GPS World

Tag: DoD

  • RF terrestrial-based GPS packs a punch

    RF terrestrial-based GPS packs a punch

    Over time, GPS dependencies have become deeply embedded in much of the nation’s critical infrastructure, as shown in Figure 1 — from emergency services and transportation systems to critical manufacturing and logistics operations. For the past 20 years, however, efforts to protect these assets with a true backup system have stalled, despite the establishment of the U.S. Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Policy in December 2004.

    With the recent Notice of Inquiry from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an updated list of technological options is now on the table. However, most would require building new infrastructure or rely on quantum-based technologies that are still years away from being practical or available.

    U.S. GPS Efforts Separating

    Since its inception in 1977, GPS has drawn from a single technology to serve civil and military sectors. Now, with space — particularly satellites — becoming physically contested in wartime scenarios, the military is embarking on its own approach. This includes pairing GPS with military- grade receivers to improve service and protection for the global GPS layer. And two new layers are being developed as part of a multi-layer approach, deemed the “regional” GPS layer (i.e., per country) and the “local” GPS layer (i.e., per metro).

    Yet, with this new system — although supporting modular, open-systems integration — the Department of Defense (DOD) is now distancing itself from other future endeavors, including supporting civil critical infrastructure. The future DOD PNT system will not follow the same path to civil/military use as was taken by GPS. The PNT capabilities employed by the DOD as such will be increasingly classified. The civil effort has not only been left to fend for itself, but it also has been tragically fragmented across many federal departments and agencies. We can only hope the recent FCC focus will help to solidify the civil GPS efforts.

    Doors Open for New Solutions

    The new orientation of the civil approach opens the door to significant focus on local and regional GPS services. Specifically, a new approach is based on data from the Earth’s “RF geospatial layer,” where geospatial is “relating to or denoting data that is associated with a particular location.” This layer’s data is about available RF signals, which can be used to derive the location of a particular end device anywhere in the blanket of signals. Devices using this new approach will be unencumbered by the intricacies and costs of satellite technology or having to be joint solutions required to meet military standards.

    This also opens the door to the power of solutions available through consortia, which can tap into an order of magnitude more benefits through hearty partnerships. All of which also leads to the much-needed speed-to-market.

    The Biggest Advantage

    In the U.S., more than 110,000 towers transmit a variety of RF signals available to derive PNT. These towers provide a wide range of three-tower geometries needed for PNT calculations and enable strong resiliency (as an adversary cannot disable them all).

    Two systems, in particular, are worthy of close consideration. The broadcast industry’s proposed Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) uses ATSC 3.0 infrastructure along with the existing MerlinTPS adaptive RF signal system. Both these systems take advantage of existing RF infrastructure prevalent in most developed and developing countries.

    Don’t Fall Into the eLoran Trap

    eLoran has been suggested by some as a viable alternative used for deriving PNT. However, this technology has notable shortcomings. The portion of the RF band it uses has several limitations. For example, eLoran is based on a 100 kHz signal, a low-frequency band that is highly susceptible to atmospheric noise.

    Although some propose the use of existing AM towers for the eLoran signal, most are ~300 ft, of which eLoran tends to operate with 1600 ft towers. Attempts to operate eLoran using these shorter towers will make for reduced efficiency. Another misconception is about the proposed use of existing AM tower guidewires for transmission. At these wavelengths, that would restrict the towers to be 900 miles apart, having an impact on maintenance.

    eLoran would require building new infrastructure for U.S. deployment, including 12 new towers and transmitters. The number of installations requiring significant maintenance and this low number can be taken out in physical warfare.

    The eLoran system requires tight synchronization of the signals between each of its towers and the national epoch, requiring additional infrastructure with its attendant maintenance. eLoran supporting position accuracy is rated at 10 m to 20 m CEP, which is not within the FCC requirement of less than 3 m CEP.

    Timing accuracy is +/- 50 ns, which meets today’s precision needs, although it is quickly becoming inadequate as needs in the precision timing market continue to increase.

    Finally, the eLoran service is transmitted on one known frequency and in a published format, making it more vulnerable to jamming.

    GPS RF Systems Pack a Punch

    Given the issues associated with eLoran, other technologies must be considered. One such technology is available today and provided by a commercial company, MerlinTPS, which can transfer market-available, precise timing down to +/- 10ns. Such as precise timing provided by another commercial entity, Hoptroff, for example. Both companies currently provide the necessary components of a viable terrestrial GPS.

    As a consortium, MerlinTPS/Hoptroff could deliver precise timing wirelessly to broadcast TV towers for BPS, while eliminating the need for signal conditioning and additional synchronization equipment at each tower, or any other related infrastructure.

    MerlinTPS combined with BPS could provide all GPS services for primary and backup (not just timing). MerlinTPS can also fill in services for BPS edge cases having poor geometries. These services include portable and mobile devices. MerlinTPS is also able to handle both the enterprise and civil approaches similarly.

    New open doors create freedom to quickly address the urgent national security need for reliable, alternative PNT. The consortium approach, adding commercially available technology to the broadcast infrastructure, allows for collaborative development while preserving individual market opportunities, making it an attractive proposition for all participants.

  • TrustPoint secures NAVAIR contract for C-band GNSS receivers

    TrustPoint secures NAVAIR contract for C-band GNSS receivers

    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

  • China’s BeiDou challenges US GPS dominance

    China’s BeiDou challenges US GPS dominance

    Image: imaginima/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
    Image: imaginima/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

    Fifty years since it was designed and approved by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), the GPS is at risk of losing its status as the world’s gold-standard location service, reported The Wall Street Journal.

    In a recent paper published by Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, “China’s BeiDou: New Dimensions of Great Power Competition,” Sarah Sewall, executive vice president for strategic issues at IQT and co-authors Tyler Vandenburg and Kaj Malden outline their finding that China’s version of GPS is part of the country’s longstanding effort to join the technological ranks of leading nations and use its capabilities to achieve geopolitical advantage across the globe.

    Sewall’s assessment of BeiDou’s technical superiority received some unexpected support from a government advisory board on GPS, which stated that “GPS’s capabilities are now substantially inferior to those of China’s BeiDou,” and urged the administration to regain U.S. leadership in the field.

    The BeiDou constellation is newer and has more satellites than any other system and has more than ten times as many monitoring stations around the world than GPS does. As a result, BeiDou’s accuracy is much better in many places, including the developing world.

    Sewall points out that in cases where BeiDou provides the most accurate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) data, particularly in the global south, China may be able to influence other nations’ economies, stating that it is one example of “a new form of great power competition that most in the U.S. government don’t recognize.” China is providing superior PNT information to enhance its diplomatic, economic and military power and the United States cannot afford to cede this area of longstanding advantage.

    BeiDou being newer and more advanced than other GNSS, makes it easier for China to encourage other nations to use its signals and purchase specialized equipment, especially when equipment purchases are heavily subsidized by the Chinese government, harming the U.S. economy and its status as the leader of GNSS technology.

    Recent launch and surveillance fears

    On May 16, 2023, China launched its most recent BeiDou satellite to replenish the constellation, bringing its total to 56 satellites, nearly twice as many as the 31 GPS satellites.

    The latest BeiDou satellites also feature two-way messaging, a feature that GPS does not have. It is mainly available in China and requires special chips that are not widely available in the consumer market. It enables users to send short messages in areas without ground network cell coverage and can be used for search and rescue operations.

    The CNBC report noted the fear that, with its most recent enhancements, the BeiDou system could be used as a surveillance device — as the two-way messaging feature reveals a user’s locations as well as other types of data.

    Additionally, with the growing number of applications for cellphones and an increase in autonomous vehicles that use the BeiDou system, more and more user data is being transmitted.

    The U.S. military is upgrading GPS with more-modern satellites that are designed to give nonmilitary devices more-precise coordinates in more indoor and hard-to-reach spaces. However, the next-generation GPS service for civilians is not expected to be released for several years.

    GPS pioneered the PNT industry by offering civilians a new, free-to-use system. While originally developed for DOD, it turned into a critical global infrastructure that underlies a vast swath of the U.S. economy.

    Besides GPS and BeiDou, there are two other global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), Russia’s Glonass and the European Union’s Galileo, as well as regional systems from Japan (QZSS) and India (NavIc).

    BeiDou, once a small regional network with clunky receivers and few civilian users, has grown significantly since launching its first two satellites in 2000. It now has more than 30 precision-enhancing monitoring stations and claims to pinpoint users’ locations to within several centimeters, along with offering basic two-way communication capabilities.

    Both BeiDou and GPS offer a variety of nonmilitary benefits that expand beyond the systems’ original expectations, from Uber drivers who often rely on a smartphones GNSS data to locate customers to farmers who can use GPS-based applications for farm planning, field mapping, solid sampling and more. GPS has been called “the silent utility” because signals are used in almost every technology, said Dana Goward, president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation.

    Looking forward 

    GPS guides U.S. missiles, ships and troops through more-secure military frequencies kept separate from its civilian signals. Its past dominance even made rival militaries reliant on the Pentagon-controlled system.

    The U.S. military has long planned to upgrade GPS with a fleet of modernized and upgradable satellites that provide more-precise coordinates subject to less interference. The newer satellites broadcast data to civilian users over a new frequency called L5.

    The Space Force has 17 L5-equipped satellites in orbit after a series of delays  but has yet to reach the 24 live satellites needed to run a reliable system. Some already-built satellites sit in a Colorado warehouse awaiting their turn for a funded launch.

    The Space Force said in a statement that GPS continues to set the gold standard in its field.

    “While other nations may report improvements in accuracy and equivalent performance in availability, GPS is still the clear leader in integrity and is the only system accepted for international flight use,” a spokeswoman for the branch’s Space Systems Command told The Wall Street Journal.

  • Ligado sues US government for using its licensed 5G spectrum

    Ligado sues US government for using its licensed 5G spectrum

    Ligado Networks has sued the U.S. federal government for $39 billion, alleging officials at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) misappropriated Ligado’s exclusively licensed L-band spectrum to support secret DoD systems without permission or compensation. 

    “The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims against the United States, the Defense Department, the Commerce Department and NTIA, seeks just compensation for the government’s physical, categorical, regulatory and legislative takings of Ligado’s property,” the company said in a press release. 

    According to the company’s lawsuit, the DoD embarked on a “misinformation and disparagement campaign” against Ligado starting shortly after the company received its FCC approvals in 2020. That campaign, according to the lawsuit, sought to revive concerns that Ligado’s 5G plans would interfere with GPS services. 

    Ligado alleges the DoD’s claims about spectrum interference “are a pretext” to conceal secret Pentagon systems that depend on Ligado’s spectrum. 

    The company claims multiple former and current senior government officials have acknowledged the DoD wants Ligado’s spectrum for its own, undisclosed purposes, and that the DoD’s activities cannot co-exist with Ligado’s authorized use of its spectrum. 

    “High ranking U.S. government officials have acted deliberately to deprive an American company of its rightfully licensed property,” said Ivan Seidenberg, chairman of Ligado’s board of managers. 

    Its complaint states the DoD, U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) have deprived Ligado of all the economic benefits it could have expected from using and developing its exclusively allocated and licensed spectrum for terrestrial services. 

    Ligado is asking the court for “just compensation in an amount to be determined at trial for its past, present, and future taking of Ligado’s rights.” 

  • Meet the SSC GPS Certifications Branch

    Meet the SSC GPS Certifications Branch

    Image: SSC
    Image: SSC

    The United States Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) has a specialized branch responsible for certifying GPS accuracy called the GPS Certification Branch. It is a specialized team within SSC that is responsible for certifying the hardware, software, and firmware used in GPS-based systems.

    The certification process conducted by SSC’s GPS Certification Branch involves the evaluation of design and testing for various components of GPS-based systems. This includes user equipment — the devices used by individuals or organizations to receive GPS signals and determine their precise location.

    The GPS Certification Branch works with GPS manufacturers, agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and others to establish and maintain certification standards. Collaboration with industry experts, research institutions, and other certification bodies is also an important aspect of the branch’s work to stay informed about technological advancements and ensure the certification process remains up to date with the latest developments.

    The certification process also includes space segments — the satellites that transmit the GPS signals, monitoring stations, which track and monitor the performance of the GPS satellites, and the terrestrial modules — that provide end user secured and accurate signals.

    Certification of hardware, software, and firmware is critical to ensure that GPS systems meet the standards set by the DOD. This certification ensures that the GPS-based systems used by the military and other DOD agencies are reliable, accurate, and secure. It also ensures that they are interoperable and compatible with other military equipment and communication networks.

    The assessment process conducted by the GPS Certification Branch involves thorough testing and analysis of the design, performance, and security of the GPS components. This includes assessing the hardware’s ability to receive and process GPS signals accurately, the software’s ability to interpret and utilize the GPS data effectively, and the firmware’s ability to maintain system integrity and security.

  • The Ligado saga continues

    The Ligado saga continues

    Matteo Luccio
    Matteo Luccio

    The LightSquared/Ligado Networks saga, now in its second decade, continues. On Sept. 9, the Committee to Review FCC Order 20-48 Authorizing Operation of a Terrestrial Radio Network Near the GPS Frequency Bands of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) released its consensus study. Both sides claim the report supports their position.

    A summary of the report and reactions from various stakeholders can be found here.

    According to Ligado, the report confirms the FCC’s finding that the company’s operations “can co-exist with GPS.” It cited the report’s conclusion that “the technology to enable compatibility has been in use for over a decade, and most consumer equipment, commercial general navigation, timing, cellular and aviation receivers will not experience harmful interference from Ligado’s operations.”

    The NASEM report also confirmed, the company said, the FCC’s finding that “[a] small percentage of very old and poorly designed GPS devices may require upgrading.” Ligado reaffirmed its commitment to “upgrade or replace” federal equipment negatively impacted by its operations and expressed its hope that now the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration “will stop blocking Ligado’s license authority and focus instead on working with Ligado to resolve potential impacts relating to all DOD systems.”

    By contrast, the GPS Innovation Alliance applauded the NASEM’s “reaffirmation that Ligado’s terrestrial operations would have a harmful, real-world impact on the millions of federal and commercial users that rely on GPS, satellite communications, and weather forecasting services every single day.” It further stated that the report “demonstrates that Ligado would pose an unacceptable risk to services critical to safety-of-life operations, our national security, and our economy” and urged “government action to address the imminent, but preventable, harm that would result from Ligado’s deployment.”

    According to the DOD, the NASEM study “confirms that Ligado’s system will interfere with DOD GPS receivers, which include high-precision GPS receivers.” The study also concludes, DOD says, that the FCC’s proposed mitigation and replacement measures “are impractical, cost prohibitive, and possibly ineffective.”

    The NASEM committee pointed out repeatedly in its report that matters are more nuanced than represented by either side and that test results and harmful interference depend on many factors — including the receiver’s signal processing architecture, the amount of SNR loss, the use case, and the relevant failure modes. “The determination of harmful interference is dependent on the particulars,” it said.

    The committee also bemoaned “a lack of a quantifiable definition of harmful interference” and “the lack of common receiver assumptions” and called for “more definitive receiver standards.” It also pointed out that “many spectrum conflicts could be avoided if receivers were better designed and implemented.”

    The GPS user base is in the billions. Therefore, even if “most” receivers will not be harmed by Ligado’s operations, as the committee reported, tens of millions of devices will be. I highly recommend reading the full report.

  • National Academies to reveal FCC-Ligado study results Friday

    National Academies to reveal FCC-Ligado study results Friday

    The latest chapter of the decades-long Lightsquared/Ligado saga will be revealed this week

    NAS logoThe National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) will hold a public online briefing at 11 a.m. ET on Sept. 9 to present the results of its Ligado interference study. The committee’s report will be available at National Academies Press at that same time.

    The decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to grant Ligado Networks permission to operate a terrestrial service in a frequency band adjacent to that used by GPS has been controversial since it was announced in April 2020.

    The Executive Branch has formally objected to the decision because of its potential to interfere with various kinds of GPS receivers and requested its reversal. So have numerous industry groups.

    The satellite communications company Iridium and some weather organizations also formally objected.

    Seven different “Petitions for Reconsideration” were filed with the FCC in May 2020 reflecting a variety of engineering- and process-based objections. None have been acted upon and all are still open issues for the commission.

    As a result of the long dispute over the potential for interference, the National Defense Authorization Act for 2021 required the Department of Defense (DOD) to contract with NASEM to examine the issue. The study effort began almost exactly a year ago with the announcement of a proposed study team.

    According to the NAESM website:

    This study will review Federal Communications Commission order FCC 20-48, which authorized Ligado Networks LLC to operate a low-power terrestrial radio network adjacent to the Global Positioning System (GPS) frequency band. It will consider how best to evaluate harmful interference to civilian and defense users of GPS, the potential for harmful interference to GPS users and DOD activities, and the effectiveness and feasibility of the mitigation measures proposed in the FCC order.

    Specific results were intended to include:

    • which of the two prevailing proposed approaches to evaluating harmful interference concerns — one based on a signal-to-noise interference protection criterion and the other based on a device-by-device measurement of the GPS position error — most effectively mitigates risks of harmful interference with GPS services and DOD operations and activities
    • the potential for harmful interference from the proposed Ligado network to mobile satellite services — including GPS and other commercial or DOD services, and including the potential to affect DOD operations and activities
    • the feasibility, practicality and effectiveness of the mitigation measures proposed in the FCC order with respect to DOD devices, operations and activities.

    Other relevant issues the study committee found are also expected to be discussed.

    The NASEM committee has been meeting regularly since the end of September 2021 and has heard from numerous industry and interest groups on both sides of the issue. Materials presented as well as videos of the public portions of all the meetings are available at the group’s website.

    Both a classified and an unclassified version of the report are supposed to be produced. No information has been released about whether the classified report has been completed and provided to the Department of Defense.

    Based on previous NASEM reports, some observers predict the results of the study will not strongly support either side of the dispute. “Most of these kind of reports say, ‘On the one hand this, but on the other hand that.’ Usually they are not really conclusive. I expect both sides will find something in it to support their assertions and the dispute will continue as it has to date,” said one stakeholder.

    Members of the public interested in viewing the on-line release and briefing can register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-national-academies-review-of-fcc-order-20-48-report-release-webinar-tickets-398176525707

    Dana A. Goward is president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation.

  • Complementary PNT Takes Center Stage

    Complementary PNT Takes Center Stage

    Of the 60 exhibitors at the Institute of Navigation’s Joint Navigation Conference (JNC) in San Diego this year, 16 make inertial navigation systems (INS). Many of the other exhibitors integrate INS with GNSS receivers or make simulators to test those integrations. Several exhibitors make a variety of other navigation systems, using active and passive optical sensors, wheel encoders and RF systems that map beacons of opportunity. Only seven manufacturers of GNSS receivers were present.

    That’s because the conference — which took place June 6-9 and focused on technical advances in positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) — was hosted by ION’s Military Division for the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Homeland Security. “From an operational perspective,” said the conference program, it focused on “advances in battlefield applications of GPS; critical strengths and weaknesses of field navigation devices; warfighter PNT requirements and solutions; and navigation warfare.” In other words, it was mostly on how to navigate in environments in which the use of GNSS is challenged or denied due to jamming.

    The conference program told the story of the GNSS/PNT community’s interests and concerns. Several sessions were on complementary PNT using terrestrial RF signals of opportunity, IMUs, geophysical fields (including gravity and Earth’s magnetic field), celestial objects, ground vision and new commercial sources of space-based PNT, such as satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).

    Other environments in which reliance on GNSS is hard or impossible — such as urban canyons, deep inside buildings, underground and underwater — pose the same navigation challenges to both military and civilian applications. Likewise, jamming is a threat to both. Therefore, several sessions focused on critical infrastructure, demonstrating that the concerns about GNSS vulnerabilities are not just military ones.

    Hence the presence among the exhibitors of three manufacturers of atomic clocks, which continue to shrink in size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) and are used to assure holdover — that is, the time period required to keep networks synchronized when their primary timing source, usually GNSS, is disrupted or temporarily unavailable. Networks affected include cellphone providers, radio and television broadcasters, financial networks, and the biggest network of all, the Internet.

    The JNC “experienced record attendance in both conference participants and exhibitors, hosting more than 1,000 attendees,” Lisa Beaty, ION executive director, told me. She attributed the increase to “the importance of PNT in the nation’s critical infrastructure, current innovation, programmatic funding, and the desire by the DOD community to collaborate and reconvene.” She confidently anticipates additional growth next year.

    I am equally confident that much of the cutting-edge technology on display at this conference will find its way into civilian applications in the next few years. Whether in war or in urban canyons, GNSS navigation faces some of the same challenges.

  • Magnetic Navigation 2022 – Freedom from GNSS? 

    Magnetic Navigation 2022 – Freedom from GNSS? 

    Headshot: Dana Goward
    Dana Goward, President, Resilient PNT Foundation

    In a world where GPS and other GNSS signals can be easily denied or, worse, spoofed, interest in other forms of navigation has rebounded.

    Imagine being able to locate yourself within a couple of centimeters with just your cellphone – deep underground. Or inside a metal structure. Or underwater (assuming you can keep your equipment dry).  

    No satellite signals, no Wi-Fi ranging, no inertial system. Just the ambient magnetic flux that constantly surrounds us all. Everywhere. 

    That’s the vision AstraNav Vice President Martin Neill offered to the President’s National Space-based, Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Advisory Board in May.

    Animals have used the Earth’s magnetic field to find their way for millions of years. People have been using magnetic compasses for over a thousand. Until the advent of GPS, magnetic compasses were foundational tools for aircraft and ship navigation, especially when out of sight of easily recognized landmarks.  

    Then GPS came along, and almost everyone’s eyes turned to space. 

    But in a world where GPS and other GNSS signals can be easily denied or, worse, spoofed, interest in other forms of navigation has rebounded. And because GPS helped demonstrate the efficiencies geospatial services provide, users also want those services to be more resilient and to work in places signals from space just can’t reach. 

    According to Neill, “Our solution builds upon inexpensive magnetometers, smartphones, machine learning, edge computing, and some incredibly complex math to convert raw magnetic data into a source of ultra-precise location data. These relatively recent tech developments allow us to bring things together for a major update to a centuries-old way of navigation and positioning.” 

    Describing AstraNav as a software tech company, Neill said that the company’s system is “hardware agnostic.” It can work on “just about anything that has a magnetometer. No additional hardware or external connectivity is required, and we can run on any existing operating system.”  

    Image: Credit: Petrovich9/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
    Image: Credit: Petrovich9/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

    The company has partners in retail, automotive and telecom validating the technology. They have also been working with a U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) combatant commander to demonstrate the product, as well as Virginia Tech and its National Security Institute (VTNSI.)  “This is not a case of ‘here’s an idea that we hope will materialize,” said Neill. Describing two real-world trials and use cases to the board, he said, “This technology is a reality, and we’re doing it.”  

    Most previous magnetic navigation efforts relied upon relatively low-resolution maps. An airplane could find its way safely across the ocean using the maps that were available and likely end up within a mile or two of an airport. Much higher resolution maps built through surveys and artificial intelligence are critical to AstraNav’s centimeter-level accuracy with systems that continue to learn on their own. 

    Intellectual property is AstraNav’s biggest asset. “We have multiple patents filed and pending,” said Neill. “Our IP is what allows us to sense and analyze magnetic fields so finely, develop maps, and make use of very low-cost magnetometers, such as the ones in cell phones.” 

    Several people at the advisory board presentation expressed surprise that they had not heard of the company and this capability before. “We have been busy getting established as a company, supporting our first commercial clients, and doing demonstrations for various folks within DOD,” Neill explained.  “This presentation is by way of our coming out party. We are very eager to become better known and are looking forward to explaining our capabilities one-on-one with potential users.” 

    Citing an abundance of proprietary material, Neill was unwilling to discuss a lot of technical detail at the public meeting. His short presentation, he said, was to raise awareness and stimulate interest.  

    The number of those in attendance who after the presentation said they were eager to learn more showed that he was successful. 

     Dana A. Goward is President of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation 

  • Registration open for AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2022

    Registration open for AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2022

    Xponential 2022 logo

    Registration for AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2022 is now open. The conference will be held April 25-28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

    The XPONENTIAL 2022 theme is “Autonomy Meets Society.” The conference will include keynotes, educational sessions, specialized workshops, and an XPO Hall with 650+ exhibits.

    Sessions will feature concentrated presentations, panel discussions, and audience questions to help drive deeper conversations and solutions to some of the industry’s greatest hurdles.

    Session themes include:

    • Convergence Zone: Intersection w/ Businesses
    • Critical Point: Intersection with Government
    • DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Forum
    • FULL JOIN: Intersection with Data
    • Interchange: Intersection with Industries
    • Nexus of Future Mobility: Intersection with Individuals
    • Proving Grounds: Enterprise + Government Solutions
    • Technology Crossing: Intersection with Design

    Collaborative workshops will provide XPONENTIAL attendees an in-depth look into targeted topics and the solutions needed to harness the full potential of uncrewed technologies now and into the future.

    Workshops include:

    • Orange you Glad Florida is Investing in Autonomy?
    • Robotics for Conservation
    • Translating Sustainability
    • Assured Autonomy Through Safety Performance Monitoring
    • The Safety Target
    • Connectedness: How Federal-State-Local Governments are Conquering Implementation Challenges Together
    • Accelerating Innovation Through Diversity of Thought
    • DoD Agile Acquisition Workshop – INVITATION ONLY

    To view the XPONENTIAL 2022 schedule and exhibitors list and register for the event, visit XPONENTIAL’s website.

  • GSA selects Hexagon US Federal as prime for ASTRO contract

    GSA selects Hexagon US Federal as prime for ASTRO contract

    GSA logoThe U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has selected Hexagon US Federal as a prime contractor for ASTRO, a 10-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with an estimated $90 billion value.

    The ASTRO contract is being administered by the Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM). Sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD), ASTRO is comprised of 10 pools to deliver services related to manned, unmanned and optionally manned platforms and robotics.

    Hexagon was selected as one of multiple awardees for the Data Operations Pool, which includes all data collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination activities associated with manned, unmanned, and optionally manned platforms and/or robotics supporting mission performance. The formal government kick-off is anticipated to take place in November 2021.

    Hexagon is a provider of digital reality solutions, combining sensor, software, and autonomous technologies, putting data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, quality and safety across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, public sector and mobility applications.

    Hexagon US Federal provides technology and professional services for C5ISR, installation security, GIS, and cyber security. Dedicated to the delivery of Hexagon technology and services to the U.S. government, including defense, intelligence, and civilian organizations, the company builds solutions that help its customers design, build, maintain, manage, operate, and protect.

  • M-code receivers start to roll out

    Military receivers key to Orolia’s PNT Solutions

    Orolia logoOrolia, through its Orolia Defense & Security business, announced in November 2020 the launch of M-code military GPS receivers in its line of positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions.

    The line includes M-code-enabled mobile mission timing and synchronization platforms, such as the SecureSync IDM resilient time and frequency reference solution, the first time server approved by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), and the Versa mobile PNT platform to meet rugged size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) requirements.

    M-code is a military signal used in the L1 and L2 GPS bands. It is required by congressional mandate for U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) military operations.

    M-code is designed to enhance PNT capabilities and improved resistance to existing and emerging threats to GPS, such as jamming and spoofing. Operational benefits of M-code include:

    • a higher power signal that offers improved resistance to jamming and interference
    • advanced security features to prevent unauthorized access or exploitation
    • improved message formats and signal modulation techniques for faster and more accurate performance.

    Orolia has long supported the DOD’s need for selective availability anti-spoofing module (SAASM)-enabled PNT equipment, explained Hironori Sasaki, president of Orolia Defense & Security. “This announcement emphasizes our move toward M-code and the availability of M-code in our products,” Sasaki said. “Our focus has always been on staying in sync with the DOD and providing the latest and greatest technologies.”
    Orolia now supports M-code in all its user products and offers two capabilities: simulation and M-code-enabled end-user devices. “They will each have a different approval process for export,” Sasaki said. “We follow DOD guidance on getting that capability out there.”

    SecureSync, which is SAASM-enabled, has been deployed with DOD for many years, so Orolia has “a very good install base” of these devices, according to Sasaki. “We are providing a very easy and seamless upgrade path to go from SAASM to M-code in that platform.” The company’s Versa platform consists of the VersaSync and the VersaPNT, both small form-factor PNT devices designed for rugged application in military vehicles or military aircraft.

    DOD has given Orolia approval to advertise the fact that it has these capabilities in its products. “We are expecting shipments to start in early 2021,” said Sasaki. “So, we are well on our way in development, implementation and productization.”

    “We have been focusing on providing products that have a modular architecture, both in software and hardware,” Sasaki added. “We are embracing this approach of open architecture and continue to support the DOD in providing different layers of sensing and PNT protection in a way that can be incorporated into future DOD systems.

    “We have already demonstrated our ability to deliver PNT solutions in various form factors, so I think we are in a good position to continue pushing forward with that open architecture approach,” Sasaki said.