A Hybrid Algorithm for Emitter Location Fixing in Airborne Surveillance System

Detection, classification, direction finding, and location fixing of an emitter is a primary objective during passive military aircraft surveillance. The location fixing algorithm's outcome depends upon the accuracy of bearing measurements. However, multipath, errors in aircraft NAV data, and the requirements of large antenna arrays are the challenges in the precise bearing measurement, and hence estimating the emitter location becomes a tedious task. This paper elaborates on two algorithms: iterative least square and discrete probability density. We combine the power of two algorithms and propose a hybrid algorithm for emitter location fixing, which is robust and gives 24% improved performance.