Kinematic GPS-Inertial Navigation on a Tactical Fighter

Advances in aircraft avionics and weapons accuracy have driven an increasing need for the ability to accurately measure the position, attitude and velocity of tactical aircraft to support avionics and weapon flight testing and performance validation. This paper describes an integrated sensor system for producing accurate TimeSpace Positioning Information (TSPI) of an airborne fighter platform to support this requirement. The system tightly integrates an onboard GPS with a low-cost inertial measurement unit and reference-station data to create a highly accurate kinematic navigation solution for the aircraft. The system has been packaged in a small, multiplatform compatible format to allow easy integration onto a tactical platform.