Research on Integrated Communication and Positioning Technology of Ship Formation in Weak Navigation Environment

Nowadays, communication device and positioning device are generally equipped on sophisticated shipborne combat platforms. If they are installed separately, they will occupy more platform space and be overcrowded; moreover, they will also reduce stealth performance and electromagnetic compatibility of ships. To solve this problem, we propose an integrated communication and localization method based on digital phased array antenna, employ its simultaneous multiple beams ability to reduce the time of signal search and communication link establishment, and meanwhile we apply super resolution Direction of Arrival (DOA) estimation algorithm and two-way propagation delay to carry out direction finding and ranging precisely. This method we present in this paper can realize the integration of communication and localization, furthermore, it does not rely on satellite system, especially suitable for the situation of ships formation self-organizing communication network and mutual positioning under weak navigation even satellite rejection environment.