As the threat of adversaries disrupting GPS satellite signals continues to grow, the United States Department of Defense is looking to find alternatives in the event GPS were to stop functioning on the battlefield.
During the Assured PNT Summit held on May 29-30 in Washington, DC, Dr. Nikki Markiel, the NGA Senior GEOINT Authority for Geomatics, participated in a critical panel discussion addressing this issue. The panel explored how failure to address resilience issues could expose the U.S. to strategic risks, including disruptions in communication networks, compromised navigation systems, and diminished military capabilities in the broader Asia-Pacific region.
Although the Summit was non-attribution, Dr. Markiel shared her insights with Breaking Defense earlier that month. “There is no silver bullet,” Dr. Markiel noted. “And I think that is where a lot of the struggle comes, because GPS has been easy. It’s ubiquitous. Now you have to do some homework.”
Read more about this critical conversation and the steps being taken to safeguard our military capabilities here.