After nearly two decades of development, the Pentagon’s extensive initiative to enhance the resilience of GPS signals against jamming continues to face repeated delays across all segments — space, ground, and user equipment — according to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The report states, “Many of the programs that are part of the GPS modernization effort have encountered significant development challenges that have led to cost overruns and years of delays in implementing M-code capability. These delays increase the risk to the warfighter as adversaries continue to develop and deploy technology that can disrupt GPS signals.” The report, titled “GPS Modernization: Delays Continue in Delivering More Secure Capability for the Warfighter,” was released today.
To complicate matters further, the Defense Department is now facing a potential shortage of microchips and processor cards necessary for ground vehicles, ships, and aircraft to access GPS.
The Space Force, responsible for the space component, has made some progress in addressing “technical and manufacturing challenges” in developing the GPS III and GPS IIIF satellites, which are intended to replace the older operational models, as noted in the GAO report. However, the need for fixes has pushed the service to the limits of its schedule. The report warns that “Further delays could jeopardize DOD’s goal of having 24 M-code-capable satellites in continuous operation through the 2030s.” Additionally, the Space Force is tasked with developing the new ground system for commanding and controlling those satellites, called the Next-Generation Operational Control System (OCX). Developed by RTX (formerly Raytheon), OCX is essential for enabling approximately 700 weapon systems across the U.S. military to fully utilize the M-code. The program has encountered severe setbacks, initially planned for operational launch over a decade ago — ongoing issues continue to trouble the Space Force. While some key testing has been completed, the timeline for OCX’s operational acceptance has been pushed back to December 2025 from the previously targeted date of July 2025, despite some progress made in testing by Raytheon.
The Space Force is also responsible for developing the microchips and microelectronic cards that work with M-code signals. However, each service branch is tasked with building its specific receivers and radios that use these components. The inability of the DoD to deploy the M-code user kit, currently being developed under the Military User GPS Equipment (MGUE) program, has been a long-standing issue, highlighted repeatedly by the GAO and the Pentagon’s Office of Test & Evaluation.
“While the Space Force has made progress in developing user equipment, significant risks remain in delivering capabilities to the warfighter. After years of delay, the first increment of user equipment—microchips and cards that process M-code signals—is nearing its final series of tests. However, new deficiencies have emerged that threaten the program’s schedule,” the report indicates. The MGUE effort comprises two parts: MGUE Increment 1 is focused on creating the military-specific ASIC chips and cards for initial integration with Army Strykers, Marine Corps Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, the Air Force’s B-2 bombers, and the Navy’s DDG-class destroyers. MGUE Increment 2 aims to develop a smaller, more powerful ASIC chip for use in handheld radios and precision-guided munitions, combining off-the-shelf designs with sensitive military functions.
Both initiatives remain fraught with risks, the report outlines.
“After years of delays, the Space Force’s MGUE Increment 1 program is approaching its final series of tests. However, the emergence of additional deficiencies could further jeopardize the program’s timeline. While two of the MGUE Increment 2 contractors have begun their critical design reviews for receiver cards, the program risks exceeding the five-year timeline typically associated with programs utilizing the middle tier of acquisition pathways,” the GAO states. Currently, the DoD’s Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Oversight Council is investigating how to address “potential shortages of GPS chips and cards,” according to the report. “The DoD is facing a potential gap in the availability of GPS receiver cards as some existing units can no longer be produced and the M-code-capable replacements have faced delays. Additionally, officials from the Army noted that foreign military sales of GPS-enabled equipment to allies and partners are also depleting card stocks.”
Regarding receiver development, the GAO finds that while the Army and Navy have made progress in deployment, the Air Force is lagging significantly.
“Due to development issues, the Air Force’s M-code GPS receivers are significantly delayed, hindering the rollout of M-code capabilities for several Air Force and Navy aviation platforms. To alleviate some of these delays, the Navy and Air Force are planning an interim solution that would offer M-code capability using some of their current receivers,” the report elaborates.
“The Army is making strides with its ground vehicle, handheld, and aviation receivers, aiming to deploy them in fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The Navy relies on the Air Force for developing its air platform receivers, while its maritime receiver plans to complete operational testing by fiscal year 2025. Finally, the Marine Corps plans to utilize the Army’s M-code receiver for its ground vehicles and has not yet selected an option for its new handheld GPS systems,” the report continues.
The M-Code handheld radios issue underscores the difficulties the Pentagon has faced in coordinating the various service efforts. In July 2023, the Space Force awarded a contract to Technology Advancement Group to develop a handheld prototype using the planned MGUE Increment 2 chip and card, under a project estimated at $149.2 million in 2020, claims the GAO report.
This is despite the fact that the Army, the largest customer for handheld GPS radios, has stated it does not intend to purchase the Space Force receiver and is exploring its options, including partnerships with commercial providers. The other key potential user, the Marine Corps, has also indicated it desires an open competition, according to the GAO report. Consequently, the oversight agency recommended last year that the Space Force discontinue the prototype due to a lack of a “sound business case.”
The Pentagon acknowledged this recommendation but reported awarding the handheld receiver contract in July 2023 without having established a sufficient business case. Therefore, the GAO closed the recommendation as no longer valid.
