L-3 Interstate Electronics Corp. recently was awarded the first-ever full security certification for the next-generation Military GPS User Equipment. The milestone is “proof that this ground-breaking technology is ready to provide the secure anti-jam, anti-spoof capability demanded by our warfighters,” said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, head of the Space and Missile Systems Center. It also means the Defense Department is one step closer to being able to provide the Military Code, or M-Code, capability. “MGUE receivers acquire and process M-Code signals transmitted from modernized GPS satellites while retaining all legacy capabilities provided by current military GPS receivers,” states the release. “The M-Code signal offers a number of improvements to receiver performance, including higher-power signal capability offering better resistance to jamming and interference; advanced security features to prevent unauthorized access or exploitation by adversaries; and improved messages formats and signal modulation techniques for more accurate and resilient performance.” Beginning in Fiscal 2018, the Defense Department will only be permitted per congressional mandate to purchase M-Code capable receivers, states the release.
When the Space Force discusses the cyber threats faced by the service or the commercial satellite providers it uses, it typically frames the issue as a nation-state one. But for cyber defenders in the commercial space sector responsible for day-to-day operations, the reality is rather different: Like other providers of…
