Military Tech

(Credit: GAO)

Ubiquitous, reliable, and free to the public, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is now taken for granted, but don't dump those maps from the glove box just yet, since it's uncertain for how long the U.S. government can continue to deliver.

The US plans to invest more than $5.8 billion through 2013 to modernize and replenish the existing GPS satellite constellation. But facing cost overruns of $870 million and "significant" technical problems, the US Air Force, which is in charge of GPS acquisition, has struggled to build and deploy the next generation satellites on schedule, according to a Government Accounting Office report. A failure to complete development next year before old satellites begin to fail could have wide-ranging impacts on all GPS users, the report warned. (PDF)

Part of the problem has been an acquisition "reform" program, which instead of improving matters by placing more responsibility on the contractors, led instead to "requirements creep," relaxed specifications, late part delivery, test failures, and poor performance.

In addition, the program suffered from the "cluster" factor, i.e. a lack of management continuity. Diffuse leadership contributes to late delivery and cost growth. Part of the program has had seven different managers, the first five of whom only served one year each. The diverse array of officials and organizations involved made it difficult to pare back and control requirements, according to the GAO.

Then there were the mergers. For example, the aerospace and defense bits of Rockwell were acquired by Boeing shortly after it won a GPS contract. A year later, Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas. The work was moved again. Next Boeing acquired Hughes Electronics' space and communications business, which meant another move; all the while shedding "valuable workers and knowledge."

Among the consequences of degraded GPS: more delays and cancellations on intercontinental flights, degraded 911 services and "smart bombs" get a little dumber. A decrease in accuracy of GPS guided munitions would force the military to use either bigger bombs or more of them to get the same bang. Can you say collateral damage?

(Credit: Seer Technology)

Ahoy, GPS-stranded motorist. Stop banging the dashboard, and consider this timely reincarnation of dead reckoning to help you find your way out of "GPS-denied environments," or at least alert others to where you can be found.

Seer Technology is offering a miniature, self-contained, electronic navigation unit called NaviSeer that mixes GPS and DR in a complex gumbo of hardware and proprietary algorithms to deliver user location in real time.

It does this by blending the output from three gyros, three accelerometers (one at each axis,) a magnetometer, and a baro altimeter, and then running it through a Kalman filter.

The result: coordinates accurate to within less than a yard, according to Seer. And no, it "does not require sensors to be worn on the legs or feet."

(Credit: ESA)

When Americans think Europe, it's green parties and granola, not death from above. But a recent think tank report accuses the European Space Agency of plotting to use its Galileo satellite and other space programs to dominate the "high ground" of space.

The paper raises concerns about the "creeping militarization" of space and the potential for an inter-NATO arms race in the name of "EU security." It also highlights the roles played by the European military-industrial complex.

"EU-financed communication and spy satellites are slowly becoming reality and in the long term the inclusion of space-based missile defence and other more offensive uses of space are real options for an increasingly ambitious EU military space policy," the Transnational Institute, a Dutch think tank ("a worldwide fellowship of committed scholar-activists"), charged in a report titled From Venus to Mars.

Galileo was designed to end dependence on America's Global Positioning System, which is controlled by the U.S. Department of Defense -- an agency that also has a final say in who gets to play with it. Galileo was initially pitched as a civilian project -- an economic stimulator, with the promise of 150,000 new jobs and billions in contracts for European companies.

That's smoke, according to the report's author, Frank Slijper. "While Galileo is generally presented as a genuinely civilian programme, it now appears highly militarized," he said.

Galileo could allow European armies to independently deploy GPS-guided munitions similar to those currently used by the U.S. and risks becoming the navigation system for European wars of intervention. (Videos)

"The public denial of these important capabilities shows how much Brussels and many European capitals are afraid to tell the public that Galileo is to become an extremely important tool in future warfare by European military forces," Slijper wrote.

On the other hand, proponents say the redundancy provided by Galileo and its global navigation system is a good thing, and an indispensable element of EU infrastructure -- one that need not be entrusted to third parties, ally or not.

(Credit: Check Mate Semen Detection Kit)

High-tech can protect soldiers in the field, but it hasn't been much use against that age-old threat on the home front; and that's Jody, the 4-F opportunist of yore, who's busy bird-doggin' Snuffy's wife while he's 7000 miles away dodging RPGs.

Time was, the cuckold only began to suspect something amiss when he arrived home to find an off brand butt in the car ashtray or a different flavor of beer in the fridge. No more. Here are a few suggestions on how to keep an eye on things while the cat's away.

The USB Key Snoop is an innocuous-looking keylogger device that plugs into any keyboard and stores more than "128,000 keystrokes including e-mail, chat, IM, internet addresses and more". Data is stored inside the device as the keys are typed, according to the company. To check on who's been surfing philanderers.com, simply type-in a password and the Key Snoop shows who's been where. There's no software to install, just plug the Key Snoop into the USB port, then replug the keyboard and it's ready to record.

Here's another approach: A miniature 16 channel, water resistant, covert GPS tracking system to attach to your honey's car. It's motion activated and includes integrated GPS and cellular antennas, plus software for fast downloading and a flash memory to back-up the evidence. "What time did you say you were at the Laundromat?"

Remember, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Take precautions with this cigarette lighter-powered Anti GPS Tracking Device. Just plug it in and it's good-to-go. It knocks out GPS logging or GPS tracking systems that may be operating on your vehicle, making "it very hard for anyone to keep tabs on you", according to the manufacturer. It sells for under $100, but if it's a matter of principal you can build your own GPS jammer, here.

This service here is like having the NSA at your disposal. A Brit outfit called World Tracker reportedly uses cell tower data (or GPS, when available) to track the location of GSM cell phones and displays their location to within 150 feet on a Google Maps-based interface. The service hasn't reached the US yet and but it should work soon around Dependent housing in Germany. Upon activation, the cell phone owner receives a text message and is supposed to authorize the tracking, but there's got to be a way around that.

Finally, for $65 and change, "put an end to suspicions of infidelity and doubt with this Check Mate semen detection kit." It contains everything needed to detect semen on undergarments or clothing, for up to 2 years if "they haven't been washed" even if the stains are invisible. The test only takes five minutes, so they can't get far.

Please consult the post chaplain before deploying these assets.