Aircraft Carrier-based Precision Ship-Relative Navigation Guidance for Aircraft Landing under Emissions Control Conditions Navy STTR FY2015.A Sol No.: Navy STTR FY2015.A Topic No.: N15A-T014 Topic Title: Aircraft Carrier-based Precision Ship-Relative Navigation Guidance for Aircraft Landing under Emissions Control Conditions Proposal No.: N15A-014-0191 Firm: Coherent Technical Services, Inc. 46561 Expedition Drive Suite 100 Lexington Park, Maryland 20653 Contact: Ian Gallimore Phone: (301) 880-3341 Abstract: This research will show how data-capable laser communication retro-reflectors integrated with multispectral image processing can provide extreme reliability positioning suitable for full time automatic landing aboard ship of piloted fixed wing aircraft. The positioning system supports the SALRS long-term objective to reduce or eliminate pilot training to perform manual landing aboard ship including recurrent training. All landings aboard ship would be automatic, all the time, as was originally intended in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. An interim step will support full automatic landing in zero visibility conditions typical of dense fog and sand storms. Future capabilities would include shallow or flared landings aboard ship. Benefits: The cost of training pilots to perform manual landings aboard ship, including recurrent training to maintain ship landing qualification, runs to billions of dollars per year. Most of this money could be saved if automatic landing aboard ship was of sufficient reliability to reduce or eliminate ship landing from the pilot training syllabus. All landings aboard ship would be automatic, all the time, as was originally intended in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Landings in zero visibility conditions would improve operational effectiveness. Shallow or flared landings would reduce impact energy according to a square law, yielding dramatic reductions in landing gear structural weight for new aircraft, or similar sizeable increases in bring-back weight for existing aircraft. Return