Back Away from GPS: AF Chief

DoD Buzz ^ | 1/20/2010 | Colin Clark

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

In the face of threats from jamming and attacks on satellites the United States must lessen its dependence on the Global Positioning System and develop alternatives to GPS, the top Air Force general said today.

Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff, told a conference organized by Tuft University’s Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis that GPS signals are particularly vulnerable in time of war since enemies know of the reliance U.S. forces place on its highly accurate signal. Everyone has read about the amazing accuracy of smart bombs and cruise missiles but few remember that those weapons depend on receiving a signal from a constellation of satellites orbiting the earth.

Schwartz’s call is driven by serious threats to GPS, according to officials familiar with the issue who would not discuss current threats in detail but confirmed that GPS has been jammed or interfered with recently.

The fact that the U.S., which invented GPS and most of what depends on it (ATMs, gas pumps, trucking companies and lost spouses), would consider stepping away from the system marks a cultural and technological milestone

Among the tools that could be used to lessen the dependence of troops on GPS are highly accurate digital maps which can be distributed electronically or even rely on that quaint old technology known as printing. In more developed environments cell phone tower networks can be used as does Apple’s iPhone. Of course, the US would have to control the cell phone network for that to work.

Schwartz’s comments come as the Space Posture Review, scheduled for release with the QDR but now delayed for as long as a year, has tentatively recommended that the U.S. scrap building five more GPS satellites and engage European allies on sharing their proposed Galileo global navigation satellite system.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[familyop]

I reckon that old fashioned land nav is just too hard these days. ;-)

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

A GPS "Constellation"

[BobL]

I wish they’d just shut down the system. A couple of years ago when I worked at a gas station people would come in for directions (when their GPS didn’t work) and wouldn’t even know WHAT TOWN THEY WERE IN, and would barely know what state.

My kids are being forced to learn with those paper thingies...maps, yea maps. They will know where they drive.

[dalereed]

Aircraft navigation is becoming more dependant on GPS every day.

Nextgen Air Trafic Control system is totally dependant on it.

The Armed Forces might develop an alternate system but the GPS system has to be maintained as there are too many things dependant on it today.

[Smokin' Joe]

It has been a couple of years since the Chinese created a bunch of space debris by whacking a satellite in orbit. No surprise, but just a dozen 'targets' taken out would degrade the system. A dozen or two more, and there is no viable link.

Whistles and bells are nice, but old tech can still get the job done if something happens to the other systems.

Considering that forces trained to not be dependent on GPS would have a significant advantage over forces which had only been trained to operate with GPS, this makes sense to me.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I agree. I have also heard that the system is degrading.

[backwoods-engineer]

The GPS system is not "degrading". It has on-orbit spares.

And to those who say "shut down the system" because travelers allegedly don't know where they are without it? I guess you'd like higher food and goods prices, because the GPS signals are used to track all kinds of assets.

And, did you say "shut down LORAN-C"? Did you say "shut down VOR"? Did you say "shut down directional beacons"? Come on, stop the Luddite stuff. Electronic navigation has been around for over 60 years. GPS is just the latest refinement.

I say this as an electronics engineer with over 12 years experience designing and improving GPS-enabled electronic systems.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

And, did you say "shut down LORAN-C"? Did you say "shut down VOR"? Did you say "shut down directional beacons"?

I never said those things.Those were comments from other posters. Thanks for correcting us.

[Errant]

Lights Out PDF Book (3Meg x 426 pages).

All, this is a very good novel about the aftermath of an EMP attack. Recommend right clicking on the link and saving to your PC since it is a pretty large file.

[LibWhacker]

How about we develop another system and not tell anyone about it this time, hmmm? I don't know, but it seems like we invent these incredible things all the time and then start bragging about them and publishing details about them in all the papers on day one, day two at the latest. How about we actually keep something secret for a change? And make divulging details about it a capital offense?

[j_tull]

You forgot NavSat.

[hamboy]

I think there are lots of hypes and myths about EMP...  Here's is "Let's talk EMP "Facts"

---

I read an awful lot of sites out there that have an awful lot of awful information on EMP's (Electromagnetic Pulse). EMP's are generated by a nuclear detonation. Rather than further explaining what & why it is I'll link everyone here...http://www.empcommission.org/docs/A2...ission-7MB.pdf 

Let's discuss EMP's using the "Facts" & address the many "Myths" that are largly created out of ignorance &/or scare tactics.

There are three different types of EMPs generated by a nuclear detonation: 

They are considered an E1, E2, & E3.

-E1 tends to quickly damage sensitive electronics.

-E2 is slower and not so much of a threat with modern fuses and surge protectors.

-E3 is slow but massive and turns the earth’s magnetic field and any long continuous conductors (long-distance power lines) into a huge electrical generator—overpowering surge protection and destroying connected transformer equipment on either end of the line. Individuals tend to be concerned with the E1 pulse and infrastructure professionals tend to be concerned with the E3 pulse.

Depending on a number of factors (Size, altitude ect...of detonation) determines if an EMP is labeled an E1, E2 or E3.

Myth:

Quote:

All cars made with modern electronics & all electronics in general would fail.

False.

According to the CNI Report less then 10% of the vehicles on the road will stop functioning even temporarily after an EMP and one third of all vehicles won’t even suffer any nuisance failures such as a blown fuse or a damaged radio & this would only occure if the vehicle was running at the time of detonation. If your car was parked at work at the time of an EMP, chances are you would be able to start your car and at least attempt to drive home. The down side is if one out of 10 cars were to "stall" in NYC or any other major city that would certainly create massive grid-lock.

Your LED flashlights & lanterns will not be fried. Your gas/diesel generator will most likely not be fried. Basically anything not plugged into the wall or running at the time of the "pulse" will be fine.

I don't remember all the details but the US produced a high altitude detonation in the 70-80's near Hawaii & the worst that was caused was about an 8 hour power outage about 80 miles in diameter (Don't quote the details on me on that one). Considering what a bad storm can do I'd say that's pretty good recovery time.

Myth:

Quote:

The defence department would be crippled in the event of an EMP.

False.

Anyone who has been in the armed forces knows that all modern heavy fighting equipment (Tanks, fighters, bombers ect...) within the last 50+ years are shielded from EMP's minus Humvees & very small personel carriers. Had the bombers that dropped nukes in WW2 not been protected they would have dropped from the sky at the time of detonation. They knew it then & certainly know it know. 

Truth:

Most things plugged into a wall socket will be fried unless connected to a VERY good surge protector if it is an E1 or E3 pulse. When I mean good I'm talking a surge protector/regulator = hundreds of dollars. It would need to be one that has a buffer a.k.a. it reads about 50-100 millisecond ahead the incoming power giving it time to break the circut. An EMP will jump the gap of my $15 surge protector as would a direct lightning strike to the house. Our landline phones may work but the 50,000+ volt strike that ran though the lines may have fried the cables or any transformers between us & whom we are calling. 

Truth:

Automated control system will crash. These include such things as monitoring and controlling our electric grid, telecommunications infrastructure, oil and gas transmission lines, and even our water treatment plants. Some failures might be as simple to fix as rebooting, others would permanently disable a particular control unit but either way it would not "cripple the nation for all eternity" like many would have you believe.

This may ruffle some feathers as many people have been trained to panic when we hear of an EMP. I have yet to read "One Second After" a novel about an EMP over the US but I'm sure it is a fiction book & fiction is just that.

I sure would like to hear from TJWilhelm & Celticwarrior on this. I know TJ is the electro' geek here  so I look forward to his input.

[doorgunner69]

Smart advice.

Wonder how well the current troops would do without GPS, having to fall back to map reading and such..........

And of course, pilots that would have to learn again basic dumb bomb ballistics............

[screaminsunshine]

Dead Reckoning.

[doorgunner69]

Yeah, and remember our huge investment in precision guided, well, everything...........

Oh well, inertial stuff would still work..........

[BP2]

It's hard to get more redundant and reliable than to have
triple-mixed INS with GPS verification.
KC-10s, DC-10s and other MDs have that.

You could always use you're old whiskey compass and turn-slip indicator,
but with the increasing magnetic drift, I wouldn't recommend it,
especially for trans-oceanic flight.

[Vroomfondel]

And, did you say "shut down LORAN-C"?

LORAN-C gets turned off Feb. 8th.

[wideminded]

The fact that the U.S., which invented GPS and most of what depends on it (ATMs, gas pumps, trucking companies and lost spouses), would consider stepping away from the system

I cannot figure out why an ATM or a gas pump would need GPS unless they were stolen.