Integration of Commercial GPS Into Military Systems

S.S. Edwards, M.C. Lohrenz, M.L. Gendron, R.A. Mang

Abstract:	Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) drivers have only a small portal through which to navigate a lane. Therefore, their ability to attend to outside visual cues, such as marker buoys, may be seriously diminished by physical barriers such as sea spray, darkness, fog, and other factors. Landing craft crew workload can be intense: the driver has numerous electronic devices to monitor, a crew of Marines to manage, and a relatively narrow lane in which to safely navigate. Thus, any new systems to be introduced must be very easy to interpret and understand. A new navigational system for these platforms should "be capable of conveying critical information concerning navigation ... in a manner that is easily interpretable under often stressful conditions" (Lohrenz, et. al.). There is minimal space inside AAVs, with just enough room for a predetermined number of Marines and their equipment. The device should be small and unobtrusive to minimally hinder normal operations. Assault and landing craft can be very difficult to control. Waves, currents, wind, and the speed of the vehicle all factor into this challenge. A digital navigation tool, such as a moving-map, could aid a driver in controlling the vehicle by displaying the vehicle's current location and track, along with upcoming waypoints and lane boundaries (e.g., if the craft tends to drift left, then try to stay to the right side of the lane). To meet the demands and concerns of mine countermeasures and amphibious communities, NRL is investigating various mapping systems and developing software to compress different map types and imagery into a displayable format.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 16th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS/GNSS 2003) September 9 - 12, 2003 Oregon Convention Center Portland, OR
Pages:	1063 - 1068
Cite this article:	Edwards, S.S., Lohrenz, M.C., Gendron, M.L., Mang, R.A., "Integration of Commercial GPS Into Military Systems," Proceedings of the 16th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS/GNSS 2003), Portland, OR, September 2003, pp. 1063-1068.
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