ARDS II: The Sustainment and Improvements of the Advanced Range Data System

Jeri M. Ghosh, Shawn M. Goodrich, John P. Murchison, and Wayne T. Hostilo

Abstract:	In the late 1980s, the feasibilities of using the space based GPS as an airborne Time, Space, and Position Information (TSPI) source was realized by a joint service effort. The ARDS is comprised of a linked network of ground based relay stations, a ground based control section with a reference receiver, and numerous airborne participants fitted with special pods for aircraft wingtips or plates for internal mounts. As participants move throughout the network their position information is improved using ‘correction’ data uplinked from the reference receiver through a two-way data link transceiver. The pods and plates in turn send their TSPI information back to the control section for display and recording. The ARDS II program, led by the United States Air Force (USAF), is currently funding efforts to extend the service life of the hardware used in this network. Advances in technology and the age of the components make this ‘refresh’ necessary if the system is to maintain functionality until the next generation of range instrumentation TSPI hardware comes on line in the 2012 timeframe. The major component of the ARDS pods and plates is the GPS/Inertial Navigation System (INS) package and as such it is one of the areas being addressed in this technical improvement and modernization program. With the advances in GPS in the last ten years there are a multitude of options available and the ARDS II team is tasked to provide the best solution available to meet schedule at low risk and within cost constraints. This paper will address the technical approach for sustaining and modernizing the ARDS system utilized by many Major Range Test Facility Base (MRTFB) units, and highlight GPS/INS solution options.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 63rd Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (2007) April 23 - 25, 2007 Royal Sonesta Hotel Cambridge, MA
Pages:	716 - 725
Cite this article:	Ghosh, Jeri M., Goodrich, Shawn M., Murchison, John P., Hostilo, Wayne T., "ARDS II: The Sustainment and Improvements of the Advanced Range Data System," Proceedings of the 63rd Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (2007), Cambridge, MA, April 2007, pp. 716-725.
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