GNSS Independent Position Fixing using Multiple Navigational Features Registration

Safe navigation at sea depends on reliable position information. The easy to use and readily available navigation satellite systems are providing round the clock position information for seafarers, but denial of these services by jamming or spoofing techniques have become frequent, and other means are needed to validate critical navigation information. This paper revisits traditional methods to estimate position and heading of a vessel and offers a framework for computerized calculation of these basic observables without the use of radio-borne external information. Using radar and sea chart information, the paper investigates the quality of navigation information based on observed location of beacons, landmarks, coastlines and buoys. The paper demonstrates convincing accuracy in both position and heading estimation.