Dangerous GPS jamming?

On Thursday, February 28, 2013 6:00:24 PM UTC-8, Don Johnstone wrote:
We use it for free and over the years the civilian use has
improved, we no longer have position errors created by the system.

Uh, no, we do not use it for free, WE PAID FOR IT. I also seem to remember that, back in the 90s, there was an agreement that the Departments of Transportation and Commerce were to pay for specific upgrades to future blocks of satellites (now in orbit) out of their budgets, adding more civillian frequencies and localized satellite-based denial capability, in exchange the Department of Defense was going to limit the geographic scope and duration of this sort of testing within the boundaries of the US. We have now implemented such things as GPS precision approaches, ADS-B, GPS-aided positive train control systems, GPS-timed safety critical valve controls on gas pipelines, etc. Something is wrong with this picture...

On Thursday, February 28, 2013 7:33:33 PM UTC-7, Greg Arnold wrote:
On 2/28/2013 6:00 PM, Don Johnstone wrote:

I sometimes wonder if some people have a grip on reality. The GPS system as

we know it is a military system, designed to help our forces in times of

conflict. We use it for free and over the years the civilian use has

improved, we no longer have position errors created by the system.

Given it's primary pupose do we really want the pilots who fight using the

system to experience jamming for the first time in real combat? Might it

not be a good idea to train for the eventuality in a realistic fashion? A

small inconvieniece to contests and soaring claims is a small price to pay

to save lives of military pilots and civilians who might collect an

explosive delivery if the first time they see a jammed GPS is in combat.

Stop whining about it, deal with it in an adult fashion for pitys sake.





Couldn't the military pilot accomplish the same thing just by turning

off the GPS on his plane?

"Couldn't the military pilot accomplish the same thing just by turning
off the GPS on his plane?"


I think GPS testing may also include misinformation broadcasted to confuse the enemy. While flying during GPS testing some soaring pilots have noticed position errors, up to one hundred miles or so.

Are we surprised?... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Beams

Did Churchill really have English scientists divert WW2 German aircraft so that they bombed Dublin? Just think what we could do with jammed GPS - precision guiding weapons to the wrong target!

Mike

On Thursday, February 28, 2013 10:40:01 PM UTC+1, Tom K (ES) wrote:
I like that the AF pilots are training with GPS jamming, it kinda makes it hard to drop a JDAM without it. They might have to do some of that "pilot sh*t".

"The Force, Luke, use the Force!"

Better still, a skilled WSO with a Sniper pod and the good old Laser Guided Bomb. Bonus is you get to see your target blow up in real time.

Best of all, guns. No one has yet found a way to jam a bullet...

As far as the argument that since we are taxpayers we therefore have paid for GPS and should have unrestricted access to it - Try that argument at your local air base and see if they let you jump into an F-16 and take it for a spin..."But I paid for it, dammit, so I got's the right to fly it! Now how do you start this thing?"

My position is that all my tax money was used to pay for GPS and LJDAMS and the military has my permission to jam it at will. Guys who complain about military GPS training, OTOH, their tax money paid for free cell phones for welfare moms and my retirement 8^)

Seriously, if the FAA wants to use GPS, then they are responsible for coordinating with the military for joint use.

Waiting for spring!!!

Kirk
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