A congressional appropriations panel cast doubt on the U.S. Space Force’s Resilient GPS system. The Space Force proposed launching small navigation satellites to enhance GPS capabilities, but the House Appropriations defense subcommittee questions the plan’s effectiveness.
Lawmakers highlighted concerns about the proliferation of additional GPS satellites and their impact on resiliency. The Pentagon is worried about adversaries jamming GPS signals, with Russia already exploiting this vulnerability in Ukraine.
The Air Force shifted funds to kickstart development of Resilient GPS, expected to cost $1 billion over five years. The Space Force repurposed $40 million and requested $77 million for FY25, but the subcommittee denied this request, questioning the quick-start process and stressing the need for a comprehensive approach that includes ground systems and user equipment.
To evaluate the plan’s viability, the subcommittee called for an assessment by the Pentagon’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office. The goal is to determine if Resilient GPS is the best strategy for enhancing the resiliency of positioning, navigation, and timing capabilities.
