us military imagines war without gps
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

US military imagines war without GPS

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicleUS military imagines war without GPS

Armed drones beaming footage via satellite and spy cameras scooping up intel from the heavens
Washington - AFP

With GPS-guided bombs, armed drones beaming footage via satellite and spy cameras scooping up intel from the heavens, America's military machine is growing ever more reliant on space-based technology.

But what would happen if an enemy were to target the military's satellites, or somehow jam their signals?

The disastrous scenario is one the Pentagon knows all too well could happen, and for which it is actively preparing.

"Our force structure today is built around the assumption that we have GPS and we have satellite communications. We are very lethal when we have those things," said Colonel Richard Zellmann, commander of the 1st Space Brigade based in Colorado.

"But when you start taking away those combat multipliers, we need to go back then to the days of the industrial-age army where you have to have three times as many people as the adversary does."

About 70 percent of the Army's major combat systems depend on signals being beamed from space, Zellmann said, a fact that has not slipped the attention of other countries.

"Militaries around the world have begun to understand the advantages that the US has enjoyed because of uncontested access to the space domain," Zellmann recently told reporters.

Russia and China are both developing satellites capable of maneuvering through space, potentially allowing them to smash into another orbiting object. America, too, has acquired satellites that can move in orbit and inspect or monitor other space objects.

But Zellmann noted it is far cheaper and simpler for an enemy to disrupt or damage US military satellites than to develop their own orbital platforms.

For instance, low-cost jammers placed at the right location can wreak havoc with incoming GPS signals, which are often quite weak.

- Sailing by star -

Already, the Army has brought back training to keep soldiers current on how to read paper maps, and the Navy is teaching sailors how to navigate by the stars with the help of sextants, first used in the 18th century.

Army operations centers have map boards that show where troops are on the ground, so if a "Blue Force tracker" that watches soldiers with GPS is disrupted, "we still know where all of our units are," Zellmann said.

The old-school, analog technologies are also being augmented by new science designed to replicate satellites, only from Earth.

The military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known as DARPA, which innovates and develops new technologies for the Pentagon, has stated it wants a new generation of precise navigation and timing tools that can work without GPS.

One such system uses "pseudolites" -- ground-based devices that beam GPS-like signals and are already being used in the commercial sector.

Another technology that is used in aircraft is an "inertial navigation system" that deploys a series of sensors and gyroscopes to calculate a plane's -- or a missile's -- location.

But the accuracy of these systems is prone to drift a bit over time without calibration, usually done by GPS, something which the military is attempting to improve.

The Pentagon is also investing in a new generation of satellites that will provide the military with better accuracy and have better anti-jamming capabilities.

Lieutenant General John Thompson, commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center based in Los Angeles, said space has become crowded, and the military is all too aware that the days of having superiority in orbit are over.

"Our weapon systems of today were built primarily anticipating a benign space environment (that)... is now contested and congested," he said.

"We have to be able to operate in that domain."

President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled his first National Security Strategy, which specifically addressed the military importance of America's space infrastructure.

"The United States considers unfettered access to and freedom to operate in space to be a vital interest," the document states.

"Any harmful interference with or an attack upon critical components of our space architecture that directly affects this vital US interest will be met with a deliberate response at a time, place, manner and domain of our choosing."

source: AFP

themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

us military imagines war without gps us military imagines war without gps

 



Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

GMT 06:40 2017 Saturday ,16 December

Walker needs brains not just brawn

GMT 08:15 2017 Thursday ,07 September

US oil giant ExxonMobil plans Cyprus gas exploration

GMT 18:11 2011 Monday ,18 April

Zimbabwe and Zambia in tug of war over Vic Falls

GMT 16:05 2017 Tuesday ,31 October

Qadih calls for involving private sector

GMT 09:20 2017 Wednesday ,15 November

Qualcomm spurns $130 bn Broadcom bid for big tech tie-up

GMT 13:43 2017 Tuesday ,24 October

Stabbed Russian journalist 'in recovery'

GMT 10:26 2017 Friday ,14 April

Sock topples Haas to reach ATP Houston quarters

GMT 14:00 2017 Saturday ,25 November

Sudan condemns terrorist attack in Egypt

GMT 09:40 2017 Monday ,04 December

Stade down Racing, Clermont edge plucky Agen

GMT 08:08 2017 Thursday ,05 October

Injury jinx strikes again as Iordache exits

GMT 11:20 2017 Tuesday ,05 December

Prodigal son: Saleh Saudi overture tips Yemen balance

GMT 09:35 2013 Saturday ,31 August

Afghan suicide attack kills 6, hurts 20 in south

GMT 23:36 2016 Sunday ,11 December

Suicide attack in Istanbul claims 29 lives

GMT 18:29 2013 Sunday ,10 November

Samsung\'s Galaxy Note 3 top 5m

GMT 14:52 2013 Sunday ,24 November

Computer game opponents begin to think, feel alike

GMT 18:55 2012 Wednesday ,02 May

8 Secret guy insecurities

GMT 19:27 2012 Thursday ,10 May

How to win over your boss

GMT 18:27 2012 Sunday ,29 April

Why I\'m better off without a baby

GMT 13:40 2012 Friday ,25 May

Sharnoubi to make documentary on singer Warda

GMT 12:58 2014 Friday ,28 November

Incredibly small apartment in Paris

GMT 00:44 2011 Sunday ,25 December

Modern glass house

GMT 10:51 2011 Tuesday ,05 July

Dior loses its way without creative director
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
 
 Themuslimchronicle Facebook,themuslimchronicle facebook  Themuslimchronicle Twitter,themuslimchronicle twitter Themuslimchronicle Rss,themuslimchronicle rss  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©

muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle