Boeing Awarded Contract for GPS Enhancement Demonstration



Aug. 05, 2008

The Boeing Company has been awarded a $153.5 million U.S. Naval Research Laboratory contract to demonstrate High Integrity Global Positioning System (GPS) technology concepts. The contract is expected to run through 2010.

The High Integrity GPS effort combines satellite signals from the Iridium Low Earth Orbit telecommunications system and GPS Mid Earth Orbit navigational satellites to enhance navigation availability, integrity, accuracy and jam-resistant capabilities for warfighters.

"High Integrity GPS is an effective near-term tool that will augment GPS satellites to provide critical new capabilities, including aggressive levels of additional anti-jam protection," said David Whelan, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems chief scientist and vice president/deputy general manager, Advanced Systems. "Our research concluded that significant low-cost improvements to GPS can be achieved by using existing signal platforms and systems such as the Iridium constellation."

The need to provide a more capable GPS for warfighters stems from the increasing sophistication of hostile jamming capabilities. GPS supports numerous military and civil applications, so the ability to jam the system presents a grave threat.

"Boeing has been working over the years to find new ways to maximize the effectiveness of the GPS constellation," said Alex Lopez, vice president, Advanced Network and Space Systems. "With this integrated approach, we can increase the value of the current system by improving its operational mission-assurance capabilities."

Based on its years of experience supporting the operation of the Iridium system, Boeing is able to integrate the system with GPS in a manner to create the first such combined navigation and communication "system-of-systems."