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Home »DHS Helps Protect GPS
Great progress by DHS in helping to protect critical infrastructure was reported this week by “Inside GNSS.” Led by DHS Science and Technology Program Manager Sarah Mahmood, DHS and NIST have developed and published a ten page guide of “Best Practices for Improved Robustness of Time and Frequency Sources in Fixed Locations.”
21 Ways to Disrupt
We have always been a fan of the interesting, methodical and technically astute ways Dr. Sally Basker (PhD, BEng, FRIN) has of looking at and explaining things. In one of her recent efforts she outlined 21 different types of GNSS disruptions.
Meet DOD CIO Terry Halvorsen and Google’s Vint Cerf, Internet Pioneer
Tech Industry Leaders Highlight Critical Need For Resilient Timing and Navigation Systems [featured title="Contact" header_color="004c89" ] Jen Hitchcock Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation Phone: 703-489-7024 Website: RNTFnd.org [/featured] Washington,...
The Real Star Wars: Air Force Heads to the Heavens for Weapons Guidance
Mark Thompson, Time Magazine, March 8, 2015 If a foe disables or destroys GPS, Pentagon still needs to drop bombs accurately The success of precision-guided bombs in 1991’s Gulf War was a revelation. The world watched transfixed as U.S. generals briefed before screens...
Caring For PNT
This month “Coordinates” magazine published an RNT Foundation paper presented at the 2014 European Navigation Conference in Rotterdam. The paper discusses ways that nations and companies must think about and care for the PNT systems that are so important to their...
GNSS Vulnerability Scores at Wide-Ranging INC 2015
Almost half of the sessions at the International Navigation Conference (INC) 2015 held this week (February 24–26) in Manchester, England, were devoted to the theme of resilience and vulnerability, a topic that Dana Goward of the Resilient Navigation and Timing...
DARPA – “GPS Use by Military a Vulnerability”
The Strategic Technology Office at the US Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) has six focus areas it is currently working on – one of which is Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT).
US DOD “Triples Down” on Assured PNT
Russian Military Jamming Vehicle, Belspetsvneshtechnika Photo An alert RNT Foundation member recently noticed that the US Department of Defense is requesting three times the funds for “Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)” research and testing for next...
GPS Interference: Origins, Effects & Mitigations Webinar
Logan Scott is a Fellow of the Institute of Navigation and a well-recognized authority on these issues. This webinar is well worth your time. GPS Interference: Origins, Effects & Mitigations WebinarNow Available On-Demand If you missed the live event with...
GPS/GNSS: First, Admit You Have A Problem – Investigative TV News Starting to Help
The first step in Alcoholics Anonymous' famous 12 Step recovery program is "Admit you have a problem." Technologists not only admit the problem of GPS/GNSS vulnerability and the lack of an alternative for North America, they have been talking about it for years. They...
GPS Disruption Halts Ports, Endangers Ships – US Coast Guard
Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection At a public meeting last month, US Coast Guard officials described how interference with GPS signals disrupted operations for seven hours at a major east coast port last year. You can watch the entire meeting below, the...
PTA for GNSS
Last week the “Father of GPS,” Dr. Brad Parkinson, renewed his call for PTA when it came to global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). When we hear “PTA” in the US, most of us have flashbacks to grade school and think “Parent-Teacher Association.” But what Dr....
Resilient PNT Forum II – Presentations
The second Resilient PNT Forum was held on Monday the 26 of January as a parallel evening event to the Institute of Navigation's International Technical Meeting a Dana Point. After drinks and hors d' oeuvres, approximately 120 attendees were welcomed by hosts Martin...
Korea eLoran At RPNT Forum II
A very good "Inside GNSS" article about Korea's announcement at Resilient PNT Forum II of a re-invigorated project after a number of contracting delays. [big_button url="https://insidegnss.com/south-korea-relaunches-its-eloran-program/"]Read More[/big_button]
US Government Tiger Team Report – “GPS Complements”
A rare glimpse into the thoughts and processes of the federal inter-agency in the arcane field of Position, Navigation and Timing, especially regarding GPS alternatives, was provided at the Stanford University PNT Symposium in October. An FAA presentation revealed the existence of a “Complementary PNT Tiger Team (CPNT3).” We learned…
GPS Interference – A Cyber Problem
The most recent edition of the U.S. Coast Guard’s journal of safety and security at sea, “Proceedings” included interference with GPS as one of the cyber-vulnerabilities mariners needed to be concerned about.
US Army – How much for 50,000 eLoran Receivers?
The US Army released a “Request for Information” yesterday seeking industry’s input on the cost to acquire up to 50,000 eLoran receivers. The Department of Defense is interested in taking advantage of “signals of opportunity.” Among the issues the Army is seeking input on for current eLoran receivers are…
Sun More Dangerous Than North Korea
NOAA posted another severe space warning last week indicating that satellite navigation system operation could be compromised. Such alerts are not uncommon, especially recently as the sun seems to have recently been at a “solar maximum” and may spike violently again before the cycle is through.
GPS is an Attractive Nuisance
One of the many interesting exchanges at the US National Position, Navigation, and Timing Advisory Board in December was Professor Per Enge’s response to a question about how having a high power, difficult-to-disrupt, terrestrial eLoran system that provided GPS-like services, would benefit the space-based Global Positioning System (GPS).
It’s in Law – Preserve Loran, Backup GPS
Sometimes seemingly minor provisions in obscure laws have huge impacts. Last week the President signed into law “The Howard Coble Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2014.” While the name might not immediately pique the interest of people interested in protecting GPS services and ensuring a GPS backup, that is exactly what one Section 229 of the act did.
Financial Networks Shifting to GPS-Stamped Precise Time
Inside GNSS, Dee Ann Divis 31 Dec 2014 New competitive demands and regulatory requirements are driving financial firms around the world to use highly precise timestamps on incoming information and transactions, a trend likely to push firms to adopt a common time...
“I hate GPS” – Secretary of Defense Nominee Ashton Carter
“I hate GPS,” President Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter, told a reporter just a few weeks ago. What became quickly clear, though, was that he doesn’t “hate GPS” per se. What he hates is that it doesn’t work everywhere and that so many things, both military and civilian, just don’t work without it.
Navigation Part of Cybersecurity – “USCG Proceedings”
The most recent edition of US Coast Guard's journal of safety and security at sea, "Proceedings," is all about Cybersecurity. It contains several articles that identify GPS jamming and spoofing as cyber threats. [big_button url="http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/"]Read...
EU Project ACCSEAS Outpaced by Market Player – Dutch Pilots’ eDLoran
Navigator NL Issue 13 December 2014 - Page 21 "Dutch Pilot's eDLoran System has been ready for use since the beginning of 2014" This interesting article discusses the ponderous efforts of the EU to identify a GNSS alternative and compares it with the relatively nimble...
New, More Powerful Jammers Block GPS and Galileo
The inventor of GPS is calling for a more robust system as evidence is released of new, more powerful jamming devices being used by criminal gangs. [big_button url="http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2014/feb/gps-jamming.cfm"]Read More[/big_button]
PRESS RELEASE: US Congress and Administration Want PNT Resilience – eLoran Highlighted
[featured title="Contact" header_color="004c89" ] Dana Goward RNT Foundation Phone: 888-354-9109 Email: [email protected] Address: 4558 Shetland Green Road Alexandria, Virginia 22312 Website: RNTFnd.org [/featured] Alexandria, VA (December 10, 2014) – Today the US...
“Z” (vertical) Component of Precise Positioning No Longer a Challenge
Mini barometric sensors are adding a vertical component to locations for cell phones and other devices. Article from the Washington Post: [big_button url="http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/business/a-new-dimension-in-cellphone-tracking/1466//"]Read...
Toward a Unified PNT, Part 2
GPS World, October 31, 2014 By Paul D. Groves, Lei Wang, Debbie Walter, and Ziyi Jiang, University College London The coming requirements of greater accuracy and reliability in a range of challenging environments for a multitude of mission-critical applications...
United Kingdom Announces IOC for eLoran
The UK has been upgrading its Loran to eLoran for several years and today they announced Initial Operating Capability. Note that while the press reports linked below mention South Korea developing an eLoran system (announcement of a contract to build the first phase...
Under Congressional Pressure, U.S. Agencies Maneuver on eLoran Relaunch, GPS Backup – from “Inside GNSS”
Inside GNSS 30 October 2014 By Dee Ann Divis Prodded by Congress, the federal government is reexamining its decision to abandon eLoran, a network of ground stations capable of supplying essential timing and positioning data to power, phone, and other critical networks...
New Linkedin Discussion Group – GNSS Vulnerabilities
RNTF members and followers that are also on Linkedin may be interested in this new discussion group. The discussion has been both lively and informative. [big_button url="http://www.linkedin.com/groups/GNSS-Vulnerabilities-8178083/about"]Read More[/big_button]
AIS – GNSS Fraud on the High Seas
20 October 2014, Maritime Executive Magazine - Rising Fraud on the High Seas "Report first-ever comprehensive review finds data relied on by finance, shipping and security sectors is increasingly manipulated and unreliable In the first industry research report to...
Tips and Tricks to finding GNSS Jammers
Two new items in the RNT Foundation Library from Rohde & Schwarz about their efforts and experience finding GNSS Jammers in Oregon. Check them out in the "Vulnerability Assessment" section of our library. [big_button url="https://rntfnd.org/library/"]Read...
Toward a Unified PNT — Part 1
Complexity and Context: Key Challenges of Multisensor Positioning By Paul D. Groves, Lei Wang, Debbie Walter, Henry Martin, and Kimon Voutsis, University College London The next generation of navigation and positioning systems must provide greater accuracy and...
On the road: tackling GPS jammer use
By Louise Tapsell, Australian Communications and Media Authority Truck drivers around the country have been educated about the potential penalties for using a GPS jammer as a result of Operation AUStrans. The ACMA took part in this annual operation, run by the NSW...
Saratov scientists develop geomagnetic navigation technology alternative to GPS, GLONASS
SARATOV, September 22. /ITAR-TASS/. Saratov scientists have developed the first domestic geomagnetic field navigation technology system that may become an alternative to the currently existing satlellite-aided navigation systems GPS and GLONASS, Alexander Ignatyev,...
DARPA Seeks Info on GPS-Free Navigation Technology
(I hoped they have already checked our Library!) The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency reached out to industry to gauge the maturity of technology for GPS-free precision navigation and homing, according to a notice. "Current state of the GPS-free precision...
Extreme space weather threatens to leave the U.S. in the dark
Note: Extreme space weather has the potential to cause system-wide failures for GNSS. Washington Post Editorial Board 9 August 2014 - You probably haven’t noticed, but the sun has been more restless lately. Scientists have been predicting an upswing in volatile solar...
US Has Lost ‘Dominance In Electromagnetic Spectrum’: Shaffer
Breaking Defense 3 September 2014 - NATIONAL PRESS CLUB: “We have lost the electromagnetic spectrum,” said Alan Shaffer, the Pentagon’s research and engineering chief, this morning. “That’s a huge deal when you think about fielding advanced systems that can be...
Australia GPS Jammer Detection Project
The Australian, 2 September 2014 An Australian prototype to rapidly pinpoint attempts to jam or fake global positioning system signals for infrastructure such as airports is expected to be ready for market next year. The system has been under development by the...
Spoofer and Detector: Battle of the Titans at Sea
GPS World, Aug 5, 2014 - Two satnav superpowers battled it out aboard a superyacht in the Mediterranean this summer, as a spoofing detector designed to differentiate between real and fake GPS signals came to grips with a spoofing device previously responsible for...
RNT Foundation Announces International Advisory Council
The RNT Foundation announced today the creation of an Advisory Council that will help inform its board of directors on technology and policy issues. "The Advisory Council is comprised of foundation members selected because of their unique expertise, background and...
TADA! MITRE Puts Spoofing Attacks Back in the Hat with the Timing Attack Detection Appliqué
July 2014 - Many modern digital systems rely on an accurate time source for their critical operations. MITRE’s Time Anomaly Detection Appliqué protects such systems from spoofing attacks that can corrupt time source signals. [big_button...
Regulators, Traders are Out of Sync
Wall Street Journal 14 July 2014 by Bradley Hope Clock Synchronization With Traders Is Challenge for Regulators As trading hits warp speed, market cops have a growing headache: Clocks can't always keep up. Most brokers and trading firms now use high-speed computers to...
DARPA looking for less-vulnerable alternatives to GPS
Intelligence Community News, 14 July 2014 - The Global Positioning System (GPS) has become the predominant way to obtain positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) in military and civilian systems, but because GPS is vulnerable to interference due to its low signal...
Delivering a National Timescale Using eLoran
This paper explores the ability of eLoran to disseminate UTC-traceable time to applications in GNSS-denied environments. It proposes the creation of a National Timescale with UTC distributed via eLoran signals. Practical results from a test programme are very...
GPS Jammers a Top Concern in Maritime Cyber Readiness
"Maritime Professional" Jun 3, 2014 by Capt. David B. Moskoff Not much more than a decade ago, the words “maritime security” represented a new concept, especially for the commercial industry. Since then, the maritime community has responded with terrorism and piracy...
U.K. Policy Stresses Terrestrial Backup for Space-based Navigation
"Space News" By Peter B. de Selding | May. 1, 2014 PARIS — The British government on April 30 said a terrestrial alternative to space-based positioning, navigation and timing systems should be developed to mitigate the potential effects of outages — intentional or due...
Future of Air Navigation: Resistance to Vulnerability
Aviation International News, May 2, 2014 By John Sheridan Resilience–broadly, the ability to readily recover from external disturbances–seems likely to become the next buzzword in aviation’s lexicon. It is gaining acceptance primarily to describe a future world air...
DLoran Surprise: European Navigation Conference 2014 – “GPS World”
At the ENC-GNSS Conference in Rotterdam, we delved into actions necessary to officially use EGNOS (giving me déjà vu from WAAS’s early days), heard sage words from Brad Parkinson, the father of GPS, and, on the last day, saw amazing proof of a claim many of us...