BAE (British Aerospace) Systems has delivered an undisclosed number of GPS receivers to Germany's military forces, according to Space. It was two years ago when the deal to sell Germany the GPS receivers were signed, under the Foreign Military Sales program.
The Pentagon sells GPS user equipment to allies to improve their interoperability with the US system, and these recent deliveries were part of the agreement for Germany to be the first non-US buyer of the most advanced GPS receivers.
The new GPS receivers will be used by the German army. It is the Miniature Precision Lightweight GPS receiver Engine-M-Code (MPE-M) that is compatible with the M-code GPS signal. It is hardened against signal jamming and spoofing; plus, it provides cryptography for additional security.
A lot of the current 31 GPS satellites in orbit broadcast the M-Code signal. BAE produced these receives under its contract with the US Space Systems Command. It will be used in handheld devices, ground vehicles, and unnamed aerial systems.
The M-Code systems have been in development for almost ten years under a $1.4 billion US Air Force program, which is also known as the Military Global Positioning System User Equipment.
According to a statement on Businesswire, "Germany is the first country to receive M-Code GPS capabilities via FMS, leading the way among our allies. Accelerating the delivery of M-Code capabilities to allied warfighters around the globe is critical to ensuring trusted PNT in the face of modern threats from our adversaries," said Greg Wild, director of Navigation and Sensor Systems at BAE Systems.
Also Read: USSF's 'Anti-Jamming' GPS III M-Code Early Use Now Operational Despite Being 5 Years Behind Schedule
The Importance of GPS to the Military
Military commanders rely on GPS for global navigation and targeting. It is considered a highly accurate and secure source of navigational and targeting data for precision weapons and weapons guidance, and it is the most powerful and accurate system ever deployed.
They can also use the system to fight against terrorism. A lot of terrorist groups use GPS to direct their attack and their movements and the US military makes use of them to track the plots and the terrorists.
The US military relies on GPS to tag and track its combat units, equipment, and supplies. So, it is no surprise that the US military has been spending a lot of money to update the system. There is no question the majority of the US military's GPS systems are based on the satellite-based location system.
The system is in daily use by military forces around the world, which is why the US military's space program is well-funded and has been for many years.
The GPS system has proved to be a valuable asset to the US military and the US' allies. Moreover, the US military sells GPS receivers to its allies and adversaries, so that they can use the system to improve their military's overall combat efficiency.
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Written by April Fowell
