U.S. ARMY YUMA PROVING GROUND TELEMETRY SUPPORT CAPABILITIES WITH APPLICATIONS TO GPS TESTING

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground Telemetry acquisition facilities as they relate to developmental tests of the GPS system. These systems utilize the latest state-of-the-art in telemetry tracking systems, receivers, and employ a unique scheme for frequency and space diversity combination and signal selection. The telemetry systems presently used can accomodate two simultaneous aircraft in various parts of the range. Through acquisition of telemetry and subsequent reduction, actual realtime differences in X, Y, Z location between three station laser derived position solution and GPS satellite solution can be displayed and recorded. In addition, a summary of latest facility expansion involved in the enhanced support of the GPS testing at the 1600 square mile U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground will be presented.