Category: Defense

Norway proves Russian interference

Norway has electronic proof that Russian forces disrupted GPS signals during recent NATO war games, according to a report in Reuters news service.

The Scandinavian country and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member has demanded an explanation from its neighbor. “We recognize Russia’s right to exercise and train its capacities [but] it is not acceptable that this kind of activity affects security in Norwegian air space,” stated the Norwegian defense ministry.

Finland and Norway published claims in November that Russia may have intentionally disrupted GPS signals before and during NATO military exercises. The radio-frequency interference also affected the navigation of civilian air traffic in the Arctic. Both countries protested to Russia, which dismissed the allegations.

“We gave them the proof,” Norwegian Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen stated publicly. Russia demurred, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov terming the Norwegian allegations “a fantasy,” and said it would conducts its own investigation. “To be a neighbor of Russia you need to be patient,” added Bakke-Jensen.

Could Russia have targeted Norway intentionally? The minister replied: “They were exercising very close to the border and they knew this will affect areas on the other side.”

November saw NATO’s largest exercise in decades, involving forces from 31 countries in an area stretching from the Baltic Sea to Iceland.

Above: Krasukha jammer mounted on a heavy-duty truck, part of the radio electronic warfare unit (EW) of the Western Military District. (Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation)

March 20, 2019
Year-long ocean cruise finds GNSS interference…everywhere

A year-long project aboard a commercial cargo ship collected tens of thousands of snapshots of radio-frequency interference in the GNSS band on a passage from Spain to Korea and back. Most interference was detected in busy port areas, less interference while transiting along coasts, and while least frequent, interference was still found in the open ocean.

Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) are still analyzing the vast amount of GNSS disruption data collected during the year-long project. Two papers have already been published about this project, and more are on the way, according to principle researcher Emilio Pérez Marcos.

In a paper presented at the Institute of Navigation last year, Marcos and his co-authors outlined the results of the last five months of this unique sampling experiment. Detection equipment was mounted on a large Hapag-Lloyd container ship. The antenna was mounted about 50 meters above the water line and provided a line-of-sight of 25km or more. The L1/E1 and L5/E5a frequency bands were continuously monitored. In addition to a “Snapshot” recording device used to save raw data samples (time snapshots), a more resilient DLR multi-antenna receiver was used to assess the impact of interferences in beamforming array GNSS receivers (semi-resilient).

As might be expected, the most interference was detected in busy port areas. Less interference was experienced while transiting along coasts. While it was the least frequent, interference was still detected during open ocean transits.

Table: Emilio Pérez Marcos and co-authors

Of the 39,045 snapshots recorded, 6,632 contained radio frequency interference at 1dB or higher. Separate tests have shown that many single antenna GNSS receivers begin to perform poorly with interference signals greater than 1dB. The other 32,413 snapshots could represent interference signals that may have come from weaker transmitters, sources more distant from the ship, been the result of adjacent band transmissions, or other phenomena.

Three particularly strong and persistent interference incidents were noted in the paper.

The first was detected when the vessel was transiting the Suez Canal northbound. The interference lasted around five hours and 60km. At several points the interference prevented the DLR semi-resilient GNSS receiver from working properly, which would mean that any single antenna GNSS receiver would cease to function completely.

Vessel going north in Suez Canal. RFI detectable during approx. 60 km. Inset: Eigenvalues during the 5 hours that the RFI was detectable. (Graphic: Emilio Pérez Marcos)

The second caused the DLR receiver to fail when the vessel was entering Jebel Ali, the port of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The DLR receiver provided some resilience thanks to its beamforming capabilities; again any other receiver would have suffered the interference effects earlier being unable to provide any PVT. The receiver did not return to proper operation for 11 days and 5,000km. The reason for this is uncertain and under investigation.

Particularly strong interference (45dB) caused the third incident and resulted in the DLR receiver failing for three days. It began when the ship was entered the highly trafficked Malacca Straits.

The equipment used also allowed researchers to determine direction of arrival for the interfering signals and to evaluate whether the interference was a spoofing signal.

For the reported strong interference events, DLR consulted the captain of the ship, who attested and confirmed the loss of PVT in the ship’s own GNSS receiver, with all the consequences that this implies for the systems that rely on it.

The paper, “Interference and Spoofing Detection for GNSS Maritime Applications,” was presented at the ION GNSS+ conference in Miami in September of 2018. It described the last phase of a yearlong measurement effort aboard the ship by DLR. An earlier phase of the campaign has also been published in E. P. Marcos et al., “Interference awareness and characterization for GNSS maritime applications,” 2018 IEEE/ION Position, Location and Navigation Symposium (PLANS), Monterey, CA, 2018.

The authors are preparing additional papers to describe more of the results from the larger project.

Feature image: Emilio Pérez Marcos

March 13, 2019
BeiDou-guided ship completes first outbound trip; system eyes promotion in global markets

A Chinese cargo ship, the Rongda Changsha, equipped with receivers downloading signals from the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), arrived at Brunei, on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, in February after embarking from Luojing Port in Shanghai. This marks the first public successful application of BeiDou terminal products in the South China Sea and unveils China’s ambition to promote BeiDou products in the international marketplace.

The Shanghai-Brunei trip was a trial for not only examining BeiDou-3’s capacity, but for learning the users’ experience and needs. The data collected from the trip has been analyzed and applied for updating and prioritizing the marine navigation system, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), manufacturer of the Beidou receivers on the ship.

It is anticipated that more services will soon arrive, with Internet and voice calls facilitated by the messaging aspect of BDS, for further exploring industrial application scenarios and — importantly for government support of its GNSS — protecting Chinese outbound and inbound routes. The South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest waterways, and oil imports to China from the Middle East are a key strategic component of this traffic activity.

Deployment of BeiDou-3 was completed in late 2018 (see http://stage.globalpositioningnews.com/directions-2019-beidou-accelerates-global-deployment/) with the aim of providing navigation services for countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

BDS now covers more than 50 countries and more than 3 billion people. BDS-related products have gained access to the markets of more than 70 countries and regions, more than 30 of which are along the (land-based) Belt and (maritime) Road, in line with the Belt and Road Initiative. Through joint applications with other compatible navigation satellite systems, BDS provides global users with diversified choices for better application experience.

“Chinese security interests encompass not only China itself and nearby areas, but also the sea lanes that enable the import of raw materials and export of finished goods,” wrote Scott Pace in GPS World, December 2010. “In recent years, China has shown an increasing interest in ‘maritime domain awareness,’ in which satellite navigation is used for monitoring the transit of ships in the Indian Ocean (for example, oil from the Middle East) and the South China Sea (minerals from Australia, fishing zones). Satellite navigation is a dual-use, commercial and military, interest for China, and this may have prompted support for the more advanced, independent GNSS that would become Beidou-2 or Compass.”

Pace was chosen by the White House to serve as executive secretary of the National Space Council in July 2017. Pace is also director of the Space Policy Institute and Professor of Practice of International Affairs at George Washington University. He serves as a special counselor to the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Advisory Board.

March 4, 2019
FAA restricts drones over more DOJ and DOD facilities

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued additional drone flight restrictions over U.S. federal prisons, military bases and Pearl Harbor, effective Feb. 26.

At the request of its federal security partners, the FAA is using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) § 99.7 — “Special Security Instructions” — to address concerns about drone operations over national security sensitive facilities by establishing temporary unmanned aircraft system (UAS) specific flight restrictions.

This is in addition to previous restrictions over prisons, NGA facilities, DoD ships and other facilities.

Information on the FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), which defines these restrictions, and all of the currently covered locations, can be found at the FAA’s UAS Data Display System, which provides an interactive map, downloadable geospatial data, and other important details.

A link to the restrictions is also included in the FAA’s B4UFLY mobile app.

Additional, broader information regarding flying drones in the National Airspace System, including frequently asked questions, is available on the FAA’s UAS website.

In cooperation with Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Defense (DOD), the FAA is establishing additional restrictions on drone flights up to 400 feet within the lateral boundaries of the following federal facilities:

Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood Medium in Allenwood, PA
Federal Correctional Institution Beaumont Medium in Beaumont, TX
Federal Correctional Institution Butner Medium I in Butner, NC
Federal Correctional Institution Butner Medium II in Butner, NC
Federal Correctional Institution Coleman Medium near Sumterville, FL
Federal Correctional Institution Florence in Florence, CO
Federal Correctional Institution Forrest City Medium in Forrest City, AR
Federal Correctional Institution Hazelton near Bruceton Mills, WV
Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc in Lompoc, CA
Federal Correctional Institution Oakdale I in Oakdale, LA
Federal Correctional Institution Oakdale II in Oakdale, LA
Federal Correctional Institution Petersburg near Hopewell, VA
Federal Correctional Institution Pollock in Pollock, LA
Federal Correctional Institution Terre Haute in Terre Haute, IN
Federal Correctional Institution Tucson in Tucson, AZ
Federal Correctional Institution Victorville Medium I in Victorville, CA
Federal Correctional Institution Victorville Medium II in Victorville, CA
Federal Correctional Institution Yazoo City Medium in Yazoo City, MS
Federal Detention Center Honolulu in Honolulu, HI
Federal Detention Center Houston in Houston, TX
Federal Detention Center Miami in Miami, FL
Federal Detention Center Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA
Federal Detention Center SeaTac near Seattle, WA
Federal Medical Center Carswell near Fort Worth, TX
Federal Medical Center Fort Worth in Fort Worth, TX
Federal Medical Center Rochester in Rochester, MN
Metropolitan Correctional Center Chicago in Chicago, IL
Metropolitan Correctional Center New York in New York City, NY
Metropolitan Correctional Center San Diego in San Diego, CA
Medical Center for Federal Prisoners Springfield in Springfield, MO
Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn in Brooklyn, NY
Metropolitan Detention Center Guaynabo in Guaynabo, PR
Metropolitan Detention Center Los Angeles in Los Angeles, CA
Fort Detrick in Frederick, MD
Fort Gordon near Augusta, GA
Fort Lee near Richmond, VA
Holston Army Ammunition Plant near Kingsport, TN
McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in McAlester, OK
Radford Army Ammunition Plant in Radford, VA
Joint Base McGuire near Trenton, NJ
Pearl Harbor Naval Defense Sea Area in Honolulu, HI

These changes, which have been highlighted by FAA NOTAM FDC [9/2586], are pending until they become effective on Feb. 26. Note that there are only a few exceptions that permit drone flights within these restrictions, and they must be coordinated with the individual facility or the FAA.

Operators who violate the flight restrictions may be subject to enforcement action, including potential civil penalties and criminal charges.

The FAA is continuing to consider additional requests by eligible federal security agencies for UAS-specific flight restrictions using the agency’s § 99.7 authority as they are received. Additional changes to these restrictions will be announced by the FAA as appropriate.

February 19, 2019
Systron Donner updates SDN500-xE MEMS INS/GPS

Photo: Systron Donner

Systron Donner Inertial (SDI) has released an update to its SDN500 digital quartz MEMS GPS inertial navigation system (GPS/INS).

Introduced in 2011, the SDN500 is a platform extension of SDI’s proven, tactical-grade SDI500 IMU.

The modular, compact, 25 in³ SDN500 provides for maximum packaging flexibility in dense systems and delivers accuracies to within 1.0 mrad in attitude, 0.1 m/s in velocity and 3.9 meters spherical error probability (SEP), the company said.

The SDN500-xE product update provides a newer generation JF2 (C/A) Code GPS receiver and tightly couples the 1 PPS GPS signal to the SDI505 IMU synch pulse to improve heading performance and reduce jitter after long periods of operation without dynamic inputs. The specifications for the updated SDN500-xE will remain the same as the current SDN500-xD INS/GPS device.

The SDN500 offers superior tactical-grade performance integrating SDI’s latest generation quartz gyros capable of 0.5°/hr. bias in-run stability and exceptionally low ARW (0.02°/√ hr.), quartz accelerometers delivering 0.5 milli-g in-run bias stability and low VRW (80 µg/√ Hz.), plus high speed digital signal into a tightly coupled GPS-aided Inertial Navigation System for tactical navigation and geo-location applications.

February 13, 2019
Pentagon inspector general to look at SpaceX launch certification

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, Jan. 14. (Photo: SpaceX)

Starting this month, the inspector general for the U.S. Pentagon will be reviewing how SpaceX’s rockets became certified to launch payloads for the U.S. Air Force, a decision made in May 2015.

“Our objective is to determine whether the U.S. Air Force complied with the Launch Services New Entrant Certification Guide when certifying the launch system design for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle-class SpaceX Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles,” wrote Michael J. Roark, deputy inspector general for Intelligence and Special Program Assessments, in a Feb. 11 memorandum to the Air Force.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried the first GPS III satellite into orbit on Dec. 23, 2018.

In April 2016, the U.S. Air Force awarded SpaceX the first competitively sourced National Security Space (NSS) launch services contract in more than a decade, when the company won the GPS III Launch Services contract, fixed at $82,700,000.

Less than one year later, SpaceX was awarded a second contract for launch services to deliver a GPS III satellite to its intended orbit.

The evaluation will be performed at the Space and Missile Systems Center, a unit of Air Force Space Command, headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California. Additional locations may also be identified as part of the audit.

February 12, 2019
Garmin’s GPS 3000 enables ADS-B and WAAS/SBAS operational capability

Photo: Garmin

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd., has launched the GPS 3000, a high-integrity GPS position sensor that interfaces to existing avionics to help meet Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out requirements.

Also, targeting the air transport and defense markets, the GPS 3000 is designed as a WAAS/SBAS position source for select Flight Management Systems (FMS).

Aircraft that are eligible to utilize the GPS 3000 as an ADS-B position source include the Embraer E135/E145 and the Legacy 600/650. Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for the GPS 3000 in these aircraft is currently available from FTI Engineering, in cooperation with Atlas Air Service in Germany, and can be installed throughout the entire Garmin dealer network.

“Garmin continues to lead the industry with the most fielded ADS-B solutions that span all segments of aviation, including a wide-range of commercial, defense, regional and business aircraft,” said Carl Wolf, vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “We are thrilled to provide these aircraft with a solution that is cost-effective and is an easy to install alternative to the existing avionics manufacturer’s service bulletin.”

A rugged, stand-alone and certified Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)/Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) GPS, the GPS 3000 meets DO-160 and DO-178B standards and is designed specifically for the harsh environmental conditions encountered by commercial aircraft.

This compact and remote-mount solution utilizes enhanced WAAS/SBAS GPS satellite signals to provide precise position data through a standard interface. It also meets applicable high-integrity ADS-B position source standards, including TSO-C145d Class 3, the company said.

The GPS 3000 is also designed to interface with select FMS to support GPS guidance throughout terminal, enroute and approach navigation. When configured appropriately, the GPS 3000 is capable of providing position information to an existing FMS to meet requirements for Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and can support GPS-based vertical approach navigation, such as Localizer Performance with Vertical (LPV) approach guidance.

European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) STC of the GPS 3000 in the Embraer E135/E145 and Legacy 600/650 is available from FTI Engineering, in cooperation with Atlas Air Service, as well as Garmin dealers. FAA validation of the STC is pending.

February 12, 2019
UK tests tracking UGVs in military exercise

In December 2018 near Salisbury, England, four Milrem Robotics’ and QinetiQ TITAN unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) were put through three weeks of rigorous tests by British troops during the Army Warfighting Experiment 2018 (AWE18).

The goal was to determine how new unmanned technologies can enhance soldier’s survivability and effectiveness on the modern battlefield.

The modular base can be adapted for various missions, including casualty retrieval. (Photo: Milrem Robotics)

The test was conducted in three phases: conduct combat operations without the benefit of new technologies; conduct combat operations using new technologies but without changing tactics; and, lastly, conduct combat operations using new technologies and adapting tactics according to the capability that the new technology provides.

The UGVs were used in a number of different roles with missions conducted in urban, open and forested terrain.

In remote-control mode, a command-and-control station allows the operator to receive real-time sensor data from the UGV and to transmit command data to the vehicle through a tactical data link. Various third-party sensor packages can be installed.

Of the four Milrem UGVs, two were deployed by Milrem Robotics and two by QinetiQ. The Milrem-fielded systems included one configured as a casualty evacuation and logistical support unit and a second unit equipped with a tethered multi-rotor drone pod provided by Threod Systems.

One of the four UGVs was TITAN Strike, a prototype system carrying a Kongsberg remote weapon station, fully controlled by a remote operator and using QinetiQ’s Pointer system as a means of integrating the capability with dismounted infantry.

The second system, TITAN Sentry, also enabled with Pointer, featured a Hensoldt-provided sensor suite including electro-optical and thermal-imaging cameras and a battlefield radar.

February 6, 2019
U.S. Navy, Air Force order anti-ship missiles from Lockheed

Lockheed Martin has received a $172 million contract from the U.S. Navy and Air Force for Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) production. The LRASM is designed to reduce dependence on GPS.

The contract continues the production for the air-launched variant of LRASM, including a full production run of missiles and engineering support. This is the second of several expected annual production lots that will deliver next-generation anti-ship missiles to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force.

LRASM is designed to detect and destroy specific targets within groups of ships by employing advanced technologies that reduce dependence on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, network links and GPS navigation in electronic warfare environments.

LRASM will play a significant role in ensuring military access to operate in open ocean/blue waters, owing to its enhanced ability to discriminate and conduct tactical engagements from extended ranges.

LRASM is a precision-guided, anti-ship standoff missile based on the successful Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range (JASSM-ER). It is designed to meet the needs of U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force Warfighters in contested environments.

The air-launched variant provides an early operational capability for the U.S. Navy’s offensive anti-surface warfare Increment I requirement. With the recent EOC declaration by the U.S. Air Force for the B-1B, the focus is now on the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in 2019.

“LRASM brings a game-changing capability to both the U.S. Air Force and the Navy,” said David Helsel, LRASM director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This second production lot will provide anti-ship missiles for both the B-1B and F/A-18E/F, bringing sea control back to our warfighters.”

Artist’s rendering: Lockheed Martin

January 15, 2019
Spirent Federal’s SimMNSA granted security approval by GPS Directorate

Spirent Federal Systems, provider of GPS/GNSS test equipment, has announced that its new M-code solution, SimMNSA, has been granted security approval by the Global Positioning System Directorate.

Spirent Federal is the first company to provide such a solution for simulating classified GPS signals, and is currently taking orders, the company said.

The GSS9000 simulator. (Photo: Spirent)

In 2017, Spirent Federal Systems partnered with Rockwell Collins to develop new software that will use the Modernized Navstar Security Algorithm (MNSA). This new approach of M-code simulation adds to Spirent Federal’s portfolio of classified signal simulation solutions, and will be available to authorized users of the GSS9000 series simulators.

“With the increased focus on M-code by the GPS Directorate, we are pleased that our team has paved the way in the development of SimMNSA,” said Ellen Hall, CEO of Spirent Federal Systems. “It was a great challenge to get to this point, but we are excited about what we have accomplished.”

The new test solution continues Spirent Federal Systems history of innovation and being first to market with M-code simulation software, the company said. Spirent’s GPS/GNSS solutions have supported numerous government, military and U.S. Department of Defense programs for more than 30 years.

January 2, 2019
First GPS III launch delayed for rocket issues

The scheduled launch of the first GPS III satellite on December 18 was scrubbed, reportedly due to first stage liquid oxygen thermal limit constraints aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 launch vehicle’s first stage reaching safety limits. A second attempt on December 19 was later ruled out due to ongoing evaluations into the sensor issue.

The launch window may open again on Dec. 20.

This was to have been the first GPS launch aboard a SpaceX rocket, as well as the first SpaceX contracted U.S. National Security mission.

A Falcon 9 rocket awaits launch. (Photo: SpaceX)

The first GPS III satellite was originally scheduled to ride aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV M+ rocket. ULA and/or its prime partners, Lockheed-Martin and Boeing, have conducted every GPS satellite launch since the start of the program. However, due to an assortment of issues variously involving delayed technology development and lawsuits regarding competitive bidding, the Air Force re-opened bidding for the contract as part of its Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program — “evolved” signifying that the rocket can be recovered and reused.

Recycling Rockets. ULA did not bid on the re-opened contract, citing concerns over the selection process and potential risks with the anticipated lower launch cost. In 2016, the Air Force selected SpaceX to take over most GPS III launches.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 for this launch will use a new first stage core, the B1054. Although it has re-use capability, it will fly in an expendable configuration this time, with no landing legs and no grid fins. It will be disposed of into the Atlantic Ocean after separation from the second stage.

In other missions, after the satellite-bearing stage separates from the rest of the rocket, the remaining core launcher fires additional fuel to return intact to land or to sea aboard an Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship (ASDS), a converted barge awaiting in the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.

New Generation of GPS. As attentive readers already know, GPS III SV01 is the first of an entirely new design of GPS satellite that will help the Air Force modernize today’s GPS constellation with new technology and advanced capabilities.

GPS III has three times better accuracy and up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities. Spacecraft life will extend to 15 years, 25 percent longer than any of the GPS satellites on-orbit today. GPS III’s new L1C civil signal also will make it the first GPS satellite broadcasting a compatible signal with other international global navigation satellite systems, like Galileo, improving connectivity for civilian users.

Lockheed Martin developed GPS III and manufactured GPS III SV01 at its GPS III Processing Facility near Denver. In September 2017, the Air Force declared the satellite “Available for Launch” (AFL) and had the company place it into storage. In 2018, the Air Force called up the satellite for launch and Lockheed Martin delivered it to Florida on Aug. 20. The Air Force nicknamed the satellite “Vespucci” after Italian explorer, navigator and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci.

GPS III SV01 is the first of 10 GPS III satellites originally ordered by the Air Force. GPS III SV03-08 are now in various stages of assembly and test. In August, the Air Force declared the second GPS III AFL and in November called GPS III SV02 up for 2019 launch.

December 19, 2018
United Technologies Corp. acquires Rockwell Collins

United Technologies Corp. (UTC) has completed its acquisition of Rockwell Collins. The two companies will now combine to form Collins Aerospace Systems and be based in Palm Beach City, Florida.

Collins Aerospace Systems will have about 70,000 employees. Rockwell Collins CEO and President Kelly Ortberg will be the CEO of the newly formed company. UTC Aerospace President Dave Gitlin will serve as president.

There are no immediate changes planned as to how many employees will be based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, or Collins Aerospace’s other locations in Eastern Iowa, said Collins Aerospace spokeswoman Pam Tvrdy-Cleary.

However, the company’s avionics and mission systems will be based in Cedar Rapids. Kent Statler, former Rockwell chief operating officer for commercial systems, will head the avionics unit, and Phil Jasper, former Rockwell chief operating officer for government systems, will be in charge of the mission systems.

December 11, 2018