Personal Navigation and Reporting

Troop movements in the battle field must be done precisely to achieve combat objectives. Modern weapons can be accurately targeted, but to prevent "friendly fire" accidents, actual troop positions must be known by commanders precisely with a high degree of confiderce. Combining GPS with advanced dead reckoning sensors, a data link, digital map technology and a microcomputer would provide the soldier with a reliable position finding means and the capability to relate his position to others. The proposed project will develop a compact man-portable, soldier navigation and reporting system that is not wholly dependent on one navigational aid such as GPS. The system will provide the capability for uniquely identifying and tracking a virtually unlimited number of troops without pre-arranged synchronization or prior knowledge of troop positions. Concepts for several unique sensors that will aid dead reckoning for the foot soldier are discussed. The proposed project represents extensions of ideas based on previously developed position location tansponders and our experience with navigation systems.