Developmental test NAVFEST: A large-scale, multi-aircraft, GPS jamming test event

Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), home of the Air Force Test Center, has a long history of testing aircraft and technologies at the forefront of the aerospace and defense industry. The test unique infrastructure, dedicated airspace, and a deep talent pool of experienced flight testers make it an ideal location to host large scale test events. Developmental Test (DT) Navigation Festival (NAVFEST) was a first-of-its-kind GPS jamming test event held at Edwards AFB, CA in August 2017. Although other GPS jamming test events have occurred around the world, none have been accomplished on such a scale by the developmental test community which provides a disciplined, scripted, and data-rich environment. This paper will cover the necessary planning, safety mitigation, diverse types of test, and the overall jamming ecosystem created by the event. Test results will not be provided in this paper due to security classification but a classified follow-on paper will be submitted to the ION 2018 Joint Navigation Conference (JNC).