Precise Robust Inertial Guidance for Munitions (PRIGM)
Abstract
The DoD relies on GPS for ubiquitous and accurate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT). With the increased prevalence of intentional GPS jamming, spoofing, and other GPS-denial threats, GPS access is increasingly unavailable in contested theaters and alternative sources of PNT are required. In particular, guided munitions navigation is the most immediate and among the most demanding of GPS-denial challenges, due to the necessity of operating in highly contested theaters and the stringent requirements for minimization of cost, size, weight, and power consumption (CSWaP). The Precise Robust Inertial Guidance for Munitions (PRIGM) program will develop low-CSWaP inertial sensor technology for GPS-free munitions navigation. PRIGM comprises two focus areas: 1) Development of a Navigation-Grade Inertial Measurement Unit (NGIMU) that transitions state-of-the-art micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) to DoD platforms by 2020; and 2) Research and development of Advanced Inertial MEMS Sensors (AIMS) to achieve gun-hard, high-bandwidth, high dynamic range navigation requirements with the objective of complete autonomy in 2030. PRIGM will advance state-of-the-art MEMS gyros from TRL-3 devices to a TRL-6 transition platform (complete IMU) that enables Service Labs to perform TRL-7 field demonstrations. PRIGM will exploit recent advances in heterogeneous integration of photonics and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) and advanced MEMS technology to realize novel inertial sensors for application in extreme dynamic environments and beyond navigation-grade performance. Future warfighting scenarios will take place in a GPS-denied world. When GPS is not available inertial sensors will provide autonomous positioning and navigation information. For successful transition to the warfighter, these sensors need to be low-CSWaP, have unprecedented precision and stability, and be immune to the perturbations of external vibrations and temperature fluctuations. PRIGM will identify, investigate, and demonstrate novel inertial sensing schemes that are capable of being miniaturized once proof of concept is complete. Advanced research efforts are funded in PE 0602716E, Project ELT-01 and advanced development efforts funded in PE 0603739E, Project MT-15.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2017
- Source ID
- 31e81ff504cc6522e81b34e76b4f4cee