Disruptive Military Navigation Architectures

ABSTRACT: The Global Positioning System (GPS) provides spaced-based Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) to users anywhere on the earth where unobstructed line of sight to at least four GPS satellites is available. GPS is one of the most useful and widely proliferated technologies for both commercial and military users. Aggressor nations understand that GPS technology plays a key role in all U.S. military operations and that we are significantly impaired without it. All nation states and most terrorist organizations are technically savvy, possessing the know-how to disrupt GPS signals. This creates a dire need for new and emerging PNT technologies and architectures that will allow our military forces to sustain power in GPS limited operations and Anti-Access Area Denial (A2AD) scenarios. TSC has developed a new technology called LIFTS for providing navigational guidance in GPS denied, low visibility scenarios. This technology was developed under an IRAD program with the support of PEO Aviation UHPO and will be carried to a TRL-6 later in FY14. TSC will augment this highly supported technology to rapidly develop a new PNT architecture (LIFTS-PNT) that provides a game changing value proposition for military users. LIFTS-PNT allows for rapid deployment in GPS denied areas with minimal infrastructure and cost. Because of the IRAD efforts already in progress and planned flight tests, TSC"s approach has the ability to available for near-term application. BENEFIT: The benefits and commercial application for this solution is substantial. Class A-C accidents in the rotary wing fleet are a large numbers due to brownout and DVE issues. Our technology will serve to address this problem as well. The LIFTS-PNT technology addresses the market need for GPS-like capability in denied areas. In particular, the LIFTS approach allows position, navigation, and timing information without access to space assets. Additionally, the LIFTS technology can be rapidly deployed and requires little infrastructure. The market for terrestrial-based GPS-like capability is primarily in the government sector although some limited private sector markets have been identified. Specific government applications consist of the plethora of military navigation needs currently being fulfilled today through GPS including soldier and vehicle navigation as well as blue force tracking. From a non-military perspective, LIFTS-PNT can be utilized for tracking firefighters deployed to forest fires as well as for Emergency Management System personnel in any type of disaster situation. LIFTS-PNT technology supports position and data collection from tag-equipped commercial environmental sensors such as seismic, ocean data, temperature, radiation, etc.