Observability of Relative Navigation Using Range-Only Measurements

A simulation tool is described which is capable of determining the observability of various fleet configurations and maneuvers in a relative navigation environment. The motion of the relative grid established by the navigation controller is explicitly modeled as a function of the errors in his dead-reckoning sensors. The simulation uses centralized, optimal processing of an extended Kalman filter. Results show observability on a good geometry, with some degradation in performance when dead-reckoning sensor errors change rapidly.