Testing the precision lightweight GPS receiver

Innovative field testing techniques are employed at Holloman Air Force Base to help the Global Positioning System (GPS) NAVSTAR Joint Program Office (JPO) test the precision lightweight GPS receiver (PLGR). Characterizing the PLGR´s accuracy in dynamic environments is of prime importance, but testing also prescribes the evaluation of its ability to receive differential GPS corrections, real time, and its electronic counter counter measures. To meet these goals, the 46th Test Group provides a C-12 cargo aircraft for flight testing, an instrumented test van for mobile testing, a high speed test track for high velocity testing, a UH-1 helicopter for rotor blade modulation testing, and special PC laptops for ground troop testing. All of these test capabilities utilize Holloman´s well instrumented test environments with thousands of surveyed sites validated by the Defense Mapping Agency. The paper emphasizes the testing techniques that are helping to define test and evaluation methodologies for the changing world where global positioning with NAVSTAR is becoming a reality