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Ukraine’s Invisible Battle to Jam Russian Weapons – BBC
Image: Russian jamming truck from www.mil.ru What's New: Interesting article about the back and forth electronic warfare between Ukraine and Russia. Why It's Important: It is especially important when GPS/GNSS gets jammed (denied), or spoofed (hacked). On both sides...

Cost is King for passenger car positioning – Trimble & Inside GNSS
Image: Shutterstock What's New: Article/advertisement by navigation receiver manufacturer Trimble discussing their cost effective (GNSS based navigation solutions. The thesis is that for a mass market such as autonomous vehicles will be, cost is the driving (no pun...

Ensuring PNT resilience: A global review of navigation policies and roadmaps – Univ of Tokyo, Univ of Sydney
Image: Shutterstock, RNT Foundation What's New: A paper from the Universities of Tokyo and Sydney examining PNT policies around the world. Why It's Important: Papers on PNT technology are easy to come by. No so much for ones on PNT policy, the area in which RNT...

Let’s celebrate a half-century of GPS by catching up to China – Federal Times
Image: GPSIII by Lockheed The author of this OpEd is president of the RNT Foundation. \ Opinions: Let’s celebrate a half-century of GPS by catching up to China By Dana Goward Earlier this year, a Presidential Advisory Board recommended that the Biden...

From Polaris to pulsars: Navy eyes celestial navigation as GPS alternative – Breaking Defense
Image: Shutterstock What's New: Revived interest in celestial navigation, but with a very high tech bent. Why It's Important: GPS/GNSS is easy to disrupt through denial (jamming), hacking (spoofing), or with accidental interference. And there are both natural and...

How China Is Threatening U.S. GPS Dominance – CNBC
Image: CNBC/YouTube What's New: Growing concern that China's BeiDou is technically superior to GPS and serves much of the world better. Why It's Important: China is actively marketing and subsiding use of BeiDou over GPS for infrastructure around the world China has a...

Backing Up GNSS – Inside GNSS
Image: Shutterstock What's New: An article by several authors from the European Commission discussing test results for technologies from seven different companies. Why It's Important: PNT services in use today are: Essential to most every technology. Sourced from...

China-Russia Space Cooperation – China Aerospace Studies Institute
Image: Shutterstock What's New: A new report on China, Russia, space and great power competition by the Center for Naval Analysis working for the Air Force's Air University. No surprise, Russia and China have traded places in their lead-follow relationship for space...

Russia jamming St. Petersburg to protect Navy Day?
Image: Covert Shores www.hisutton.com What's New: St. Petersburg, Russia has seen a significant increase in GPS, perhaps GNSS, disruption since the first of June (as observed and tweeted by GPSJam.org). The Covert Shores blog has posted an image of a Russian warship...

Lots of jammers near French airport
Image: Shutterstock What's New: A media item about multiple jammers disrupting operations at a French airport. As soon as the authorities found one, they found another, then another! Why It's Important: Disruptions to GPS at airports can cause flight delays. Many...

PNT by Other Means: Satelles – GPS World
Image: Iridium Commuications What's New: Article about Satelles time and location services. Part of the GPS World series on non-GNSS PNT. Why It's Important: Satelles is broadcast from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) meaning the signals are stronger, less likely to be...

Hundreds of Drones Lost During Melbourne Show – DailyMail.com
Image: Shutterstock What's New: 350 or more drones were lost during a show in Malborne, Australia. Why It's Important: The likely cause was interference with GPS signals. The drones would have automatically landed when signals were lost. It is a demonstration of: How...

Safe Navigation System for Flying Cars – Start work now
Cover Image: Shutterstock, Diagram below: Prof. Todd Humphreys, UT Austin What's New: We responded to a U.S. Dept. of Transportation request for information about Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) with eight recommendations for achieving safe and efficient navigation....

PNT by Other Means: Spirent – GPS World
Image: Spirent Labs What's New: Article about the importance of simulation, especially for new GNSS and other PNT systems, before deployment. Spirent's work with Xona is used as an example. Why It's Important: Technical - Helping ensure things will work as the...

PNT by Other Means: Safran Federal Systems – GPS World
Image: Versa PNT by Safran Federal Systems What's New: In our view, the highlight of this article in the GPS World series is Safran's focus on sensor fusion. Why It's Important: Users need multiple sources of PNT to ensure robust and resilient service. The different...

Make sure your gear will still work w/ GPS updates – Space Force Public Meeting
Image: Sculpture of what happens to gear that does not comply with ICDs. RNT Foundation Image What's New: The new ground control system for GPS, called OCX, is nearing completion. Space Force wants to update manufacturers and users about new technical features so no...

PNT by Other Means: Xona Space Systems – GPS World
Image: Xona Space Systems What's New: Interesting discussion of Xona Space Systems' business aspirations and a bit about their technology. Why It's Important: LEO PNT satellites offer greater accuracy and power. The added power and potential for frequency diversity...

PNT By Other Means (Cover Story) – GPS World
Image: Shutterstock What's New: The media outlet "GPS World" looking at non-GPS and non-GNSS systems. This because governments have long recognized that GPS/GNSS is not enough to support mission critical and safety of life applications. Why It's Important: One of the...

Taking GPS For Granted – Avionics News
Image: Shutterstock What's New: An article by our colleague Dave Hughes who observes the primary challenge with GPS and greater resilience is a lack of government focus and action (i.e. leadership). His focus on the government's seeming inability to change outdated...

PNT By Other Means – Locata (GPS World)
Image: Locata system at White Sands missile test range. Locata Corp. What's New: GPS World has published a series of interviews with PNT providers with systems that complement and/or can be alternatives to GNSS. We will be featuring each over the next several weeks....

Jamming JDAM: The Threat to US Munitions from Russian Electronic Warfare (Ukraine) – Royal United Services Institute
Image: US Air Force What's New: A commentary published by the UK's Royal United Services Institute. We have previously posted press reports, though this commentary is a more systematic discussion. Why It's Important: This item discusses various ways that Russian...

Sun breaks out with record number of sunspots, sparking solar storm concerns – Space.com
Image: NASA What's New: Many scientists predicted this would be a relatively quiet solar cycle, but it is turning out to be one of the most active. Why It's Important: Solar activity can disrupt GPS and other GNSS signals, potentially for days. If strong enough they...

PNT and Great Power Competition
What's New: A recent talk given by RNTF President Dana A. Goward to the Rhode & Schwartz seminar at Assoc. of Old Crows Space Symposium, MITRE, Bedford, MA 21 June 2023. Why It's Important: China, Russia, Europe, the U.S. and U.K., India and others are all...

Quantum PNT Forging Ahead
Image: Shutterstock - IBM System One Quantum Computer 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas What's New: Increasing investment in quantum technologies could result in PNT devices that sense gravitational and magnetic fields at the atomic level. These could be much...

Panama Canal 3 Week GPS Disruption Mystery – GPSJam.org
Image: GPSJam.org What's New: Recent tweet from John Wiseman about a disruption incident at the Panama Canal last August. Why It's Important: We could report nearly every day about GPS interference of some kind. Why go back to August and look at this one? It lasted...

Synchronization and the impact of UTC discontinuities – ITU on 5G
Image: Shutterstock What's New: A relatively recent paper from the International Telecommunications Union reinforcing the essentiality of time and synchronization. Why It's Important: Time and sync are fundamental to almost every technology. Most tech uses GPS as its...

Scientists conduct first test of a wireless cosmic ray navigation system – ARS TECHNICA
Image: Shutterstock What's New: Another way to get location (but not time or sync). Why It's Important: New methods like this fill niche requirements. This one seems to address particularly difficult environments. What to Know: There are many technologies and ways to...

Backstabbed During Pakistan War, India ‘Ditches’ US GPS For ‘Much More Accurate’ NavIC Navigation System – EurAsian Times
Image: Shutterstock What's New: India establishing a regional navigation satellite system that will cooperate with, but operate independently of, GPS and other GNSS. Why It's Important: This is another instance of: PNT being an essential but invisible tool / weapon...

PNT Expert Matt Higgins on King’s Honours List
We were very pleased to see our colleague from the U.S. President's National Space-based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Advisory Board, Matt Higgins, appear on this year's King's Birthday Honours List receiving the Public Service Medal. Matt is one of three...

Spike in Russian GPS interference hit Estonia in early June – ERR.ee News
Image: GPSJam.org What's New: Russian defensive jamming and/or spoofing seems to have ramped up in early June near St. Petersburg and lapped over into the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Why It's Important: Aviation safety and air traffic control are...

No Surprise – AIS Spoofing on the Rise
Image: Skytruth What's New: Numerous reports of AIS spoofing. The most prominent was by the New York Times about a Russian oil tanker trying to evade surveillance and maintain its insurance coverage. Of course, AIS spoofing, especially by Russia, is not new. See, for...

It’s up to you, Minister!
Image: Minister Harbers, NL govt photo by Martijn Beekman Minister Mark Harbers is an important guy in The Netherlands. He is responsible for infrastructure and water management. With much of the country at or below sea level already, water management is a bid deal....

Saudi Arabia Upgrading to eLoran
Image: RNT Foundation What's New: Saudi Arabia is upgrading its Loran-C system to eLoran (OK, so not really new since this is from April, but we just saw the announcement). Why It's Important: While most governments say they are concerned about GNSS disruption, some...

Canada’s Ligado Decision
Image: Shutterstock What's New: Ligado sought permission for terrestrial broadcast in Canada on frequencies adjacent to GPS and was denied. The FCC granted Ligado permission to do so in the U.S. This decision was appealed by seven groups one of which was the RNT...

Magnetic Navigation Surging
Image: US Air Force What's New: In just the last several days two different organizations in the Dept of Defense have had media releases about magnetic navigation. Why its Important: Lots of folks, DOD especially, are always looking for ways to navigate when GPS and...

GPS Innovation Alliance Appoints Lisa Dyer
Blog Editor's Note: We missed this announcement somehow when it came out last month. Nevertheless, we are very glad to welcome MS Dyer to the community! "The GPS Innovation Alliance seeks to protect, promote, and enhance use of GPS." So, a lot of shared interests...

Starlink, other LEO & comms sats also jammed
Image: Shutterstock What's New: Russians are interfering with more than just GPS signals. They are jamming higher power satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) also. Why It's Important: Calculating one's location using communications satellites can be an alternative if...

DOT seeks Public Input on Advanced Air Mobility – ‘GPS is not enough’
Image: Shutterstock What's New: The Dept of Transportation (Office of the Secretary, interestingly, not FAA) is asking for public input on "Advanced Air Mobility" or AAM. According to NASA "The vision of AAM is that of a safe, accessible, automated, and affordable air...

UK considering eLoran broadcast licenses – GPS World
Image: RNT Foundation Blog Editor's Note: The author of this article is President of the RNT Foundation. UK considering eLoran broadcast licenses May 23, 2023 - By Dana Goward The United Kingdom’s spectrum agency, Ofcom, is seeking comments on its proposal to issue...

Defending Taiwan by countering China’s biggest threat – SpaceNews
Image: Shutterstock Blog Editor's Note: The authors are President and Chairman of the Board of the RNT Foundation. Opinion Defending Taiwan by countering China’s biggest threat Dana A. Goward and Martin C. Faga May 22, 2023 Dana A. Goward is president of the...

PNT left out of National Cyber Strategy – ION Newsletter
What's the news: National Cybersecurity Strategy doesn't recognize PNT as a critical component of cyber. Why it's important: IT systems use PNT feeds for data and to operate systems. Most PNT inputs are GPS-based. GPS signals are very easy to deny or imitate (hack)....

Space Junk Endangering GPS, Galileo, other GNSS
Image: European Space Agency What's New: Europe's concern about the increasing amount of dangerous debris in space threating Galileo, GPS and other satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). What to Know: There are MILLIONS, maybe tens of millions, of pieces of debris in...

GNSS Security Attack Vectors in National Critical Infrastructure – Chronos Technology
Image: Shutterstock What's New: A summary of various cyber attack vectors using GPS/GNSS by long-time RNTF member Chronos. Why It's Important: There has been a long standing debate in government as to whether PNT disruption is an electronic warfare or cyber problem....

An Intelligence Officer’s Perspective on China – RADM Studeman, USN
Department of Defense Image What's New: We included this as part of another post last week, but decided it was too important to be buried as part of something else. A great perspective on: China deliberately, over the long haul, using every lever of national power and...

How Resilient Position, Navigation and Timing can INSPIRe greater confidence in the Blue Economy – INSPIRe Team
Image: Shutterstock An informative LinkedIn post from our friends at NLA International. How Resilient Position, Navigation and Timing can INSPIRe greater confidence in the Blue Economy Blue Economy Pulse 2,012 followers Follow May 12, 2023 By Phil...

Japan to declare independence from GPS – Location Business News
Image: Govt of Japan What's New: Japan is increasing the number of its regional navigation satellites from 4 to either 7 or 11. Either way will allow users positioning, navigation, and timing independently from GPS. Why It's Important: Nations are concerned GPS may...

GPS & China’s “Unforgettable Humiliation” – Defense Strategies Institute remarks
Image: Shutterstock What's New: Growing awareness of multiple threats from China, including their huge Tactical PNT advantage in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea Strategic PNT advantage to the USA with Ability to attempt to influence policy and actions by threats...

Using TV For GPS Backup In The USA – Conference Paper
Image: National Assn. of Broadcasters What's New: More information about how TV broadcasts could be used to provide PNT independent of GPS. We have posted about this before. The article excerpted below provides an updated description. Why It's Important: Having more...

Using Comm Sats for PNT – Two new reports
Image: Shutterstock What's New: Several new papers showing how to use communications satellites to derive PNT. Why It's Important: There are lots of comms satellites up there They are in Low Earth Orbit, verses Medium Earth Orbit for GPS/GNSS, so signals are much...

“The most dangerous national security moment since WWII” – Senator Wicker on China
Department of Defense Image What's New: An impassioned short speech on the floor of the Senate by Sen. Wicker, ranking member of the Armed Services Committee Why it is Important: Part of a growing awareness of China as a multi, multi, multi dimensional threat. And a...