Signal Emitter Localization Using Telemetry Assets

Telemetry ground stations spread over geographically diverse areas are well suited for use in passively locating the source of a distant transmitted signal. In a favorable positioning of receive sites, the accuracy of these passive localization techniques can compete with the accuracy of radars. In these cases, use of receive only assets is a less expensive alternative than the use of a radar’s scarce resources. Until recently, the major technical challenge to implementation of the passive localization techniques of time-difference of arrival (TDOA) and frequency-difference of arrival (FDOA) has been the frequency and time stability of geographically separated receivers. Advances in GPS based timing and frequency references has made the implementation of TDOA and FDOA feasible. This paper shows how these limitations have been overcome using the current telemetry assets at the Reagan Test Site in Kwajalein Atoll.