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What’s new: A paper by the National Security Space Association.
Why it’s important:
- Reliable systems need reliable (and resilient) infrastructure, including PNT.
- A resilient PNT architecture properly implemented for Golden Dome, including the “Metro Golden Domes” for counter UAS, will benefit all infrastructure sectors and all GPS users.
What else to know:
- NSSA is a member of the RNT Foundation
- RNT Foundation supported development of this paper.
Executive Summary
- The Golden Dome for America air and missile defense system, as directed by President Trump in Executive Order 14186 dated January 27, 2025, will be heavily dependent upon Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) for its effectiveness.
- The Global Positioning System (GPS) and other space- and ground-based PNT sources have significant failure modes and vulnerabilities that can be exploited by America’s adversaries.
- Urgent investments in a national, resilient PNT architecture with at least two or three sources that have markedly different failure modes are needed to address and mitigate known vulnerabilities of GPS and other systems, while bolstering the effectiveness of Golden Dome.