Apogee has been awarded a five-year, $103 million task order to provide positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) support services for the U.S. Department of Defense.
The contract supports modernization, acquisition and sustainment planning across the international PNT enterprise, ensuring resilient and reliable capabilities that underpin critical military operations worldwide.
Under the contract, Apogee will deliver technical expertise and mission support across multiple locations, including Robins Air Force Base, Georgia; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
Apogee’s team will contribute to advancing next-generation PNT capabilities, strengthening system performance and supporting the continued evolution of a mission essential to joint and coalition operations.
Apogee is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with regional offices nationwide.
Government, industry and public safety leaders call for action on PNT resiliency as threats escalate.
GPS is the invisible backbone of modern life, supporting America’s national and economic security in ways both recognized and overlooked. While other countries have developed competing systems, GPS remains far ahead of its rivals. Yet that dominance is also a vulnerability. GPS is a single point of failure, and the U.S. lacks complementary positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions. A successful disruption could cost the U.S. economy $1.6 billion per day and impact everything from first responders to our energy grids.
As threats to GPS reliability mount, policymakers and industry leaders gathered on Capitol Hill to underscore the urgent need for backup systems to protect America’s PNT infrastructure.
Last month, I hosted an event on Capitol Hill called: “The Race to GPS Resiliency: What the US Can Do Today to Strengthen National Security.” It brought together senior officials from the Department of Defense (DOD), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Congress and industry to make the case for a layered approach to PNT resiliency. These experts examined the technical vulnerabilities of GPS, the increasing frequency of jamming and spoofing incidents, and the policy measures required to expedite the deployment of complementary technologies.
GPS: Foundational and Fragile
The first panel focused on how federal agencies are addressing growing vulnerabilities in GPS. Thomas Rondeau, Ph.D., principal director for FutureG at DOD, shared some eye-opening insights, including how a DARPA project demonstrated that, for less than $300 in parts from Amazon, one could “create a very bad day for the American military.” He called GPS disruption one of the easiest threats to develop and warned that adversaries are already exploiting this vulnerability as part of modern conflict.
From left to right: Diego Areas Munhoz, reporter, Punchbowl; Thomas Rondeau, Ph.D., principal director for FutureG, DOD; Arpan Sura, senior counsel, chief AI officer, FCC.
Rondeau shared how GPS disruption is now a feature of modern warfare, as he witnessed firsthand during his time at DARPA: “We were seeing massive loss of capabilities, and ordnance, because they were dependent on GPS. And as soon as they flew there, the tent turns on, capability goes away, we lose… assets.”
Arpan Sura, senior counsel and chief AI officer at the FCC, walked through the FCC’s process for evaluating GPS alternatives and discussed how the agency is considering complementary PNT technologies.
“National security is one of his (Chairman Carr’s) top priorities. And we recognize, as Tom mentioned, that GPS remains vulnerable to jamming and spoofing. But also, non-national security threats like solar flares, environmental risks like orbital debris. And there is heavy reliance on it in the U.S. economy,” Mr. Sura said.
Lives on the Line
From left to right: Mariam Sorond, board chair and CEO, NextNav; Adam Eldert, director of public safety for Fairfax County, Virginia.
During the second panel, the conversation shifted from global conflict zones to local communities. Adam Eldert, director of public safety for Fairfax County, Virginia, emphasized the life-saving value of resilient PNT technologies in emergency response.
“Technology should be carrying us forward, allowing us to make better decisions with the information we have to affect life-saving measures faster, get to places quicker and avoid any sort of potential problems,” said Eldert.
Mariam Sorond, CEO and president of NextNav, pointed out that GPS limitations can delay locating 911 callers and responding to active threats like a mass shooting situation she and Eldert had previously discussed. “It’s not just to save somebody’s life, but it’s also about preventing disasters.”
She then highlighted the company’s 5G-powered 3D terrestrial PNT solution, which is currently being considered by the FCC’s ongoing Notice of Inquiry on PNT and in a separate Petition for Rulemaking specific to NextNav. She explained that the company is working to address a national security challenge with a near-term, future-proof solution that delivers a widescale terrestrial PNT solution without relying on taxpayer funding.
Congressional Support
The closing panel featured Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and former Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), who previously chaired the full committee.
Both Hudson and Walden warned that the United States is lagging behind adversaries such as China and Russia in deploying terrestrial backup systems to GPS.
Chairman Hudson reflected on how the issue hits close to home: “I represent Fort Bragg, the largest army base in the world. We call it the epicenter of the universe. Our special forces and airborne troops that deploy out of Fort Bragg rely on GPS for almost everything they do. So, real-life scenarios with them keep me awake at night.”
Chairman Walden spoke about another high-profile case in San Diego. “[T]here was a naval exercise between two ships, and they jammed GPS… which caused some issues, ” said Walden. “It also speaks to the problem we have, in America, where, unlike China and Russia, two of our adversaries, they have terrestrial-based systems for GPS backup.”
What Comes Next
The event made clear that action is needed — and possible. Mr. Sura told the crowd that he believes the FCC’s Notice of Inquiry will help drive a conversation about a holistic approach to PNT resiliency, exploring the economics of how these systems will work, and how to foster competition in a way that will yield multiple outcomes. When asked about next steps, Mr. Sura encouraged the group to “stay tuned.”
Speakers throughout the event called for continued public-private collaboration to accelerate development of a more resilient PNT system — one that combines space-based and terrestrial technologies to safeguard national security, critical infrastructure, and public safety.
Congressman Hudson closed with a note of urgency and optimism: “It’s clear the FCC understands the urgency, and they’re conducting thorough reviews right now.”
Diane Rinaldo of Peake Advisors, which sponsored the event, is one of the country’s leading authorities on 5G, telecommunications supply chain security and privacy. She served as Acting Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information in the first Trump Administration.
Honeywell has been selected by the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to participate in the Transition of Quantum Sensing (TQS) program. The program aims to accelerate adoption of quantum sensors to address near-term alternative position, navigation and timing (PNT) and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) applications for the U.S. Joint Forces Command.
Honeywell has been chosen to support the TQS program under two DOD contracts: CRUISE (Compact Rubidium Unit for Inertial Sensing and Estimation) and QUEST (Quantum Enabled Sensor Technologies for MagNav).
“With the growing threat of jamming and spoofing, aircraft and naval vessels on critical missions can no longer rely solely on GPS,” said Matt Picchetti, vice president and general manager, Navigation and Sensors, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “Quantum sensors have the potential to augment existing navigation solutions, helping pilots operate with greater confidence. Honeywell’s pedigree in fielded sensors and navigation solutions provide us with a unique perspective to ensure the technology is viable beyond the laboratory.”
The CRUISE program, established by the DOD in partnership with Vector Atomic, will focus on developing quantum sensor-based inertial measurement units (IMUs) to provide a standalone navigation solution without relying on traditional GNSS susceptible to jamming and spoofing. Honeywell will support the development of this quantum-sensor-based technology, which will enable the measurement of acceleration and orientation from an IMU mounted to a vehicle to calculate changes in position and velocity. As a result, it will meet next-generation performance requirements at a lower size, weight and power than existing products.
The QUEST program aims to advance the performance of magnetic anomaly aided navigation (MagNav), which is a GNSS-independent navigation technique that uses quantum magnetometers to leverage measurements of the magnetic field of the Earth as a navigation signal. Through the program, the DOD aims to improve these quantum magnetometers and demonstrate their utility in GNSS-denied flight. Building on its deep expertise in innovative navigation solutions, Honeywell’s main contribution will be to generate novel algorithms that utilize these sensors and improve navigation accuracy.
“As quantum sensor-based navigation technology matures, we believe it not only has the potential to displace existing technologies but will also be a serious disruptor to the inertial and magnetic sensor industries,” Picchetti said. “Most importantly, it could improve navigation in high-stakes environments – enhancing safety, efficiency and overall mission success for the DOD.”
The United States Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has awarded TrustPoint a $1.2 million Small Business Innovation Research Phase II contract. The funding supports the initial delivery and demonstration of TrustPoint’s C-band GNSS service-enabled receivers for the U.S. government. TrustPoint is collaborating with Hexagon U.S. Federal and NovAtel, both part of Hexagon.
This project combines TrustPoint’s C-band services with NovAtel’s GNSS receiver technology, aiming to advance resilient positioning, navigation and timing solutions for military use. The partnership draws on extensive experience in military-grade GNSS equipment and services, and represents a significant step in developing technology that can operate reliably in challenging operational environments.
The contract highlights the increasing importance of frequency and orbital diversity for future navigation and timing needs. With Hexagon as a key partner, TrustPoint is positioned to address the Department of Defense’s evolving requirements for assured PNT, supporting mission continuity even in contested environments
The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Xona Space Systems a contract to demonstrate and refine its commercial positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions for Department of Defense (DOD) missions. The agreement, facilitated through the Space Technology Advanced Research — Fast-tracking Innovative Software and Hardware (STAR-FISH) program, increases Xona’s total contracted commitments to more than $20 million.
Under the contract, Xona will evaluate its PULSAR satellite navigation service across commercial user devices in scenarios where GPS/GNSS signals may be denied or challenged. Testing will focus on assessing resistance to jamming and spoofing, reducing multipath interference and implementing secure key distribution protocols. The initiative aims to expedite the development of advanced alternative PNT capabilities in commercial off-the-shelf equipment, aligning with DOD requirements for rapid deployment.
Xona has collaborated with GPS/GNSS hardware providers QinetiQ, StarNav and Locus Lock to integrate PULSAR-enabled devices. These partners will participate in performance demonstrations as part of the multi-year effort, which includes leveraging Xona’s simulation tools and plans to utilize the first PULSAR satellite scheduled for launch in June 2025.
Unidentified UAVs over military installations have sparked security concerns across the United States. Numerous sightings of suspected drones have been reported over residential areas, restricted sites and critical infrastructure, including reservoirs, electric transmission lines, rail stations, police departments and military bases. These incidents have prompted federal agencies to investigate and address increasing public concerns.
Government response
John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, provided an update regarding the recent drone sightings across the United States. According to Kirby, more than 5,000 drone sightings have been reported in recent weeks, but only about 100 of these required further investigation.
Kirby said the sightings have included a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as some crewed aircraft and stars mistaken for drones.
However, the U.S. government is implementing precautionary measures. UAV detection and tracking systems are being installed at Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey. The FBI is spearheading investigations into the sightings, and local law enforcement agencies are conducting their own inquiries as well, CNN reported.
Several military installations have reported drone activity, including:
Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey confirmed 11 unauthorized drone flights over its airspace.
Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey has also reported drone sightings.
Ramstein Air Base in Germany experienced drone activity in early December 2024.
In an interview with ABC News, Alejandro Mayorkas, head of the Department of Homeland Security, said, “There’s no question that drones are being sighted.”
Impact on daily operations
The drone sightings have affected civilian infrastructure as well. Stewart International Airport in New York temporarily closed its runways for about an hour due to reported drone activity. Residents in several East Coast states have also reported seeing hovering and low-flying bright lights at night.
While the increase in sightings has raised concerns among residents and lawmakers alike, federal authorities maintain that most of these incidents do not pose a significant threat to public safety or national security.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has unveiled a comprehensive classified strategy for countering unmanned systems. This strategy, signed by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, seeks to address the evolving threats posed by unmanned systems in both current and potential future threats.
Key components of the strategy
This strategy is based on various DOD initiatives, such as the Joint Counter-Small UAS Office, the Warfighter Senior Integration Group, and the Replicator 2 initiative. It also appoints NORTHCOM and INDOPACOM as the lead coordinators for counter-UAS operations, promoting a unified effort in domestic and international airspace.
The strategy identifies five primary objectives:
Improving the detection and characterization of unmanned system threats.
Disrupting and weakening the networks to facilitate the proliferation of unmanned systems.
Defending U.S. interests by incorporating counter-unmanned systems into essential warfighting capabilities.
Providing solutions that enhance speed, adaptability, and scale.
Prioritizing counter-unmanned systems in the design and development of future joint forces.
To achieve these objectives, the DOD plans to launch deliberate campaigns to counter threat networks in partnership with other U.S. departments and agencies, enhance both active and passive defenses, clarify authorities and embed defense measures across military doctrine, training and policy. Additionally, it aims to leverage rapid acquisition approaches and partnerships with industry and allies.
A key component of this strategy is the Replicator 2 initiative, announced in September 2024. This effort focuses specifically on countering small drone threats to critical installations and force concentrations. The Pentagon aims to seek funding for Replicator 2 in the fiscal 2026 budget request, with the goal of fielding improved counter-drone capabilities within 24 months of receiving congressional funding.
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has allowed Ligado Networks to proceed with its $39 billion lawsuit against the federal government, marking a significant development in a long-standing dispute over 5G spectrum usage and property rights.
Judge Edward Damich partially favored Ligado by acknowledging the company’s case for property interest in the spectrum allegedly used by the Department of Defense (DOD) while rejecting its claim that the FCC license constituted a property right subject to federal taking.
The controversy stems from the FCC’s 2020 decision granting Ligado exclusive authority over spectrum near GPS frequencies, raising concerns about potential interference with GPS systems. Ligado’s October 2023 lawsuit accuses the U.S. government of conducting a “multiyear misinformation and disparagement campaign” to conceal its activities and misappropriate Ligado’s licensed spectrum for DOD systems without permission or compensation.
The government attempted to dismiss the lawsuit in January 2024, arguing lack of jurisdiction and that Ligado couldn’t establish a cognizable property interest in its FCC license. However, Judge Damich’s ruling allows the case to proceed.
At the core of this dispute is the proximity of Ligado’s L-band spectrum to GPS frequencies, raising concerns about potential interference with critical GPS signals used for navigation, timing and various applications essential for national security and economic stability. The DOD, GPS companies and industry officials have strongly opposed Ligado’s plans for a terrestrial 5G network, arguing it could cause harmful interference to GPS receivers.
CACI International has been awarded a ten-year contract valued at up to $450 million to support the Joint Navigation Warfare Center (JNWC), an operational center of U.S. Space Forces and the Department of Defense’s (DOD) center of excellence for navigation warfare (NAVWAR).
Under this contract, CACI will provide 24/7 operations support, joint and operational planning, adversary positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) capability assessments and other tasks to enhance joint force, DOD combatant commander, interagency and allied NAVWAR requirements.
“Adversary PNT capabilities rapidly evolve, putting our warfighters and national security operations at risk around the world,” said John Mengucci, CACI president and CEO. “CACI’s experts comprehensively understand multi-domain PNT threats and advise combatant and joint force commanders on how to swiftly respond to NAVWAR threats and operational requirements.”
PNT is critical to U.S. national security and NAVWAR. This includes deliberate defensive and offensive actions to ensure and prevent PNT use through space, cyber and electronic warfare. The contract represents new work for CACI, with mission experts supporting global NAVWAR reach-back operations via the Joint NAVWAR Operations Center (JNOC). These experts will assist combatant commanders in operating in PNT-disrupted, denied and degraded areas by conducting operational field assessments, war gaming scenarios, modeling and simulating threats and more.
K1000ULE in flight. (Photo: Kraus Hamdani Aerospace)
There was a lot of press noise in December 2023 about DOD’s Replicator program– which has been interpreted as a project to field thousands of U.S. UAVs to counter a perceived weakness in the face of China’s options for waging UAV war. Then there was a move by the Replicator program office to better explain its approach. It was reported as having at least four concurrent elements:
Encourage U.S. industry to conceive and implement ways to overcome the new aspects of conducting war and possibly use more UAVs more often.
Let China know that the United States is already on the move to not only keep up with but exceed Chinese capabilities.
Overhaul the extremely burdensome and slow existing DOD procurement machine to make large, rapid acquisitions.
Invigorate DOD military services to quickly adapt to find ways to use UAVs in multiple offensive and defensive roles.
Presumably, lessons learned in Ukraine — where both sides have been throwing both improvised and specially designed explosive drones at each other — and U.S. Red Sea encounters with Houthi rebels — have helped to frame some of Replicator’s objectives.
Anyone who has labored through a DOD request for proposal (RFP), RFP response, competitive re-bid and maybe even more competitive re-rebid that potentially led to months of questions and waiting leading to an ultimate reward or disappointment can imagine what hoops the procuring agency had to jump through. They can also imagine the time that elapsed from the definition of a requirement to a written firm procurement specification, and approval of a procurement package.
Never mind the allocation of procurement staff, establishing a budget and then processing of possibly multiple responses – this is a complex, arduous and time-consuming task for both industry and the procurement agencies. With help from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), it is anticipated that acquiring and fielding thousands of commercially available autonomous drones will now go quicker.
Imagine the inertia needed to change the way that military services use the materiel they’ve acquired and how difficult it might be to change what is bought and how it is used at the very front end of a war effort. When the opposition chucks many, small, inexpensive, airborne bombs at you and you do not have an immediate answer other than a limited number of multi-million-dollar interceptor missiles, it can be very painful. Matching drones with drones is essential.
Replicator was initially envisaged as a $1 billion program over two years to counter this and other problems for the warfighter.
On March 23, Congress finally passed the FY 24 $825 billion defense spending bill — almost six months late — which contained $200 million for Replicator, and DOD began to scramble to find an additional $300 million for the program’s first year. It should work out as there is money currently unspent from the FY23 budget that DOD has already requested Congress to re-allocate, and there is only a little more than six months left for this fiscal year anyway.
It is rumored that AeroVironment, with its Switchblade 600 semi-autonomous, one-way Kamikaze UAV, may benefit from an early Replicator procurement. With an anti-armor charge, Switchblade weighs about 50 lb and can fly for 24 miles and up to 40 minutes before engaging its target, allowing adequate time for manual intervention.
The U.S. Navy has selected a solar-powered UAV from a California start-up because it is the best demonstrated commercially available option for their Marine Corps scouting group.
The K1000ULE from KHAero in Emeryville, California is a long-range reconnaissance UAV.
With 24-hour flight endurance, extremely quiet and virtually radar-undetectable, the UAV provides the Marines with a suitable scouting tool – almost a launch-and-forget facility for day and night, most weather recon activities. It is also a relatively low workload for a team of only three to five personnel to transport and operate.
With vertical take-off and landing capabilities, the K1000ULE is ideal for covert autonomous operations from unprepared areas that a small squad might secure. The mission equipage includes full-motion video with target identification and classification and a secure communications systems.
With anti-jam, anti-spoofing multi-constellation GNSS, the vehicle can operate reliably in most signal-denied areas. It finds and automatically uses thermal columns to soar up to 20,000 ft and loiter undetected. It is capable of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight, can carry ADS-B for airborne collision avoidance and can be operated in swarms by a single operator when required – quite some UAV!
The Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie Wingman UAV was developed to work with and on-behalf of high-end airborne assets, such as the F-22 and F-35, and is termed an ‘attributable’ adjunct to these ~$90 million fighter/ground-attack aircraft. Autonomous, driven by AI, and stealthy, the jet-powered UAV carries General Aviation electronics, along with other military communications. It is said to cost in the $5 to 10 million range — which makes it somewhat disposable if it is sent into a “tight or risky” location from which its fighter escort should hold back.
With a 3,000 miles range, 45,000 ft ceiling and carrying capacity of up to 1,800 lb of under-wing armaments, the aircraft can be controlled from an accompanying aircraft as a “Loyal Wingman,” or from the ground and be dispatched to carry out an autonomous, independent mission, requiring approval by a person to release weapons.
The XQ-58A was recently flown with two U.S. Marine Corps F-35 fighter jets at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida to demonstrate the capability for electronic attack and to fly alongside these fifth-generation high-end aircraft. The UAV autonomously detected, classified, and positioned multiple simulated targets during the exercise and provided target-tracking information to the F-35s.
The “Loyal Wingman” concept is still being developed and there are other companies, including Boeing Australia, flying competing prototype UAVs.
So, a more mil-spec tone to this month’s UAV updates, nevertheless a short recap of recent interesting unmanned, autonomous aircraft developments.
AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2024 will be held April 22 to 25 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.
The event’s key themes include infrastructure and operations, technical research and development, data and analytics, cybersecurity and policy and regulations. The conference will feature keynotes, educational sessions, specialized workshops, and an XPO Hall with more than 30 exhibit categories with technologies across air, land and maritime sectors.
XPONENTIAL attracts more than 7,500 attendees each year, who attend more than 200 educational sessions as part of the full conference. The current keynote sessions include innovators with diverse perspectives and backgrounds who will speak on pressing topics and address key questions affecting the autonomous community.
Confirmed speakers include:
Doug Beck
Director, Defense Innovation Unit
Operationalizing DIU 3.0
Responsible for accelerating the Department of Defense (DoD) adoption of commercial technology through the military, Beck will discuss how defense agencies and industry can collaborate to strengthen national security. This session will be moderated by Courtney Albon, emerging technology reporter for Defense News and C4ISRNET.
Michael Brasseur
Chief Strategy Officer, Saab Inc.
To Create, To Make, To Shape
Drawing upon his role in implementing Saab’s future capabilities strategy, Brasseur’s presentation will address how individuals and organizations can foster an environment of continuous improvement and advancement.
Hal Brands, Ph.D.
Henry A. Kissinger, professor of global affairs, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Advancing Technologies and Their Role in World Affairs
Using his knowledge in foreign policy, international relations and security strategy, Brands will help leaders conceptualize strategies to safeguard national interests and organizations to navigate geopolitical challenges.
Henrik I. Christensen, Ph.D.
Qualcomm chair of robotics and professor, computer science, director of contextual robotics institute, UC San Diego
Looking Ahead: Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
Henrik will explore the future of these technologies and how stakeholders can form strategies that capitalize on emerging opportunities.
Harry Yeff (aka Reeps One)
AI Artist and AI for Good Activist
Undoing a Narrative of Fear
Yeff, a London-born, neurodivergent artist, will share how we can foster a constructive dialogue on responsibly integrating technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy. His performance art pieces, integrated with AI and voice technology, have been exhibited internationally and garnered more than 100 million online views worldwide.
Additionally, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Panel titled “Getting to Go,” will cover safety standards, implementation challenges and obstacles to technology development and testing. Panelists include three representatives from the FAA: Timothy Arel, chief operating officer of the air traffic organization, Marc Nichols, chief counsel and Laurence Wildgoose, assistant administrator for policy, international affairs and environment.
Matt McCardle, head of global regulatory affairs and strategy at Amazon Prime Air will moderate the discussion.
GPS World staff will be attending the conference. To follow our live coverage, click here.
More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. Click here to learn more and register.
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed to dismiss satellite communications firm Ligado Network’s October 2023 lawsuit against the federal government, arguing that the court does not have jurisdiction and the company’s claims have no legal basis.
Ligado’s $40 billion suit alleged that officials at the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) took “unlawful actions” to, in effect, improperly seize the firm’s L-band spectrum without compensation. Ligado was granted to build a 5G communications network by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2020.
Ligado plans to use the L-band spectrum — normally used by satellites — to develop a wireless cell phone network. However, the DoD, and several other federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation (DOT), have expressed concerns that Ligado’s terrestrial operations could have harmful effects on GPS.
According to Ligado, as long as the DOD continues to use the spectrum, Ligado will be unable to use it to launch its terrestrial communications services.
The DOJ’s motion asserts that rather than the U.S. Federal Claims Court, the issue instead falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Act, which “established a comprehensive remedial scheme” for FCC licensing decisions.
Secondly, the motion says Ligado’s complaint “fails to allege any authorized government actions that could give rise to takings liability, and instead, it contends that the government has been engaged in an unlawful effort to preclude Ligado from using its FCC license. These contentions necessarily preclude any takings liability.”
The motion goes on to contest each of the Ligado suit’s four specific legal claims. The DOJ alleges, “Ligado fails to plead any plausible facts to support its purely speculative claim that the government has occupied its licensed spectrum. And its theory that the government required a spectrum ‘dead zone’ around the separate spectrum bands allocated for GPS use similarly fails because Ligado cannot identify any authorized government action that precluded it from actually using its modified license.”
In response to the motion, Ligado provided a statement to Breaking Defense, reiterating its complaint that government officials deliberately deprived Ligado of its rightfully licensed property and must be held accountable.
“This attack on an American business by the world’s most powerful institution is contrary to the rule of law and antithetical to the government’s years-long support for the deployment of 5G technology as a vital national priority,” the statement said. “We worked diligently and in good faith with government agencies to find a fair resolution but were left with no choice but to pursue litigation to defend our interests. We continue to stand firmly behind our complaint and will reply to the government’s motion in the appropriate forum.”
