Early use of USSF anti-jamming GPS III M code now operational despite 5 years delay
The US Space Force (USSF) has now received Operational Acceptance for Early Use (MCEU) of the GPS III military code (M code) due to the lack of control of the current system on the ground. The large group of 23 GPS satellites is operational; however, its Operational Control System (OCX) is five years behind schedule, with June 2021 as its first completion.
A new limited version of the foolproof and anti-hacking military-grade GPS signals, the GPS III M-Code, would now be available for use in all divisions of the United States military around the world. Global positioning technology is crucial for the US military as it is a necessary update to previous technology which is prone to jammer from enemies.
According to C4isrnet, the encrypted M-Code signal is necessary for the US military because it uses a different programming language to provide a more secure line or signal for the troops. In addition, this technology features "anti-spooofing" and "anti-jamming" capabilities to prevent any inaccurate data reporting from the military. #GPS jammer
GPS is used by the military for navigation, positioning, and timing data that are crucial in planning, reporting, and executing an attack. The current military satellites ready for GPS M-Code have already 23 launched and are already in orbit; however, these are irrelevant without its operational control system or the OCX.
OCX is still under construction, and it was reported last year that it was five years behind schedule, with completion as early as possible in June 2021. Raytheon Technologies was tasked with creating the OCX for GPS III M-Code signal but could not provide the technology earlier.
US Space Force assigns Lockheed Martin to create MCEU
The US government's solution to this problem is to entrust Lockheed Martin, through the US Space Force, with a new technology called the M-Code Early Use (MCEU) system to take advantage of the technology and use it as early as possible. The US Space Force outsourced this work to Lockheed Martin in 2017 and completed the improved ground system last July.
The agency believes this would be enough to use the M code earlier than the planned completion of its planned OCX. According to GPS World, the US Space Force has already received operational acceptance on November 19 to use the M-Code signal among the US military.
The system would serve as a “fill in the gap” for the extensive creation of the original OCX system which claimed to be five years behind its creation schedule. The US military can now request access to use the M-Code GPS signal provided the team has the special equipment required for the technology.
The Early Use version of M-Code is already powerful enough to be used. The new technology can give Space Force the ability to coordinate, control and monitor the M code that is part of the orbiting GPS constellation.
