Headlines: GPS OCX Program Under Termination Review; 37 Nationwide Differential GPS Sites Shut Down, Leaving 46 Operational
Information for Policymakers from the National Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)
September 19, 2016
GPS OCX Program Under Termination Review
On June 30, the Air Force announced a critical Nunn-McCurdy breach (cost overrun) in the Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) budget, triggering a mandatory process to either cancel or restructure the program (10 U.S.C. § 2433a). OCX is the future version of the GPS control segment. The Nunn-McCurdy process is expected to conclude in mid-October of this year.
On August 4, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) ceased broadcasting from 37 sites of the Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS). Fielded in the 1990s, NDGPS service augments GPS by providing increased accuracy and integrity using land-based reference stations to transmit correction messages over radiobeacon frequencies.
Due to the improved accuracy of standalone GPS, and with the availability of other GPS augmentation solutions, the government decided to downsize NDGPS, eliminating the inland component and providing single coverage of coasts and waterways. The decision was reached after reviewing public comments on several Federal Register notices issued by DOT and USCG.
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