TERCOM
Sign in to saveAlso known as Terrain Contour Matching, DSMAC
Terrain contour matching, or TERCOM, is a navigation system used primarily by cruise missiles. It uses a contour map of the terrain that is compared with measurements made during flight by an on-board radar altimeter. A TERCOM system considerably increases the accuracy of a missile compared with inertial navigation systems (INS). The increased accuracy allows a TERCOM-equipped missile to fly closer to obstacles and at generally lower altitudes, making it harder to detect by ground radar.
~11 min read
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Description
- Optical contour matching
- Altitude matching
- TAINS
- Advantages
- Disadvantages
- Comparison with other guidance systems
- DSMAC, Digital Scene Matching Area Correlator
- Satellite navigation
- Missiles that employ TERCOM navigation
- See also
- References
- External links
Terrain contour matching, or TERCOM, is a navigation system used primarily by cruise missiles. It uses a contour map of the terrain that is compared with measurements made during flight by an on-board radar altimeter. A TERCOM system considerably increases the accuracy of a missile compared with inertial navigation systems (INS). The increased accuracy allows a TERCOM-equipped missile to fly closer to obstacles and at generally lower altitudes, making it harder to detect by ground radar.
== Description ==