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The advanced TERPROM® digital terrain system from Goodrich Corporation is the only terrain awareness and warning system of its capability on the market. Trusted by pilots across the globe, it successfully blends and interprets the inputs of a diverse array of sensors to provide pilots with full situational awareness, enabling them to fly far more safely and effectively. The system references the actual terrain over which the aircraft is flying, drawn from the aircraft's radar altimeter and inertial navigation system combined with a digital terrain database, to give highly accurate terrain-referenced navigation and situational awareness - even in areas where GPS is not available. The TERPROM system is a software-based system that can be hosted in third-party hardware or provided as a complete line replaceable unit. It is in use with 14 nations worldwide and equips over 5,000 aircraft.
The TERPROM system can be used in a number of ways to support aggressive military flying. The terrain referenced navigation capability calibrates errors within the aircraft inertial navigation system to provide a navigational accuracy of 15-30 meters (50-100 feet). It provides predictive ground collision avoidance and obstruction warning, regardless of aircraft attitude. The system can also be used for terrain-following flight, with the advantage of being able to 'see' areas on the other side of high terrain that are blind to terrain-following radars and with no forward radar emissions.
The TERPROM digital terrain system has demonstrated its value in intense pilot workload or highly pressured situations. Merging TERPROM's terrain and obstruction map information with data from active sensors such as infrared, optical, laser and millimeter wave radar can enhance safety in low-level operations. The TERPROM system can use information from these active sensor systems to identify and record unmapped obstacles or enemy weapon positions. However, active systems have their limitations and may be highly detectable by the enemy. A pilot can elect to use these sensors, or not, allowing the TERPROM system to operate passively and remain undetectable.
Goodrich continues to improve the system's technology and widen its applications. Initiatives include providing a TERPROM-based helicopter terrain awareness and warning system (HTAWS) to meet the specific challenges of military helicopters. In addition, use of higher resolution terrain databases will further improve accuracy, awareness and operational functionality. Goodrich is also upgrading the TERPROM ground proximity warning system for the Eurofighter Typhoon with the inclusion of air-to-surface ranging functionality. The system uses its terrain database to provide accurate position, elevation, and range data of selected ground targets to the aircraft's attack computer, improving weapons delivery accuracy. This upgrade is part of the Typhoon's Future Batch Enhancement program.
TERPROM applications include all UK frontline fighter aircraft, BAE Systems Hawk, Boeing C-17, Dassault Mirage, Eurofighter Typhoon, Fairchild Republic A-10, and Lockheed Martin C-130 and F-16 aircraft. The system is produced by Goodrich's Sensors and Integrated Systems team in Plymouth, UK. |
