Multiple emitter localization using a realistic airborne array sensor

This paper investigates the three-dimensional localization problem for multiple emitters using a realistic airborne array sensor. Three sensor models are considered: the ideal array model, an array sensor with a constant bias, and the realistic array model with bias errors that depend on the signal direction of arrival itself. The realistic array model relies on antenna measurement results of the modeled antenna array. For the considered array sensor the asymptotic estimation accuracy of the source location is derived. Furthermore, for the considered three-dimensional case, a least squares estimator is presented that solves the localization problem without explicitly computing the sensor bias. Finally, some simulations are performed to compare the localization accuracy of the considered bearings-only localization for the regarded array sensors.