Performance analysis of the use of ADS-B for the alternative positioning navigation and timing

Abstract

The global positioning system (GPS) is the core element of the next-generation communication, navigation, surveillance, and air traffic management (CNS/ATM) system. However, GPS signals are vulnerable to radio-frequency interference (RFI), which can significantly impact the normal operation of the CNS/ATM system. In order to maintain CNS/ATM system operation during GPS outages and to meet safety requirements, an alternative positioning, navigation and timing (APNT) based on a radio link of the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) can be used. This study first evaluates two navigation algorithms for an ADS-B radio link, and the real aircraft ADS-B data collected at the civil aviation authorized ground stations are used to evaluate the positioning performance of the proposed backup aviation navigation and surveillance system. In addition, the main factor affecting the positioning performance of the radio navigation system is the geometric distribution of ground stations. Therefore, the geometric distribution of the actual ADS-B ground stations in the CNS/ATM system is evaluated using horizontal dilution of precision for a specific flight information region. Overall, the results of the actual flight data show that it is highly feasible to apply the ADS-B radio link as an APNT solution.