Patent ID: 7693617

Claim:
An aircraft command and control system, comprising: a camera, including a rangefinder, disposed aboard the aircraft for measuring an azimuth angle, an elevation angle and a slant range from a fixed point on the aircraft relative to a selected target point on a surface located below the aircraft; a navigation system disposed aboard the aircraft for measuring a latitude and a longitude of a point on the surface that is disposed perpendicularly below the fixed point on the aircraft; a computer for computing the position of the fixed point on the aircraft relative to the target point on the surface from the respective measurements of the camera and the navigation system; and, a controller for controlling the movement of the aircraft such that the fixed point on the air craft is positioned at a selected azimuth angle, elevation angle and slant range above the selected target point on the surface, wherein the camera is supported on gimbals, and wherein the gimbals of the camera are used to measure the azimuth and elevation angles to the target point.