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U.S. Makes Plans for GPS Shutdown
sailforsingapore writes "Apparently, President Bush is drawing up plans to disable sections of the GPS network in the event of a terrorist attack. The rationale seems to be that it would prevent said terrorists from using the GPS system to direct some sort of attack. The plan would shut down access not only to the GPS satellite network, but projects like the EU's Galileo. Ironically, this comes alongside the President's plan to strengthen the GPS network against deliberate jamming."
from what i recall gps guided smart bombs have been used for quite a while now.
though missiles aren't the only use for gps. there are many military applications for qps. just letting your troops know where they are make it easier for them to call in air or artillery support, or just coordinate an attack with other troops. basically any reason a civillian finds gps useful is also useful for military purposes
WAAS was demilitarized some time ago. This allows for much greater accuracy.
Read more about it
http://www.garmin.com/aboutGPS/waas.html
The US and EU reached and agreement over mutual jamming capabilities:
These technical parameters will allow either side to effectively jam the other's signal in a small area, such as a battlefield, without shutting down the entire system.
Hmm. I looked up GPS in Wikipedia, and found this:
"The system is used by countless civilians as well, who can use the GPS's Standard Positioning Service worldwide free of charge. [...]
On May 1, 2000, US President Bill Clinton announced that this "Selective Availability" would be turned off. However, for military purposes, "Selective Deniability" may still be used to, in effect, jam civilian GPS units in a war zone or global alert while still allowing military units to have full functionality. European concern about this and commercial issues has resulted in the planned GALILEO positioning system. Russia already operates an independent system called GLONASS (global navigation system), although with only 12 active satellites as of 2004, the system is of limited usefulness."
Seems like the article was just yet another opportunity for people to mention "President Bush", "terrorism" and "WE'RE OUTRAGED!!!1111" in the same thread.
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That was the original intention, however the US threw a strop over the fact that they couldn't blackout chunks of galileo (probably thanks to US threats to destroy the satellites if they couldn't turn them off). The EU caved over the issue and agreed to "harmonise the technology of the networks" - essentially, Galileo will work in sync with GPS and the US blackout of GPS will work on Galileo
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed -- and hence clamorous to be led to safety -- by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.-- H.L. Mencken
Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.
Imagine some terrorist group is launching a dozen of home-made of cruise missile towards Washington. Bush has every reason to shut down the GPS. It makes sense to ask EU for a favour to shut down Galileo temporarily.
The problem is the Bush Administration is just so arrogant. The Pentagon has plan to do whatever, regardless of what they say they would or wouldn't do. I don't have a problem with this. But, that does not mean it is rational to threat the supposely allied EU countries for an attack of Galileo... Let's turn the table around. Imagine what would be Bush's reaction if the French Government say that kind of crap first....
I don't even need to mention other sovereignty countries... It is clear why Bush is hated by so many people around the world.
The Security Control of Air Traffic and Air Navigation Aids plan has been in place for decades.
During events that affect national security, the military can preempt normal traffic handling and take control/disable of civilian navigation aids (including ground based beacons and runway aids) under SCATANA to prevent them from being (mis)used.
When Selective Availability was shut off in 2000, it was also emphasized that the GPS signal could be degraded or shut off in select areas if needed in the future. The current order seems to clarify or improve this process.
You really shouldn't make statments you know nothing about. As a licensed pilot I can assure you that there are backup systems for everything...exactly how do you think people flew planes before there was a GPS system?
I can understand shutting it down or turning back on the "built in inaccuracy" or whatever if they SUSPECT a terrorist attack is about to happen and they know they are using GPS. But the way this is worded, that in the event OF a terrorist attack GPS would be shut down, seems to me that we would be WITHOUT GPS in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist attack!
This is incredibly shortsighted, let me give you a good example: In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Charley, cellphones, telephones and existing radio systems were down in the areas hardest hit, but amateur radio operators swarmed the area and deployed new antennas and crank up towers and tons of radios for the first responders. In addition to that they deployed this amazing technology called APRS for the salvation army and others that allowed the participating groups to track in realtime the location of all of their vehicles.
Now, if your not familiar with APRS, it starts with a low powered radio, a GPS unit, and a device that hooks up to the GPS and the radio that transmits the GPS coordinates in digital format on the radio. Then, ideally, a central radio tower can hear these signals and develop a picture of where all the signals are based off of their GPS coordinates. Whats even more insane is that APRS has grown so much that satellites and even the international space station repeat and broadcast APRS signals!
So if GPS were shut down first responders would lose a valuable emergency coordination resource. Not to mention the fact that some police/fire already have similar systems in place, though generally such systems are wiped out in disasters, hence the amateur radio operators who are at the ready to redeploy communications gear.
Read more:
More on APRS
APRS on the ISS
Amateur Radio Emergency Communication
...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
I work in the Testing & Evaluation of WAAS. WAAS and Selective Availability are not the same (or opposites). WAAS was never "militarized".
When Clinton ordered for the switch to be flipped (so to speak), what was done was the disabling of Selective Availability, which was a purposeful degradation of the civilian GPS signal (L1). The military had (and still has) a second (encrypted) signal that a military receiver must have a key to properly use (L2). Using that signal enhances their accuracy, whether or not Selective Availability is active.
WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) is something else. WAAS uses Geostationary Satellites to enhance (augment) GPS accuracy & precision in the USA. Not all GPS receivers use WAAS. Accuracy of a WAAS receiver is increased in either case (that is, with or without Selective Availability) relative to a non-WAAS receiver, but there is a noticeable difference from SA.
Not all GPS receivers use WAAS, but Selective Availability has been disabled, which affects all GPS receivers.
There is the slight problem that VOR's are being phased out and ones in remote areas are no longer repaired if they go silent. While there currently are probably enough running to act as proper navaids should GPS fail completely, we continue to rely more and more on the convenient GPS system and let the backups fall into darkness. At least most of the ATR's still have AM Radio DF equipment onboard, lets the captain listen to Rush while finding his way to the next large city.
The job he does is often referred to as TAC-P.
"He would take a GPS reading of his current location"
And believe me, he doesn't need GPS to know his location, it just makes it easier.
"the US issue GPS they gave him was HUGE... Nobody in that job uses the issued GPS. Instead they order a civilian GPS"
Also, chances that he is dependent on his civilian GPS are slim to none. He can always use the issued piece (which he probably keeps nearby) when need be. He just uses the civillian one when it is more convenient.
Paul
Paul
WAAS uses Geostationary Satellites to enhance (augment) GPS accuracy & precision in the USA.
WAAS uses geostationary satellites to relay data, but the important part is the network of 25 ground reference sites. This sites are precisely surveyed, and used to calculate correction data for the GPS signals. This correction data is periodically uplinked to the geostationary satellites, which relay the corrections to WAAS-equipped GPS receivers. The receivers use the correction data for their location to refine the GPS calculation.
You are absolutely correct. Note that I was just trying to keep it simple, and speak from the user perspective (i.e. receiver sees GEOs, not ground stations), to point out the incorrect assertion in the parent post.
Although in fact, MORE people have been killed by terrorists under Bush than were killed by terrorists under Clinton, even once you deduct the number killed on 9/11. That's according to the government's own official figures.
See http://www.xciv.org/~meta/2004/09/30#2004-09-29 for graphic, data source, etc.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
> You wish to topple every state to build it up as an American colony
If empire were an American desire Europe would have went through being territories all the way to US states by now. Remember that after WWII we stood astride the world with a war machine unmatched in history, totally unopposed by the shattered remains of the rest of the civilized world, in sole possession of the Ultimate Weapon. What did we do? Taxed ourselves to rebuild not only our wartorn allies, but also our defeated enemies.
> thats what Europe objects to.
That is called projection. As in projecting your faults on others. Yes, most of the European powers would indeed take possession and try to keep anything they won in War. Therefore they assume we have the same motivations. But we aren't European. Sometimes this is a good thing, not so other times. This time though, it is a good one. We have no longterm designs on the Middle East.
Democrat delenda est
The cellphones don't use GPS, but the base stations do. After a period of time (varies between an hour and a few days), you would not be able to make any handoffs. Other cell technologies do also use GPS. Alltel, Verizon, Sprint and others would be affected for sure.
Such as the US blocking the EU's Galilei service?
It's a mutual deal between the EU and the US. They can block each other for small areas, both sides agreed to this.