Posted on 02/02/2018 7:00:55 AM PST by C19fan
The U.S. military is worryingly dependent on GPS. Our global positioning satellites tell planes where they are, provide targeting info for smart weapons, and support communication and navigation systems. But in a war with a tech-advanced adversary—think China, Russia, or Iran—GPS could become a big liability because it could be jammed, spoofed, or outright destroyed.
So how does the U.S. Air Force train for such a scenario? Simple—just turn it off.
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
Would be fun to camp out outside Nellis AFB in Las Vegas and see all the war planes participating in Red Flag take off.
Wouldn’t it have been easier to, you know, turn your GPS devices off?
Nothing like old time navigation - its science is very important.
About time the Armed Forces noticed this disturbing addiction to GPS.
Once upon a time, there was Inertial Navigation.
And, when all else fails, there are maps and compasses...
On of the first things the US military does is take out the enemy’s radio-based systems.
It stands to reason that this is not lost on our foes.
I find this recognition very reassuring.
“Wouldn’t it have been easier to, you know, turn your GPS devices off?”
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I believe that’s what this story is about, they did turn it off.
Some of the GPS systems are embedded, and can’t be turned off without turning off important components, such as airframe computers in aircraft, fire computers on ships, etc.
I think he was asking why they didn’t just turn off the GPS receivers rather than shutting off the satellites.
Good Idea Air Force Ping.
I don't. Now I have to worry about being recalled to teach land nav;>}
They are service members. They would cheat.
“I think he was asking why they didn’t just turn off the GPS receivers rather than shutting off the satellites.”
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Ah, I see - thanks. Though it’s probably easier to turn it off at one source rather than to make sure all the receivers are set to “off”.
That’s assuming GPS can be turned off by pilots - I don’t know on that count. Somebody else here prob does.
And look how lost they’d be without you! Write a booklet and maybe you can save yourself some travel time.
It would be too easy to cheat. The temptation would be great.
I was talking to a former USCG guy at our church about the collisions involving naval vessels. I stated that it looked like the navy was putting a tad too much faith in hi-tech, raising the questions about lookouts using the eyeball Mk1. I added that it looked like the Coast Guard still taught basic seamanship. He said, “Yes, and they taught us how to use a compass and a sextant, too. Theystill use them to back up the electronic goodies and to stay sharp.
We need a photo of a flight navigator looking through a sextant with his tongue hanging out.
ya, but who’s turning off GLONASS?
I agree that basic navigation skills are good practice and the newer generations cannot function without GPS. What is most troubling and the Scare Force will find out is the connection to the fire control systems that depend on GPS signals. Some systems use INS as a backup but are dependent on GPS location for initial position. Although it is possible to input initial positions manually the accuracy can be downgraded with each second off the actual location. Map grids are also critical and there are plenty of them. WGS84 is the most recognized but there are some locations that have never been converted. As with all technology there are limitations and hiccups.
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