METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ENHANCING ACCURACY OF TERRAIN AIDED NAVIGATION SYSTEMS

A navigation system is described which includes a navigation processor, an inertial navigation unit configured to provide a position solution to the navigation processor, and a digital elevation map. The described navigation system also includes a radar altimeter having a terrain correlation processor configured to receive map data from the digital elevation map and provide a position solution based on radar return data to the navigation processor. A map quality processor within the navigation system is configured to receive map data from the digital elevation map and provide a map quality factor to the navigation processor which weights the position solution from the terrain correlation processor according to the map quality factor and determines a position solution from the weighted terrain correlation processor position solution and the position solution from the inertial navigation unit.