A new data fusion method for multi-missile cooperative localization

In the environment of system-of-systems combat, a new data fusion method based on mutual rangings between missiles for multi-missile cooperative localization (MCL) is proposed to improve the inertial positioning accuracy of the missile community. The cooperative localization data fusion system, which is mainly composed of the missile-borne data link and inertial navigation system (INS), was designed and the ranging scheme of the data link as well as the time normalization problem was analyzed. The all parameters weighted least squares algorithm was applied to estimate the inertial position errors. Simulation results show that the method slows down the divergence speed of position errors and improves the positioning precision effectively. The positioning precision comes higher with the increase of missiles and it is more than 2 times of the original level when the total number of missiles is greater than 4.