Image: Shutterstock
What’s new: The FAA, partnering with the Naval Air Warfare Center, has taken the first steps toward approving the use of CPRA on aircraft. The current step is an RFI for a study, but it is progress nonetheless.
Why it’s important: The use of CRPA on aircraft has the potential to almost eliminate the impacts of jamming and spoofing from terrestrial sources for aviation.
What else to know:
- It will be a long time before these antennas show up in commercial aircraft. Not only is the approval/ certification process lengthy, but it takes a long time and a lot of money/ effort to install them in airplanes
- Jamming and spoofing from space will still be a significant threat.
- Determined adversaries are typically one or two steps ahead of countermeasures.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Safety Alert for Operations (SAFO) # 24002 on January 1, 2024, providing information and guidance to operators and manufacturers regarding operations in a Global Positioning System (GPS) / Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) disrupted environment. This SAFO highlights ongoing jamming and spoofing incidents that can increase safety of flight risks due to possible loss of situational awareness and increased pilot and Air Traffic Control workload.
On January 17, 2025, in support of civil GPS resiliency efforts the State Department issued a Targeted Revisions Rule that removes CRPA (Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna) from the U.S. Munitions List (USML) trade restrictions. This Rule was placed on public inspection and is now published as an official document on the Office of the Federal Register website. There is a 60-day comment period. Rule is effective September 15, 2025. Rule is available for public comment at: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/DOS-2024-0047/document. Once removed from the USML, these anti-jam antennas will become subject to Commerce Department Export Administration Regulation (EAR) requirements and can be licensed similarly to inertial systems and other dual-use civil/military equipment used by aircraft other modes of transportation.
The FAA previously initiated an RE&D project to evaluate and advance integration of advanced GPS/GNSS jam and spoof resistant antenna and antenna electronic technologies into commercial aircraft. The FAA requested support from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) to investigate the feasibility and expected performance of applying anti-jam (AJ)/anti-spoofing (AS) GPS/GNSS technology for use in civilian aircraft applications with an initial focus on Transport and Business Jet aircraft.
On February 25,, 2025 NAWCAD released an RFI on SAM.gov for AJ/AS GPS/GNSS technologies for eventual use in civilian aircraft applications. This RFI is a study identifying and discussing the characteristics and performance of the vendors’ AJ and AS antenna technologies that are currently available or being developed. The information learned from this RFI may be used to identify potential systems for evaluation testing at NAWCAD. Results from the RFI data and future evaluation testing will be used to develop updated GPS/GNSS AJ/AS antenna Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) and cockpit displays/annunciation MOPS for the FAA. NAWCAD is performing the study, hosting the industry day(s), and establishing Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) or technology agreements for test hardware, lab test, chamber test, and future flight test for the FAA. Questions related to the RFI may be submitted through April 25, 2025. Responses to the RFI must be submitted by May 26, 2025, 5:00PM EST.
