How to maximize the resiliency of PNT – Breaking Defense – Opinion

March 20, 2025

Written by Editor

Image: Shutterstock

What’s new: An Op-Ed about the Defense Department’s efforts with resilient PNT.

Why it’s important: The author makes a number of excellent points about the department’s lack of focus and leadership in PNT. 

What else to know:

  • GAO has said similar things about DOD’s not having their PNT act together.
  • From what we have seen, we must agree with the author on almost all points.
  • The author is at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

 

How to maximize the resiliency of PNT

The Pentagon “needs to double down its focus on bringing M-code fully online, rather than getting distracted by efforts like R-GPS,” Clayton Swope of CSIS writes in this op-ed.

Military leaders have long recognized the need to improve the resilience of the Global Positioning System (GPS), due to its essential role providing positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services for joint operations. But there is neither a comprehensive Department of Defense strategy nor one official assigned to ensure PNT resilience and finish GPS modernization, resulting in an uncoordinated cornucopia of service-level puzzle pieces that might not exactly fit together, putting at risk assured military PNT access during a conflict.

To minimize this risk, DoD needs to consolidate responsibilities for the PNT architecture into one role and create a comprehensive strategy, with two focus points. First, pushing the department to complete current GPS modernization efforts as quickly as possible, and second, prioritize and harmonize the various service-level efforts to develop and integrate PNT alternatives, with emphasis on ones that do not rely on satellites, as backups. This approach would also present opportunities for cost-benefit analyses of service-level programs, identifying those where the juice is not worth the squeeze and which could be cut.

READ MORE

What Can YOU Do? How Can YOU Help?

PNT is the quiet backbone of everything but too many leaders still don't see the risk.

But you do. You understand the systems, the dependencies, the failure chains. That insight is rare — and it's exactly what your country needs right now. Contact your government leaders and industry decision-makers and tell them resilient PNT isn't a feature — it's the foundation everything else depends on.

Start the Conversation

Use our Resilient PNT Key Talking Points to make the case.

U.S. Advocates

Find your representatives at Congress.gov, then use our email template to reach them in minutes.

When you get a response, let us know. Every conversation strengthens the mission.

More PNT News

UK maritime navigation leader on chokepoints – PoliticsHome

UK maritime navigation leader on chokepoints – PoliticsHome

Image: UK General Lighthouse Authority - 28 days of ship traffic in Dover Strait What's new: An opinion piece from the head of the UK's General Lighthouse Authority which is responsible for maritime aids to navigation and assists government in marine spatial planning....

Lithuania Warns Russia Can Spoof GPS Across Europe – tovima.com

Lithuania Warns Russia Can Spoof GPS Across Europe – tovima.com

Image: Spoofing activity in northern Europe displayed on GPSWise.areo What's new: A report of increased Russian spoofing capability in Kaliningrad. Why it's important: Spoofing is hazardously misleading information and can result in tragedy. What else to know:...

Russia attacks NATO with drones – The Telegraph

Russia attacks NATO with drones – The Telegraph

Image: Shutterstock What's new: A report of Russia spoofing Ukrainian drones and sending them against NATO targets. Why it's important: Russia is attacking NATO kinetically. This is not just electronic warfare anymore. Secondarily: If true, it shows Ukraine is still...

Canada Ending Radio Time Signals (accuracy

Canada Ending Radio Time Signals (accuracy <1ms)

Image: Shutterstock What's new: Canada has announced it is cancelling its short wave time signals as of the 22nd of June 2026. Why it's important: The other sources of official time from the Canadian government (National Research Council, or NRC) are less accurate...

Get PNT News in Your Inbox