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What’s New: OK, the issue isn’t really “new,” but the article makes some good points and has some interesting background/historical info.
Why It’s Important: As we have seen in Ukraine, many of our “smart weapons” aren’t when GPS isn’t available.
- US military strategy often relies on (expensive) smart weapons and technology to overcome opponents who have a numerical advantage in people and equipment.
What Else to Know:
- Not all of the historical info in the article is accurate, so don’t use it as a reference.
- The author talks a lot about Russian capabilities to protect itself from denial of space-based PNT, but nothing about China which has a far better capability.
- The author points ahead to implementing quantum navigation (and presumably timing?). Sadly, quantum has been just 5 years away for the last 20 years…
- We liked the observation “Perhaps the most insidious impact is the skill atrophy among military personnel who have become overly reliant on GPS for navigation.”
- Phasing out and in fundamental technologies is expensive and takes seemingly forever. But the sooner you start…
Phasing Out GPS Reliance in U.S. Military Operations: An Imperative in the Face of Emerging Threats
The United States’ military reliance on the Global Positioning System (GPS) poses significant vulnerabilities in the face of emerging threats from adversarial nations like Russia, China, and North Korea. At the moment, Europe is witnessing a conventional war between two nations. In this context, the role of technology, particularly navigation systems, has emerged as a decisive factor for military success.
