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Summary: A new multi-lateral agreement allowing participating nations to buy and sell military Global Positioning System User Equipment for common defense stimulates Foreign Military Sales and allied interoperability.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC), along with the Department of War (DoW) Chief Information Officer (CIO) have enacted a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enable allied nations to build and share military Global Positioning System (GPS) User Equipment. The new MOU will stimulate new Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and promote allied interoperability with U.S. joint forces.
USSF Col. Neil Barnas, commander of SSC’s System Delta 831 (SYD 831) within SSC’s Military Communication and Positioning, Navigation and Timing (MilCom PNT) Program Executive Office, shared the MOU at a meeting attended by representatives from the Department of State, Under Secretary of the Air Force for Foreign Affairs, SSC’s International Affairs Foreign Military Sales Division, the U.S. Navy’s Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, the U.S. Air Force’s Modernized Aviation Receiver Enterprise Joint Program Office, participating MOU nations, and U.S. industry, September 9-10 at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Support and Procurement Agency in Capellen, Luxembourg.
At the meeting, Barnas said, “This MOU enshrines our continued military partnership with allied nations through the shared use of GPS. It also continues the long legacy of GPS MOUs dating back to 1978. Increased allied interoperability in support of joint and allied warfighter combat capabilities is critical to ensuring our and our allies’ mutual objectives in space”
Mr. John Skudlarek, representing the DoW’s lead organization for PNT Policy, provided an overview of U.S. priorities and plans to modernize GPS, pursue Alternate PNT capabilities, and provide Global Navigation Satellite System situational awareness for military and civilian use. Mr. Skudlarek emphasized the importance of achieving interoperability with our foreign partners and expressed appreciation to all the partners for their participation.
Members of the SYD 831’s FMS Branch were on-hand to brief the member nation responsibilities associated with the new agreement, provide a GPS Military Code (M-Code) update, and present the status of two international collaboration projects.
SSC’s SYD 831, NAVWAR & PNT, delivers Navigation Warfare and PNT capabilities to the USSF and joint warfighters.
Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering resilient capabilities to outpace emerging threats and protect our Nation’s strategic advantage in, from, and to space. SSC manages a $15.6 billion annual space acquisition budget for the Department of Defense, working with joint forces, industry partners, government agencies, academia, and allied nations. For more information, visit ssc.spaceforce.mil and follow @USSF-SSC on LinkedIn.
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Media representatives may submit questions for response regarding this topic by sending an e-mail to SSCpa.media@spaceforce.mil.
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