GPS Technology Is Vulnerable

Attempts to jam GPS-based weapons and navigation systems are a reminder of just how vulnerable GPS technology really is.

1 minute read

April 16, 2003, 11:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"The space-based Global Positioning System (GPS) signal that guides smart bombs and cruise missiles to their targets underpins U.S. technological superiority on the battlefield. Yet because it is relatively easy to jam, it is also the Achilles' heel of U.S. military might. Although the integrity of the GPS signal was maintained in the war with Iraq, enemy attempts to corrupt it underscored the need to protect GPS-dependent weapons and navigation systems. Against a more capable enemy, GPS might find itself among the first casualties of any new conflict."

Thanks to Laura Kranz

Tuesday, April 15, 2003 in Scientific American

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