GPS Tracking

The Importance of Precision

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld once proclaimed “Be precise.  A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small.”  As one of the main political players in our nation’s response to the September 11 terrorist attacks, Rumsfeld knows all too well how important precise and efficient information and subsequent action is to the fleet management and communication efforts of the United States military.  With troops stationed in hostile territories all over the world, our country’s leaders are faced with the overwhelming responsibility of providing military personnel and civilians in affected areas with a steady stream of necessary supplies.  Fortunately, the advancement of America’s GPS network has allowed for the Joint Precision Air Drop System (JPADS) to find their way to those who need them, no matter what the surrounding terrain may be.

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­­­­­Initial Challenges of GPS Development

Almost immediately after launching, the Global Positioning System faced serious obstacles to continued growth and development. The biggest hurdle was financial. Although GPS technology received support from all branches of the military, it was not a standard weapons system, and its function was not as straightforward and well-defined as other military research opportunities vying for government dollars. In 1979, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) slashed the program’s budget by about 30 percent. As a result, the satellite design was significantly scaled down, and the plan for a 24-satellite constellation was temporarily reduced to 18. The development of Block IIs, the next generation of modern GPS satellites, was placed on hold. From 1980 to 1982, the program was altogether eliminated until the OSD rallied for its continued survival. The joint program office, a collaboration of the U.S. military branches overseeing GPS research, also argued for the importance of the technology in military applications by emphasizing the advantage of increased bombing accuracy.

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