GPS solves the air combat training program

Abstract

It is shown that, by adopting today's GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking techniques for air combat training ranges, the expanded modern training requirements can be satisfied in a cost-effective manner. These requirements consist of keeping track of the precise position of up to 100 aircraft over an area of up to 25000 square miles at altitudes from ground level to 100000 ft. In addition, it is desirable to accomplish this instrumentation with a few portable groundsites and still obtain high position accuracy of all the players. It is pointed out that the existing instrumentation pods developed by the US Air Force on the Range Applications Program come very close to solving the instrumentation requirement in their present form. They contain a sophisticated datalink, a GPS receiver, and an inertial reference unit. The only unit missing is the air data sensing system, which could be added easily in the existing pod.<>