LOST ON THE NEXT BATTLEFIELD: THE NEED TO REPLACE GPS

[rangerrebew]

LOST ON THE NEXT BATTLEFIELD: THE NEED TO REPLACE GPS
Posted byRobert Hoffman   January 21, 2022   
 

    “I hate GPS. The idea that we are all hooked to a satellite…that doesn’t work in certain circumstances, does not work indoors or in valleys in Afghanistan, is ridiculous.”

     – Former Secretary of Defense Honorable Ashton Carter, June 2014

The Department of Defense (DoD) needs to focus its efforts on modernizing the way it delivers position, navigation, and timing (PNT). Without a fundamental shift away from the Global Positioning System (GPS), the DoD will not be competitive in near-peer conflicts.

The 1990s’ GPS technology revolution gave the DoD access to extremely accurate PNT data. It also gave the U.S. military an unparalleled advantage. As GPS became more reliable and accessible, the United States and many countries used its data for everything from recreational activities to transportation, banking, and agriculture. While the system started as a military capability, the civilian market now relies on it for computer networks, commercial aviation, and railroads. Power grids, of all things, make up the vast preponderance of GPS receivers.

America’s adversaries took note of this capability and soon developed similar global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). They also invested heavily in capabilities to deny the U.S. military its GPS access. In any future conflict with a near-peer adversary, the U.S. military can therefore expect to operate in a GPS-denied environment. This means the DoD needs to develop a comprehensive strategy now, to both manage a transition away from GPS and to pursue more resilient forms of PNT.

https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/articles/lost/

[AARguy]

The military has developed a system of tracking under contract with Rockwell. It uses a small box (about half the size of a pack of cigarettes) with a small chunk of ferrous metal emersed in oil. As the wearer moves, the metal moves (dampened movement in the oil). The movement is measured and translated into how the wearer is moving. It has been used to track folks in the field at Ft Benning. This data is from my days as an employee at CHI Systems, who fielded the devices twenty years ago. An Undersecretary of the Army had great interest at the time. I have no idea what the status is today.