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What’s New: An interview with the Army’s lead for assured PNT discussing recent developments.
Why It’s Important: As the war in Ukraine has shown, GPS is not sufficient for many applications. From the article:
- “Across the board, GPS isn’t the only game in town,” Monteleone said. “You have to have other capabilities to achieve [assured positioning, navigation and timing].”
What Else to Know: It is hard to find specifics on exactly what is included n the Army’s second version of their Dismounted Assured PNT System (DAPS II).
- From media releases we know it is designed for individual soldiers and includes, a new antenna, M-Code GPS to increase jam resistance, the ability to connect soldiers in a network and distribute PNT information to and from them, an independent power source, and something else…
- We have no information on what that “something else” might be. TRX systems is a major contractor for the program. It has also participated in demonstrations of “assured” PNT systems with the Department of Transportation.
- For a quick summary of Army APNT programs see page 33 of this month’s edition of NDIA’s “National Defense.”
WASHINGTON — The suppression of GPS signals in Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion is informing the development of next-generation U.S. Army navigation and targeting technologies.
The service is investing in alternative sources of situational awareness — where troops are and where they are headed, for example — in anticipation of future fights and digital interference at a massive scale.
The jamming and spoofing seen in Eastern Europe provides an “incredible learning environment,” according to Michael Monteleone, the director of the Army’s Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing/Space Cross-Functional Team. The U.S. considers Russia a top-tier national security hazard.
