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Home »GPS Disruption Warning – U.S. Maritime Administration
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: This is the most recent warning issued for GPS disruption by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD). For most of the last four or five years MARAD has had a similar warning active and on the books. The advisory points out that...
U.S. generals planning for a space war they see as all but inevitable – SpaceNews
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: If you really need electricity and there is a chance the grid might go down, you get a generator... If there is a chance your ship will be torpedoed, you make sure you have a lifeboat... If you might not have PNT from space......
How should we secure PNT resilience? – GPS World Editorial Advisory Board
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: There is a lot to unpack in the three short responses to the question posted to the panel. Our response to their answers is "all of the above." We absolutely need A holistic approach that includes interference detection and...
GPS Lessons from Before 9/11 Still Endanger the U.S. – Nextgov
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: The author is President of the RNT Foundation. GPS Lessons from Before 9/11 Still Endanger the U.S. By Dana A. Goward, President, Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 02:16 PM ET “Public...
Galileo, OneWeb and the UK’s sovereignty way forward – GPS World
Image: Wikimedia Commons Tony Ray Blog Editor's Note: The author of the below article is President of the RNT Foundation Galileo, OneWeb and the UK’s sovereignty way forward September 15, 2021 - By Dana Goward A discussion with Admiral Lord West Admiral...
Could a GPS 9/11 Happen? – Location Business News
Image: US Department of Defense Blog Editor' s Note: Most of our potential comments are already in the below article. Though somehow "get the bullseye off GPS" didn't make it in. 🙂 Could a GPS 9/11 Happen? By Kevin Dennehy September 15, 2021 More industry...
Attack on GPS the Next 9-11? – Video Report KPIX News, San Francisco
Image: KPIX This four minute piece from the CBS affiliate in San Francisco poses an interesting question. There are certainly plenty of individuals, groups, and governments out there who might like to bring the U.S. to its knees. For example, in 1996 China suffered...
Strengthening PNT to Avert Economic Setbacks – GW Prime
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: A good overview article. One note, though. The $1.3B loss per day shown for the U.S. should we be without GPS comes from an RTI study done for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. That seems like a big loss that...
Two years since the Tesla GPS hack – GPS World
Image: Roi Mit Blog Editor's Note: An interesting reminder of a hallmark event within the PNT community. We are sure it had a significant impact on the folks at Tesla, and probably significant but probably lesser impact at other car companies. We would have hoped...
House Armed Services Committee Interested in New, Non-GPS PNT Constellation
Image: USAF, 2d Lt Jacob Lutz, AFRL/RV The House version of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2022, which begins on the first of October, requires the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a briefing to the Armed Services Committee about establishment of a...
Synchronization: The critical element of 5G Networks – Dhiman Chowdhury on Linkedin
Image:Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: Good posting on Linkedin. A few thoughts: China has a huge edge over the US on 5G because of this. While US networks rely heavily (almost exclusively) on GPS, China has and is improving its comprehensive timing infrastructure. It...
Galileo replacement gets green light after UK snubbed EU return: ‘Not spending millions’ – Express
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: Lots of steps this week in the dance between the UK and EU. We have been on the verge of posting something about it several times. This seems like the end of this phase, though, so a good time to recap, which this article does....
National Academies Proposes Team to Study FCC Ligado Decision – GPS World
Image: National Academies Blog Editor's Note: The author is president of the RNT Foundation. National Academies Proposes Team to Study FCC Ligado Decision September 2, 2021 - By Dana Goward The National Academies has announced its proposed team to examine the...
“Backups on backups on backups” – Prof Todd Humphreys at Joint Nav Conference
Image: "Fortunately" written and illustrated by Remi Charlip Normally presentations at the ION Joint Navigation Conference are not releasable to the public. We were very pleased that the very first presentation we attended on the first day was by our friend, the...
New Terrorism Peril For Transportation Networks – Forbes
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: Another good article by RNTF member Diana Furchtgott-Roth. We appreciate that she is saying "new" terrorism peril to help wake up folks to a peril that has been out there quite a while and, as she points out, has been getting...
U.S. military doubles down on GPS despite vulnerabilities – SpaceNews
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: This article is a interesting follow-on to GAO's report on "DoD Navigation Capabilities." The article is worth reading for additional information it brings to light. The author also refers to a RAND report we have discussed...
China’s Anti-Satellite Weapons Could Conquer Taiwan—Or Start a War – The National Interest
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: Great article showing, again, how China plays the long game. Contrast their 30 and 40 year efforts with what seems to be a two-year planning window in the U. S. based on elections to the House of Representatives. Or maybe it is...
With Chinese and Russian knives at the throat of GPS, Senate calls for a study, waits for administration to follow law – C4ISRNet
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: The author is President of the RNT Foundation. Opinion With Chinese and Russian knives at the throat of GPS, Senate calls for a study, waits for administration to follow law By Dana A. Goward Aug 20, 2021 The Senate...
Need for Resilient PNT Has Never Been Greater – EET India
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: A good overview article by RNTF International Advisory Committee member, Guy Buesnel. It is good to see this message getting to places like India and to read about progress in Europe. Adding on to the article's European info,...
IEEE to develop PNT standard – GPS World
Blog Editor's Note: For years users have wanted to be able to include "resilience" as a requirement for PNT receivers in their purchase orders. But it has been an elusive goal. This is an important step in the right direction. An excellent development. Kudos to the...
The Space Force wants to use directed-energy systems for space superiority – C4ISRNet
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: Another example of recent media highlighting that space is a dangerous place. Measures like this are undoubtedly necessary. If for no other reason than to stay on a par, or hopefully slightly ahead of, the Chinese and Russians....
What is complementary/ alternative PNT? – GPS World
Image: U.S. DOT Blog Editor's Note: This is a long piece so we won't add much to it with a long commentary. Only to say that since our inception we have endorsed the architecture/ system of systems approach as envisioned in the US govt's still-in-use 2008 National...
US Defense Department looking for GNSS disruption detection and analysis – GPS World
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: The author is RNTF President, Dana A. Goward US Defense Department looking for GNSS disruption detection and analysis August 13, 2021 - By Dana Goward Est. reading time: 1:30 0 Comments The U.S. Department of...
Startups Map Out Strategies To Augment Or Backup GPS – SpaceNews
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: Interesting article on some space-based services with the potential to augment or offer an alternative to GPS/ GNSS. As we have said before, space-based systems offer things you can't get from terrestrial and need to be part...
Infrastructure Bill Neglects GPS Threats – Forbes
Blog Editor's Note: An excellent article by RNTF member Diana Furchtgott-Roth. Diana is a professor at GWU and previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Diana is right on target. But we need...
The Biden Administration and Civil PNT – So Far, So Good. Sorta. – ION Newsletter
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: The author is President of the RNT Foundation. This article was written a month or so ago when the newsletter was in preparation. Since then the infrastructure bill has been formulated in the Senate without any mention, so far,...
Kamikazee and Kidnapper Satellites, ASATs a Huge Concern – CNN, National Defense
Blog Editor's Note: We are seeing more and more about ASATs in the press these days. "Nesting doll" satellites with weapons inside, "kamikazee" satellites to crash into others - both courtesy of Moscow. Satellites with robo-arms that can grab other satellites and have...
US Facing ‘Pearl Harbor Moment’ From Cyber Attacks, Vice Adm. Trussler Says – Seapower, DefenseNews
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: We are including two reports of the same event in this post. Several things of note. GPS is included in this discussion of cyber vulnerabilities, as is the case more and more often. That is a great development because...
Modern civilization would be lost without GPS – SpaceNews
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: Granted this article is in an outlet about space. So it talks about GPS and GNSS. The larger issue, though, is that "Modern civilization would be lost without PNT." But, yes, we over-rely on GPS so much it is almost the same...
For hackers, space is the final frontier – Vox
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: This is an important message we have heard before that bears repeating. Space assets are important, none more so that GPS. That means GPS is well protected. Also that it is the biggest challenge, and often the most attractive...
National PNT Infrastructure; Getting the U.S. on the Path to Resilience – ION Newsletter
Blog Editor's Note: An excellent summary of where America has been with PNT resilience and policy and where it needs to go. Interesting to note that the false rationale "GPS is expensive so we need to economize and have fewer other PNT sources" seems to have persisted...
GPS Likely Vulnerable to ASATs this Decade – OpEd in SpaceNews
Image: NASA Blog Editor's Note: Interesting assertion by two authors who should know what they are talking about. Conventional wisdom has been that GPS is a constellation and anti-satellite satellites (ASATs) can only attack one other satellite. So very hard to...
Phantom Warships Are Courting Chaos in Conflict Zones – Wired
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: More outstanding work by Bjorn Bergman from SkyTruth uncovering massive location deception operations. In this instance, it seems as though there are no RF transmissions involved. In addition to the Wired article below, check...
Report Calls On Government Agencies To Better Coordinate Spectrum – Space News
Image: NASA/JPL Caltech Blog Editor's Note: It is interesting how this headline can be seen as pertaining to different issues by so many folks with very different interests and concerns. Those worried about autonomy and intelligent transporation systems likely think...
UrsaNav trials eLoran as vital GNSS backup using ADVA’s grandmaster clock solution – Business Wire
Image: Business Wire Blog Editor's Note: Another example of timing and navigation interests joining forces. Full disclosure - UrsaNav and Oscilloquartz, an ADVA brand, are both corporate members of the RNT Foundation. UrsaNav trials eLoran as vital GNSS backup...
What happens to British ships when satellites don’t work? – BBC News
Image Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: This article has a number of interesting observations even though it conflates and confuses satnav and satcomms. The comments by the former head of the British Navy (First Sea Lord), who was also the nation's first minister for...
Why Should Ligado Object? – Forbes
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: Another great contribution to the public discussion by RNTF member, GWU professor, and former Dep Asst Secretary at DOT, DIana Furchtgott-Roth. This long-running issue arises from fundamental challenges with the evolution of...
“RETAIN GPS and SatComms Act” Requiring Ligado to Pay All Harmed, Introduced in House
Image: RNT Foundation Blog Editor's Note: The FCC rulemaking in favor of Ligado Networks in April 2020 stipulated that the company must compensate all federal GPS users for harm done to their systems and services. Last month, Senator Inhofe, working with a bi-partisan...
The growing problem of jamming and spoofing of GPS satellite navigation signals just keeps getting worse – M&AE
Blog Editor's Note: Our initial response to this article was "Duh!" Aside from stating the obvious, it is a short piece that, initially, doesn't seem to add much to the community discussion. But it does point out that the problem "keeps getting worse." And why...
Trucks Are Winning Automation Race – Forbes
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: And those trucks are going to need rock-solid PNT. Imagine sharing the road with automated semis that don't have it. Great article by RNTF member Diana Furchtgott-Roth. Trucks Are Winning Automation Race Diana...
China’s Beidou system makes great strides in adoption: white paper – Global Times
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: We thought we would offer this article as a follow-on to yesterday's post about GNSS as an instrument of national power. China is particularly good at using Bei Dou for soft power. Also note how they have used Bei Dou as to...
GNSS as an Instrument of National Power – GLONASS Case Study
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: This article is about GLONASS but could be easily about GPS, Bei Dou, or even Galileo. Certainly they are instruments of soft power (economic, political, etc,), And they have the potential for espionage and other national...
‘Space Needs Spectrum & the Laws of Physics Stand’ – NTIA
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: OK, the title of this post is not an exact quote from NTIA. But it does capture the important ideas of this new paper from the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA). For those of you unfamiliar with how...
Spoofing GPS in Indonesia to Make Things Work Better – Vice
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: "Adversarial Interoperability (AKA Competitive Compatibility/comcom), the practice of modifying an existing technology against the wishes (or without permission) of its maker." We were certainly familiar with the practice, but...
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? – Does Anybody Really Care… About Time?
https://youtu.be/n69se2UCy_k Yes, there are folks who know what time it is. And, yes, there are lots of folks who care! In fact, just about everyone cares, though most most folks don't realize it. Precise time underpins virtually every technology from...
GPS at risk: Those signals are more vulnerable than you realize – CNet
Image: NOAA Blog Editor's Note: Interesting article. Some thoughts about the RAND study mentioned, it said: Its not worth the cost to build another GPS-like system as a backup. We agree that duplicating GPS is not needed. (Note, China disagrees and has built GPS-like...
Alternate navigation using satellite signals of opportunity – Roke
Image: Roke Manor Blog Editor's Note: We remember about 10 years ago when smart GNSS folks said this likely possible but not practical and wouldn't result in anything worth using. A number also said spoofing was theoretically possible but would never be a practical...
Draper Develops Tool for Evaluating the Military’s PNT Tech – Draper
Image: Draper Blog Editor's Note: The need for this tool and others like it was highlighted in the DOD PNT Strategy, and in the recently released GAO report on DOD Navigation Capabilities. It will certainly provide a good first cut for evaluating technologies....
Many technologies can help GNSS, but few can replace it – GPS World
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: "Yeah, verily" to the author's point that anyone who talks about replacing GNSS is blowing smoke (and probably selling something). Unfortunately when we talk about ADDITIONAL or ALTERNATE sources of PNT, folks often wrongly...
U.S. Navy Ship Spoofed to Crimea
Image US Navy Arleigh Burke Class Guided Missile Destroyer: Shutterstock Last week a UK Royal Navy destroyer and Dutch Royal Navy ship safely moored in Odessa, Ukraine, were spoofed to locations off-shore of a Russian naval base on Crimea. This week it was a US Navy...