GPS World, December 2014

EXPERT ADVICE they fall short of meeting other essential needs for acquiring operating and sustaining GPS Funding for GPS is split between a number of departments and agencies including the DoD DOT the FAA and NASA The net effect is prioritization decided by individual departments and agencies but not by the GPS leadership itself Thus some programs get funded by Congress such as satellite and control system acquisition and the FAAs NextGen program but others do not Civil signal monitoring and complementary PNT services to support increased PNT resilience have not been adequately funded GPS operations experience the tragedy of the commons GPS civil signal formats are defined but service standards and management protocols are not How to Manage GPS for Today Resolve GPS vulnerabilities by strengthening the system and augmenting the service Take the lead in addressing system vulnerabilities including mitigating jamming and interference and installing protections against spoofing Hold forums on authentication means and methods and fund research demonstrations using pre operational civil signals Work to close the gaps in service Implement reduced cost impact easily accessible complementary technologies to fill GNSS gaps Implement civil signal monitoring using alternative networks until the Next Generation Operational Control System incorporates civil signal monitoring requirements Establish even closer cooperation between military and civilian leadership to provide unified funding acquisition and operations Ensure a unified message to Congress for multiagency funding needs Work together to implement new civil signals including operational protocols Set dates cooperatively and meet them The GPS program produced a revolution in ubiquitous positioning navigation and timing that cannot be stopped Care must be taken to ensure its services continue to benefit mankind while its vulnerabilities do not cause undesired harm to its users With thoughtful planning and execution GPS leaders will succeed JOHN W LAVRAKAS is president of Advanced Research Corporation providing expertise in global positioning systems having spent the past 34 years in GPS working in its command and control user operations GPS receiver development and satellite navigation performance analysis He can be reached at jlavrakas@ oregonarc com www gpsworld com December 2014 GPS World 45