AFRL Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) Testbed

D. Howell, D. Jacobs, D. Dresher

Abstract:	For 15+ years, AFRL’s Advanced Concepts Exploration (ACE) team has orchestrated many “first of its kind” simulation technologies including the Antenna WaveFront Simulator (AWFS), GPS Interference and Navigation Tool (GIANT), Virtual Flight Testing (VFT), and the Vertical-sensing Effectiveness and CONOPS Tool for Operational Requirements (VECTOR). These simulation technologies have been used successfully in the characterization and test of most anti-jam GPS technology developed since 1995. The AWFS Next Gen (ANG) continues this tradition of innovation by creating the most realistic GPS anti-jam antenna array RF hardware in the loop simulator in the world. Although many “wavefront simulators” now exist throughout the test community, ANG is believed to be the first true antenna wavefront simulator. Using digital signal processing techniques and off the shelf signal generators, ANG creates a dynamic antenna frequency response that closely matches real world antenna elements as installed on a platform or groundplane. Operational for more than three years, ANG has been used extensively for evaluations of various GPS anti-jam technologies including GPS Antenna System (GAS-1), Advanced Digital Antenna Procurement (ADAP), Digital Antenna Control Unit (DACU) and Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS). ANG is the basis for AFRL’s Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) Testbed. This paper describes the history and motivation behind the project, overall system design, simulation components associated with NAVWAR VFT, verification, and a blended test process that includes Modeling and Simulation (M&S), Hardware in the Loop (HWIL) and flight testing.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 22nd International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2009) September 22 - 25, 2009 Savannah International Convention Center Savannah, GA
Pages:	147 - 154
Cite this article:	Howell, D., Jacobs, D., Dresher, D., "AFRL Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) Testbed," Proceedings of the 22nd International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2009), Savannah, GA, September 2009, pp. 147-154.
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