of 35 threat emitters must be provided at dispersed locations. The entire range will have to be easily reconfigurable and portable (no fured ground sites) in order to satisfy the changing environmental and training requirements. Because of those stringent restrictions, the application of GPS to solve the instrumentation problem is mandatory. There are three fundamental areas in which Range Applications Program (RAP) GPS and the associated second generation RAP datalink are the ideal choice to solve the instrumentation problems imposed. These are in target tracking, data transfer, and threat emitter implementation. The advantages which GPS offers for each of these areas are: GPS TARGET TRACKING: Improved target position and velocity accuracy; can track up to 100 players; can track from ground level to 100,000 feet; can track over entire 25,000 square mile area; only a few ground sites required; portable unsurveyed ground sites can be used. MODERN DATALINK: Datalink is independent of position location system; uses bandwidth efficient techniques; handles up to 100 players; transmits over longer range; provides higher sample rates; uses portable ground sites; enables extended area coverage by player-to-player relay.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 3rd International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1990) September 19 - 21, 1990 The Broadmoor Hotel Colorado Spring, CO
Pages:	329 - 333
Cite this article:	Hoefener, Carl E., Van Wechel, Robert J., Willert, Ernst C., "NATO Tactical Fighter Centre Instrumentation Requirements Force Use of Global Positioning System," Proceedings of the 3rd International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1990), Colorado Spring, CO, September 1990, pp. 329-333.
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