GNSS

eLoran Signal tests start

Congressman Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., flipped a switch at a decommissioned Loran-C station in Wildwood, New Jersey, to begin transmission of an enhanced Loran or eLoran signal. The signal, which is part of a yearlong test, will be receivable up to a 1,000 miles away and will help establish whether the old facilities can become the foundation for a reliable eLoran network to provide positioning, navigation, and, perhaps most importantly, timing (PNT) information in the United States.

Recently, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with Harris Corporation and UrsaNav to evaluate and demonstrate such a network. The Wildwood signal is part of that effort. The powerful signals from an eLoran ground-based radio navigation system are widely seen as a cost effective backup for GPS and have been endorsed by leading PNT experts including the National Space- Based PNT Advisory Board. ELoran signals would be very difficult to jam and are able to reach underground, underwater, through buildings and into other obscured areas where the GPS cannot penetrate. GPS and eLoran operate on different frequencies and share no common failure points.

Kalashnikov rifle with internet, GPS, GLONASS

The legendary Russian Kalashnikov rifles can now be now equipped with a special module to monitor the status and movement of military personnel or receive useful information during training and transmit the encrypted data via internet. This device is the first of its kind for the rifle according its developer Red Heat, and StarNet Alliance, a company which specializes in the Internet of Things. According to StarNet Alliance, Kalashnikov rifle has received “new functionality due to integration of special sensors working via Internet of Things technology in the handguard of the weapons.” The sensor “is powered by a common battery, and transmits all the necessary information” to the networks, which are maintained both in Russia and abroad, the company says, adding that the online module can also be maintained by GPS and GLONASS systems. http://rt.com/

Russia Begins Mass Production of Glonass-K1 Navigation Satellites

According to Roscosmos, the mass production of Glonass-K1, the third generation of GLONASS navigation satellites, has begun. This is aimed at ensuring the further development and expansion of the Glonass satellite network through 2017-2019. Glonass-K1 satellites have an increased lifetime of 10 to 12 years, a reduced weight of only 935 kilograms and offer an additional L-Band navigational signal. http://sputniknews.com

Demo of M-Code GPS receiver

GPS Source and Rockwell Collins have successfully demonstrated the ability of the Military-Code Ground-Based GPS Receiver Application Module (GBGRAM- M) receiver card to fit within the Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR) Distributed Device (D3). GPS Source and Rockwell Collins are the first to provide this capability for the M-code signal, which is one of the key elements in the modernization of military GPS capabilities. www.rockwellcollins.com

Raytheon Demonstrates Advanced GPS OCX Capabilities

Raytheon has demonstrated the advanced capabilities of the GPS’s next generation Operational Control System (GPS OCX) to key Defense Department and other stakeholders through a series of realistic operational demonstrations. These demonstrations, which incorporated software that will be delivered with the Launch and Checkout System, validated how automation will improve system efficiency and effectiveness. GPS OCX is the ground-based command and control system that will manage GPS satellites with significantly improved accuracy and precision, while providing unprecedented levels of cyber protection. The demonstration provided DoD and other stakeholders with a compelling look at how OCX will automate many tasks currently performed manually, resulting in reduced opportunities for error and increased operational tempo for delivering military and other applications. www.raytheon.com

Damage to Russia’s property registry agency linked to GLONASS exceeds $2.5m

The Prosecutor General’s Office has revealed over 130 million rubles ($2.5 million) worth of acquisition violations at the Federal Service for State Registration, Cadaster and Cartography (Rosreestr), including some that are part of the federal targeted program for maintaining, developing and using the Glonass system in 2012-2020.In 2014 Rosreestr transferred about 200 million rubles ($3.8 million) in payments under three contracts with JSC Roscartography carried out as part of the Glonass program. Under the contracts, Roscartography was to compile digital city plans and to review digital navigation and topographic maps. http://www.rapsinews.com/

Russia, China to install GLONASS/Beidou on trucks

Russia and China will start equipping trucks transporting goods across the Sino- Russian border with the GLONASS/ Beidou navigation systems, GLONASS’s Director of International Non-Commercial Partnership Projects Alexander Bondarenko said. According to Bondarenko, transportation companies will be offered a series of services, primarily in the fields of security, navigation and information. He added that truck drivers would not have different devices, and instead would be using the same apparatus. http://rbth.com/

Multi-GNSS Module by OriginGPS

OriginGPS has launched the Multi Micro Hornet, a tiny fully integrated multiple constellation antenna module. The innovative architecture packs functionality and high-quality components in a small space to improve wearables’ fashion and function. The Multi Micro Hornet is designed for devices that require a small form factor, low power consumption, and high sensitivity.