N101-025 TITLE: Improved Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) Sonobuoy Location Technique in a Denied Global Positioning System (GPS) Environment

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Advanced Extended Echo Ranging (AEER) ACAT IV; PMA-264, Air ASW Systems

RESTRICTION ON PERFORMANCE BY FOREIGN CITIZENS (i.e., those holding non-U.S. Passports): This topic is "ITAR Restricted." The information and materials provided pursuant to or resulting from this topic are restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120 - 130, which control the export of defense-related material and services, including the export of sensitive technical data. Foreign Citizens may perform work under an award resulting from this topic only if they hold the "Permanent Resident Card", or are designated as "Protected Individuals" as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). If a proposal for this topic contains participation by a foreign citizen who is not in one of the above two categories, the proposal will be rejected.

OBJECTIVE: Develop an innovative sonobuoy location system that can operate at any altitude when the ASW platform is operating in a denied Global Positioning System (GPS) environment.

DESCRIPTION: This topic addresses the situation where GPS information is denied either by design or by other means. Currently there are only two location systems available when the ASW platform is operating in a denied GPS environment, an On-Top Position Indicator (OTPI) and a sonobuoy positioning system (SPS). Both of these systems have deficiencies. The OTPI is a Very High Frequency (VHF) directional finder system that is susceptible to Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and has unacceptable errors at high altitude. The SPS is a new sonobuoy location system that surveys the Radio Frequency (RF) levels for deployed sonobuoys and determines their location.

The need to accurately locate deployed sonobuoys that generate areas of probability (AOP) or estimated positions (EP) is paramount to final contact localization in order to meet attack criteria when directed. New active and passive multi-static sonobuoys will, in the near future, contain course/acquisition (C/A) type GPS units to meet this requirement. P-coded GPS will not be an option for the expendable sensors. New ASW platforms will operate at much higher operational altitudes requiring the proposed system be capable of operating at any ASW platform altitude.

The proposed system can be either active or passive in nature and the radio frequency spectrum under consideration is from 10⁴Hz though 10²²Hz.

PHASE I: Develop a concept and determine the feasibility of developing a sonobuoy location system that will operate at any altitude when the ASW platform is operating in a denied GPS environment.

PHASE II: Develop and demonstrate a prototype based on the Phase I design and define volume, power requirements, and unit cost.

PHASE III: Coordinate with Navy AN/SSQ-53F sonobuoy manufacturers to transition the new technology into the fleet.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The use of this technology could be used for Sea/Land rescue by first responders.

REFERENCES:
1. Personal Dead-reckoning System for GPS-denied Environments, http://www-personal.umich.edu/~johannb/Papers/paper142.pdf

2. Personnel Tracking in GPS-Denied Environments Using Low Cost IMUs, www.geonav.ensco.com

KEYWORDS: Sonobuoy; Radar; GPS-Denied Navigation; Localization; Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU); HAASW

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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