By KRIS OSBORN - Warrior Maven

Since the days of the Gulf War debut of a host of new

precision weaponry and communications technology, the US military has increasing

developed GPS-dependent drones, satellites, force tracking systems and a wide

range of weapons.

While such things, such as Air Force Joint Direct Attack

Munitions for the Air Force, or the Army’s GPS-enabled Blue Force Tracking succeeded

in ushering in a new generation of advanced combat operations – in more recent

years potential adversaries have become adept at closing the technical gap with

the US. As part of this, the margin of US military technological superiority is

challenged, matched and, in some cases, outdone.

Advanced jamming techniques, electronic warfare and sophisticated

cyberattacks have radically altered the combat equation – making GPS signals

vulnerable to enemy disruption.

Accordingly, there is a broad consensus among military

developers and industry innovators that far too many necessary combat

technologies are reliant upon GPS systems. Weapons targeting, ship navigation

and even small handheld solider force-tracking systems all rely upon GPS signals

to operate.

​

​

As a result there is increased focus within the military

community on combat technologies that can provide what the military calls

positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) for a wide range of systems.

The Air Force Research

Laboratory (AFRL) is working with industry to test and refine an emerging radio

frequency force-tracking technology able to identify ground forces’ location

without needing to rely upon GPS.

The technology utilizes a ground operated handheld device

which uses an algorithm to aggregate signals of opportunity from various radio

frequencies, said Mark Smearcheck, AFRL electronics engineer, in a written

statement several months ago.

“By receiving and processing various radio frequency

sources not designed for navigation purposes, the new system connects to a

smartphone and is designed to pinpoint a user’s location without relying on

GPS,” Smearcheck said.

The concept, a combined effort between the AFRL and

Virginia based Echo Ridge, is to identify and develop position, navigation and

timing technologies able to operate in a GPS-denied environment wherein

commonly relied upon GPS signals are jammed, attacked or compromised.

In particular, China is known to be testing high tech

ASAT, or anti-satellite, weapons intended to knock out or destroy enemy GPS

systems.

As a result of this and other threats, the Air Force has

been vigorously pursuing resilient, cyber hardened, combat capable

communications technology to sustain combat operations and preserve force

networking without GPS.

The device connects to a smartphone running the Android

Tactical Assault Kit, a device typically carried by Air Force ground operators to

display the navigation solution on a map.

With the process developed by Echo Ridge, the errors do

not accumulate over time, as they might with a traditional dead reckoning

approach, so a valid position can be produced indefinitely, officials

explained.

“Multiple signal sources are used simultaneously, which

provides redundancy and increased immunity to adversarial attack,” an Air Force

statement said.

“We’re measuring signals that have known or discovered

geographical locations,” said John Carlson, chief technical officer at Echo

Ridge. “Because we’re able to precisely measure those signals, we can

accurately estimate position without error growth over time or distance

traveled.”

Several months ago Echo Ridge and the AFRL Sensors Directorate completed a field test and

demonstration of the technology at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Developers are now working on improving ruggedness for

the device to expand the mission scope of its potential combat uses.

Industry developers are

also working with the Army to develop navigation technologies able to function

in a GPS-denied environment – combat scenarios where satellite signals are

compromised or unable to function due to enemy activity or technical

malfunctions.

One promising PNT technology under development is an

Orolia-developed device called Versa PNT.

“You may not be aware of how susceptible GPS signals are

to jamming or spoofing. The whole issue of interference, detection and

mitigation is the focus of our technology,” said Mark Cianciolo, regional vice

president for the Americas, Orolia.

​

The technology comes in a ruggedized box designed to

mount on vehicles, drones and other mobile platforms that network combat

forces. The device uses encrypted RF signals to both detect and mitigate

potential jamming or interference – all while providing key navigation and

timing systems for mounted and dismounted units. The Army’s mobile Blue-Force

Tracker, for example, is a GPS-reliant system, which provides friendly and

enemy force-tracking technology

Orolia is currently working on a prototype Versa for

dismounted soldiers, Cianciolo said.

It functions like a Wave Relay (Persistent Systems

technology) network with each device able to both transmit and function as a

router or node. It uses an iridium receiver and inertial measurement technology

to provide guidance, navigation and timing, Cianciolo said. The receiver is a

small antenna, which receives RF frequencies. This kind of Wave Relay

networking is also being successfully developed by the Army for subterranean

combat, allowing soldiers to conduct combat operations underground.

“When you look at our solution in an environment where

the timing is jammed, we’ve built in several redundant critical timing

solutions,” he added. “Our new Versa product is the only fully integrated

flexible platform of its kind that delivers comprehensive PNT solutions. The

signal is fully encrypted.”

The Versa PNT system is entirely consistent with existing

Army terrestrial, ad hoc software programmable radio networks designed to relay

combat-relevant voice, data and video technology across a force in real-time.

These networks, currently used by Army soldiers to

connect the handheld Rifleman Radio, operate in an environment without a fixed

infrastructure such as a cell tower or satellite network.

Rifleman Radio, used by Army Rangers in Afghanistan in

recent years, uses the high-bandwidth Soldier Radio Waveform to transmit info

across the force. A software programmable network is based upon the premise

that each node or radio on the system functions as a router as well as

something which transmits.

Versa PNT is also designed in a small, four-and-a-half

inch form factor to ultimately enable use with dismounted soldiers as well as vehicles, drones or other platforms.

More Weapons and Technology - WARRIOR MAVEN (CLICK HERE)

WARRIOR MAVEN's Premium Offer - Free for US Military - Offers Q &A with US Military Leaders - PREMIUM CLICK HERE

- Air Force Military Deputy, Acquisition & Deputy Army PEO, Missiles & Space

--- Kris Osborn, Managing Editor of WARRIOR MAVEN (CLICK HERE) can be reached at krisosborn.ko@gmail.com ---

​