The UHARS Non-GPS Based Positioning System

Angelo Trunzo, Paul Benshoof, and John Amt

Abstract:	The Ultra High Accuracy Reference System (UHARS) is the 746th Test Squadron?s next generation reference system, currently under development to meet test and evaluation reference requirements for future navigation and guidance systems. Consisting of a rack mounted, tightly integrated system of navigation sensors/subsystems, data acquisition system, and a post-mission reference trajectory algorithm, UHARS will provide a highly accurate reference solution for airborne and land-based test vehicles in electronic warfare environments where modernized and legacy GPS signals are jammed from friendly or hostile systems. The system will be appropriately sized and constructed for use on-board multiple test-beds including current and future test aircraft and ground vehicles. Achieving these accurate reference solutions requires a Non-GPS Based Positioning System (NGBPS) subsystem capable of providing sub-meter position accuracy in a GPS-denied (jamming) environment. To this end, UHARS plans to employ a network of ground transceivers and test vehicle rover receivers, manufactured by the Locata Corporation. However, meeting UHARS accuracy requirements necessitates a major upgrade of Locata's existing, commercial capability. Therefore, the 746th Test Squadron awarded Locata a contract to re-design and demonstrate a system delivering longer ranges (both for acquisition and tracking), higher power transmission levels, new antenna designs for aircraft use, and higher aircraft dynamics than previously envisaged. The contract effort to develop these enhanced capabilities for the 746th Test Squadron is currently underway. This presentation details UHARS development efforts and technical challenges, focusing on the improvements to and validation of Locata Corporation's NGBPS.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 24th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2011) September 20 - 23, 2011 Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon Portland, OR
Pages:	3582 - 3586
Cite this article:	Trunzo, Angelo, Benshoof, Paul, Amt, John, "The UHARS Non-GPS Based Positioning System," Proceedings of the 24th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2011), Portland, OR, September 2011, pp. 3582-3586.
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