Blog editor’s note: Interesting item from the UK MOD to to “… reduce or remove reliance on Global Positioning Systems.”
We like that in their Market Exploration document they have sections titled “What We Want” and “What We Don’t Want.” Very helpful for vendors, we are sure!
We understand the MOD’s desire to move ahead with this while the rest of the UK government is still apparently dithering about whether the nation as a whole will have independent and sovereign PNT. Two thoughts, for UK policy makers, though:
- National power is all one. Our adversaries know this and don’t make artificial distinctions between economic, homeland, and national security/military prowess. If civilians can’t find their way to deliver supplies to an RN destroyer about to deploy, or SCADA systems at a munitions plant doesn’t work because space-based PNT is out, the nation is weaker and more in danger.
- Dual civil-military use of a technology can have huge benefits for everyone. GPS receivers started out as a palettized giant electronics rack with two operator seats. Cost, size, weight, & power requirements are all miniscule today because of research and development by thousands of PhD candidates, companies, and other non-military folks because they could use and make money from GPS also. New PNT systems should be dual use with authentication and increased cyber protection for all, with extra heaping does of cybersecurity for military apps.
The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is exploring potential navigation technologies to reduce or remove reliance on Global Positioning Systems.
