Experts Raise Concerns About U.S. Commitment to GPS Modernisation

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The critique came at last week’s annual meeting of the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Advisory Board.

Following a presentation by Col. Andrew Menschner, head of the Space Force unit that oversees GPS operations and sustainment, board vice chair Bradford Parkinson said the panel is disappointed by a lack of U.S. government funding for a planned GPS enhancement called High Accuracy and Robustness Service (HARS), a proposed augmentation that would provide improved accuracy and robustness to GPS signals.

Formerly the chief architect of GPS, Parkinson also questioned why there are still not enough satellites broadcasting the civilian L5 GPS signal, designed to meet demanding requirements for safety-of-life transportation and other high-performance applications.

Without sufficient resources and leadership advocacy, he said, there is valid concern that GPS — which provides navigation positioning and timing (PNT) data to more than six billion users across the world — is in danger of losing its edge at a time when competitors are rising.