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GPS Upgrade Glitch Knocks Out Thousands of Military Receivers

by Caleb Johnson on June 2, 2010 at 10:15 AM

GPS Upgrade GlitchIf the announcement of an $8 billion upgrade wasn't enough, let us further highlight the importance of the 24 satellites that make up the Global Positioning System (GPS). According to the Associated Press, a software compatibility problem knocked out between 8,000 and 10,000 GPS military ground receivers for nearly two weeks in January before the problem could be identified and temporarily fixed. The Air Force, which initially blamed a defense contractor for a defect that wouldn't let devices lock on to GPS satellites, didn't confirm the exact number of weapons, vehicles or navigation systems that were hit, but said no live weapons systems were affected.

Security expert John Pike summed up America's reliance on GPS by telling the AP, "Everything that moves uses it." Pike, director of Globalsecurity.org, further explained that the coordination of American soldiers, vehicles and weapons is enormously dependent on the system. Though the software was tested, problems didn't show up on Trimble receivers (the ones affected by the glitch) until the January 11th upgrade. GPS is supposed to decrease the chance for human error by providing live, accurate location data, but a major glitch during active combat could lead to a defense disaster. [From: AP/Fox News]

Tags: AirForce, GPS, gps glitch, GpsGlitch, military, military gps, MilitaryGps, satellite, top

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