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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...
Sen. Inhofe introduces bill to make Ligado pay everyone harmed – GPS World
Image: Office of Sen. Inhofe Blog Editor's Note: Since this was written, 105 companies and organizations sent a letter of support to the bill's sponsors. Read it here. The author of the article is President of the RNT Foundation. Sen. Inhofe introduces bill to...
Extremely accurate time is increasingly critical. This place is in charge of it. – National Geographic
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: Interesting article about the UK's capabilities. Also timely since we just did a webinar last week, in partnership with Hoptroff, on timing in the UK with Leon Lobo of the National Physical Laboratory. Look for the recording of...
Verizon Builds Precise Positioning Capability With Senion Acquisition – Location Business News
Image: Senion Blog Editor's Note: With 5G we will likely continue seeing closer alliances and mergers of telecom and PNT. This is likely one of many to come. As another example we note that the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee urged President...
RAND: Federal investment in timing network for GPS backup likely worthwhile – GPS World
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: The author is president of the RNT Foundation. RAND: Federal investment in timing network for GPS backup likely worthwhile June 22, 2021 - By Dana Goward Study’s emphasis, timing of release, work against that, some say Image:...
Positions of Two NATO Ships Were Falsified Near Russian Black Sea Naval Base – US Naval Institute
Image: USNI Blog Editor's Note: This is the first time we have heard of the Russians (1) targeting individual ships and (2) going to the trouble of spoofing them along a track to fake a voyage from one place to another. Clearly tweaking NATO's nose and reinforcing the...
Cybersecurity Experts Push President Biden To Protect GPS Satellites And The Connected Car – Forbes
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: Great article with some interesting background. And more widely applicable. Just remove "connected car" from the title and substitute, well... just about anything, and it should still work. "President Biden, we urge you to...
‘Joint Program Office or similar would benefit DOD Alt PNT efforts’ – Webinar Poll
Image: Shutterstock A poll of participants at yesterday's RNTF/ ION Webinar "GAO Report: Defense Navigation Capabilities" showed attendees overwhelmingly favoring better mechanisms for both coordinating alternative PNT projects within the department and its interface...
Air Force Gen. John W. Raymond: Chinese lasers, jammers threaten GPS satellites – The Washington Times
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: We have talked a lot in recent posts about the PNT gap between the U.S.A. and our adversaries China, Russia, and Iran. It is a gap that, as Beebe says in "The Russia Trap" (could also be titled "the China Trap") creates...
Let the Coast Guard Operate eLoran – US Naval Institute Proceedings
Image: RNT Foundation Blog Editor's Note: Up front caveat - the editor has deep Coast Guard experience and more that a passing familiarity with eLoran. In fact, he probably still is on the "bad list" of a major telecommunications company because he was not able to...
Webinar – GNSS Timing Threats and Fallback Options – VIEW RECORDING
Webinar - GNSS Timing Threats and Fallback Options - VIEW RECORDING Webinar held 23 June 20221, 17:00 London, 12:00 New York GNSS-based timing is ubiquitous and free, but at the same time exceptionally vulnerable to interference. The United Kingdom is in the first...
“The Russia Trap” – Single Points of Failure & GPS
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: We were interested to find the discussion of the importance of resilience and PNT in George Beebe's book "The Russia Trap." Beebe talks about "War by Other Means" and how simmering tensions can cause seemingly innocuous...
$17M proposed for DOT resilient PNT initiatives – GPS World
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: The author is RNT Foundation President Dana A. Goward. $17M proposed for DOT resilient PNT initiatives June 4, 2021 - By Dana Goward Office and Management and Budget (OMB) seeks to extend Trump policies and repeal...
Startling GAO Report on DOD Navigation – Webinar June 15th
The General Accountability Office (GAO) released a somewhat scathing report about Department of Defense navigation programs this month. Among their findings and inferences were: Navigation requirements for projects and systems are often overstated with managers just...
China’s space ambitions target satellites, a US vulnerability – Nikkei Asia
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Notes: This article hits so many of the strategic concerns around US over-reliance on GPS. And it is from a source in Japan, a country probably even more worried about China than the U.S., if that is possible. The article sub-head...
Space debris endangers GPS – GPS World
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: This is a very interesting and compelling piece. Very timely also considering Galileo's avoidance maneuver in March. Also noteworthy is that the author appropriately defines risk as threat x vulnerability x consequence. So while...
Telecom groups press president, Congress for GPS alternatives – GPS World
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: The author is president of the RNT Foundation. Telecom groups press president, Congress for GPS alternatives May 25, 2021 - By Dana Goward America urgently needs alternatives to GPS and the government must fund efforts...
Resilient PNT for Critical Applications – Logan Scott
Image: YouTube Blog Editor's Note: If you are interested in PNT and don't follow Logan Scott on LInkedin, you are missing a bet. Here is one of his typically thoughtful posts discussing some of the larger PNT resilience and policy issues. Resilient PNT for...
Don’t Just Bail Out Uncle Sam, Help Ordinary Americans Too – Real Clear Markets (Ligado issue)
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: Another great piece by RNT Foundation member, Diana Furchtgott-Roth. She makes the point that in its decision to approve Ligado's application, the FCC required the company to reimburse the U.S. government for any harm done to...
Northrop Grumman to supply navigation payloads for DARPA’s Blackjack satellites – Space News
Image: Artist rendering of Blackjack PNT satellites. Credit: Northrop Grumman Blog Editor's Notes: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites will undoubtedly become a valued layer in a system-of-systems approach to resilient PNT (see and download our architecture poster here)....
Adjacent Band Interference More than just a Ligado Problem – Spirent
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: An interesting post by Guy Buesnel, a member of RNT Foundation's International Advisory Committee. We have not often seen this issue raised and appreciate his stimulating the discussion. From his post: "While Ligado is the focus...
DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS IN SPACE – Center for Strategic and International Studies
Image: US Department of Defense Blog Editor's Note: Last year the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) produced their "Space Threat Assessment, 2020," upon which we reported. This year they chose an intriguing Harry Potter theme. Quite appropriate. As...
Europe’s Galileo braces for more emergency in-orbit maneuvers – Space News
Image: European Space Agency Blog Editor's Note: Yesterday we blogged about the sun. Today the issue is problems with debris. In the last year or so we have heard about space-based and kinetic weapons threatening our satellites. It wasn't that long ago that people...
Racing the Sun to Protect America, Lessons from the solar storm of May 1921 – NextGov
Image: NASA & Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: The author is President of the RNT Foundation. Racing the Sun to Protect America Lessons from the solar storm of May 1921 By Dana A. Goward, President, Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation MAY 14, 2021 One...
Countering the threat of GPS disruption with more resilient PNT sources – Global Defence
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: A very timely headline given the GAO report released this week suggesting the same thing for the U.S. Department of Defense. A good read on the UK perspective. Save the date! - RNT Foundation and the Hoptroff organization...
GAO Report: ‘Use resilient tech vs. GPS as DOD primary PNT’ – GPS World
Image Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: The author is President of the RNT Foundation. GAO Report: ‘Use resilient tech vs. GPS as DOD primary PNT’ May 11, 2021 - By Dana Goward Preview (opens in a new tab) A new report by the Government Accountability Office...
Clear and Present Economic Danger – GW Prime
Image: U.S. Air Force Blog Editor's Note: An excellent article on Geospatial World Prime by RNTF Member Diana Furchtgott-Roth. Diana is an economist who also led civil PNT issues for the US government, so she is uniquely qualified to examine this aspect of these...
Emergency Landing – Russia Still Jamming Hard in Ukraine
Image: NASA/NOAA Blog Editor's Note: This report from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is no surprise. We have reported on this before and Russia is still Russia. They have bragged their jamming capability extends for hundreds of kilometers, so...
‘Take the bullseye off GPS before it’s too late!’ — PNT leaders at GWU webinar – GPS World
Dr. Robert Hampshire, U.S. DOT chief scientist, speaking at GWU webinar on May 5. (Image RNT Foundation) Blog Editor's Note: The author is President of the RNT Foundation. ‘Take the bullseye off GPS before it’s too late!’ — PNT leaders at GWU webinar May 7,...
Satellite-navigation systems such as GPS are at risk of jamming, Alternatives are needed – The Economist
Blog Editor's Note: This is a good general interest article to which we contributed. It is behind a paywall, so many of our readers may choose not to access the entire piece. Most significant is that a highly regarded journal is addressing the issue. A sure sign of...
Accurate GPS Needed to Measure Climate Change – RealClear Science
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: Excellent article by the former federal government leader for civil PNT issues, Diana Furchtgott-Roth. Who is also an RNTF member! While not mentioned, most all of her points also apply to not letting adjacent band transmissions...




