Simulating targets near a curved Earth

Most dynamic models for target tracking are derived for a flat Earth. When simulating the trajectories of targets over long ranges, the curvature of the Earth can become important. This paper demonstrates how most nonlinear, 3D, continuous-time, flat-Earth dynamic models can be easily adapted for use on a curved Earth without incorrectly spiraling into the poles as is typical of previous techniques. The algorithm is demonstrated with non-maneuvering and spiraling dynamic models.