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April 23, 2020 | International, C4ISR

FCC and Ligado are undermining GPS – and with it, our economy and national security

Sen. Jim Inhofe, Sen. Jack Reed, Rep. Adam Smith, Rep. Mac Thornberry

Right now, the coronavirus is rightly our country's most immediate concern. But the Federal Communications Commission has used the crisis, under the cover of darkness, to approve a long-stalled application by Ligado Networks — a proposal that threatens to undermine our global positioning system (GPS) capabilities, and with it, our national security.

The FCC granted Ligado (formerly known as LightSquared) permission to repurpose spectrum adjacent to GPS frequencies for a terrestrial cellular network — framing this proposal as essential to “winning the race to 5G.” But what Ligado has done is conflate two different and important spectrum issues: the sharing of mid-band 5G spectrum by the Department of Defense and commercial industry, and harmful interference of Ligado's signal with the low-band GPS signals used in nearly every aspect of daily life. The result: some members of Congress, members of the administration, and the public are now confused about the real and immediate impacts of Ligado's proposal.

So, we wanted to clarify things: domestic 5G development is critical to our economic competiveness against China and for our national security. The Pentagon is committed working with government and industry to share mid-band spectrum where and when it makes sense to ensure rapid roll-out of 5G.

[Editor's note: C4ISRNET first broke the news that the FCC would move forward with Ligado's request on April 10.]

The problem here is that Ligado's planned usage is not in the prime mid-band spectrum being considered for 5G — and it will have a significant risk of interference with GPS reception, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The signals interference Ligado's plan would create could cost taxpayers and consumers billions of dollars and require the replacement of current GPS equipment just as we are trying to get our economy back on its feet quickly — and the FCC has just allowed this to happen.

Think of all the ways Americans use GPS each and every day. GPS satellites provide free precise timing and navigation that powers thousands of functions: making financial transactions at our banks, keeping the lights on in our homes, traveling around the country — the list goes on and on. Studies show GPS satellites contribute at least $1 billion to our economy every single day. GPS also forms the backbone of countless military operations and applications — to get supplies to our war fighters on the battlefield, guide unmanned aircraft and vehicles, target its precision weapons, and much more.

It would be practically impossible to identify and repair or replace all of the potentially adversely affected receivers. It would “needlessly imperil [Department of Defense] GPS-dependent national security capabilities,” per Secretary Esper, putting the war fighter, U.S. Space Force, military readiness, and even the defense of our homeland at risk. American families and businesses would lose coverage or be forced to use systems from our strategic competitors, China and Russia, jeopardizing our global leadership in precision timing.

We're not the only ones with serious concerns. Nine federal departments and agencies have completed extensive engineering tests and analyses on Ligado's proposal; and the results are clear: Ligado's plan would interfere with millions of GPS receivers across the nation. The Departments of Defense, Commerce, Interior, Justice, Homeland Security, Energy, and Transportation — as well as NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration — all strongly object to Ligado's plan. What kind of precedent is the FCC setting by disregarding near unanimous opposition of federal agencies to this proposal?

It's not just the government, either — industry leaders representing GPS, satellite communications services, automotive companies, commercial aviation, and weather data have also voiced concerns over Ligado's proposal.

We would expect that the FCC listen not just to Ligado's privately funded research, but also broad-based, in-depth research from experts in national security and other fields. This makes it all the more confusing — why is the FCC ignoring all the evidence, especially now, at the height of a global crisis?

The Ligado application highlights the need to use a technical, data-driven approach to balance the use of the spectrum between war fighter requirements and commercial needs, rather than strong-arming a proposal through the process like the FCC just did. We can expect this issue to be an ongoing national security challenge. If we want to strike a responsible balance moving forward, the U.S. government must modernize the infrastructure needed to manage and share spectrum efficiently, promote policy and technology innovation, and improve the ability of military systems to operate alongside commercial systems.

Considering the risks, it's clear the FCC commissioners made the wrong decision regarding Ligado's plan, which will set a disastrous precedent while impeding ongoing work on spectrum sharing. The vulnerabilities to our national and economic security are not worth the risk, particularly for a band of spectrum that isn't necessary to secure a robust 5G network.

We encourage the FCC to withdraw its approval of Ligado's application and take this opportunity to work with the NTIA and other federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense and Transportation, to find a solution that will both support commercial broadband expansion and protect national security assets. Moreover, we expect the FCC to resolve Department of Defense concerns before moving forward, as required by law.

If they do not, and unless President Trump intervenes to stop this from moving forward, it will be up to Congress to clean up this mess.

Senator Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., is the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., is the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, is the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/breaking-news/2020/04/22/fcc-and-ligado-are-undermining-gps-and-with-it-our-economy-and-national-security/

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 11, 2019

    March 12, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 11, 2019

    DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Alon USA LP, Dallas, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0460, $94,761,255); BP Products North America Inc., Chicago, Illinois (SPE602-19-D-046, $336,763,299); BP Products North America Inc., Chicago, Illinois (SPE602-19-D-0462, $94,753,559); Calumet Shreveport Fuels LLC,* Indianapolis, Indiana (SPE602-19-D-0463, $91,042,014); Epic Aviation LLC,* Salem, Oregon (SPE602-19-D-0464, $36,973,147); Equilon Enterprises, doing business as Shell Oil Products, Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0465, $259,795,782); Exxon Mobil Fuels Lubricants & Specialties Marketing Co., Spring, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0466, $90,495,076); Hunt Refining Co., Tuscaloosa, Alabama (SPE602-19-D-0467, $34,052,469); Husky Marketing & Supply Co. Dublin, Ohio (SPE602-19-D-0468, $81,348,500); Lazarus Energy Holdings LLC,* Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0470, $125,906,184); Petromax Refining Co.,* Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0477, $241,944,848); Placid Refining Co. LLC,* Port Allen, Louisiana (SPE602-19-D-0472, $124,968,052); Tesoro Refining & Marketing Co., LLC, San Antonio, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0473, $45,029,489); Valero Marketing and Supply Co., San Antonio, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0474, $141,128,080); Wynnewood Energy Co., Sugarland, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0475, $92,328,466); Hermes Consolidated LLC, doing business as Wyoming Refining Co.,* Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0476, $42,147,054); and Phillips 66 Co., Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0478, $884,362,445), have each been awarded a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SPE602-18-R-0717 for various types of fuel. These were competitive acquisitions with 32 offers received. These are one-year contracts with a 30-day carryover. Locations of performance are Texas, Ohio, Alabama, Wyoming, Illinois, Indiana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, with a March 31, 2019, performance completion date. Using customer is Defense Logistics Agency Energy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. ARMY Jacobs Technology Inc., Tampa, Florida, was awarded a $785,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for instructors. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 14, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-19-D-0004). Jacobs Technology Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was awarded a $38,253,942 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for testing for evaluation of various interactions of chemical and biological agents. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, with an estimated completion date of June 23, 2020. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,392,148 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, is the contracting activity (W911S6-19-C-0002). Atlantic Diving Supply Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (W81XWH-19-A-0003); American Purchasing Services LLC,* Miramar, Florida (W81XWH-19-A-0004); and TQM LLC, Saint Charles, Missouri (W81XWH-19-A-0005), will compete for each order of the $20,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for brand-name medical equipment repair parts. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 10, 2024. U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Cubic Global Defense Inc., San Diego, California, was awarded a $7,996,042 modification (P00003) to contract W564KV-18-F-0001 for analytical support services. Work will be performed in Stuttgart, Germany, with an estimated completion date of March 9, 2023. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $7,996,042 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army 409th Combat Support Battalion, Kaiserslautern, Germany, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 10, 2019) NAVY Dell Marketing LP, Round Rock, Texas, was awarded an estimated $231,170,000 firm-fixed-price blanket purchase agreement (BPA) in accordance with the firm's General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule contract. This agreement will provide VMware brand-name software licenses, software maintenance and services to the Department of the Navy (DON). The products will meet the following functional capabilities: data center and Cloud infrastructure; networking and security; storage and availability; Cloud management; network functions virtualization; digital workspace; desktop and application virtualization; and training. Under the Enterprise Software Initiative, the DON leverages its aggregate buying power to establish enterprise agreements with information technology manufacturers and resellers for high demand, commercial-off-the-shelf IT products and services. This BPA will be available for ordering VMware products and services throughout the Navy, worldwide, and the ordering period is expected to be completed March 7, 2023. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using operations and maintenance (Navy) funds. This contract was competitively procured via publication on the GSA E-Buy website with 895 vendors solicited, three offers received, and one selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-19-A-0055). (Awarded March 8, 2019) Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is awarded an $89,534,733 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide sustainment and engineering services in support of the MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System. Additionally, this contract procures the technical expertise of field service representatives, logisticians and test support to ensure MQ-4C air vehicles and mission control and operator training systems are fully sustained and mission capable. Work will be performed at Patuxent River, Maryland (45 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (25 percent); Andersen Air Force Base, Guam (20 percent); and Point Mugu, California (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2020. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $69,309,254 will be obligated at time of award, $4,000,000 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-1020). General Atomics, San Diego, California, is awarded $18,898,425 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N0001919F2709 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0006). This delivery order provides Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) integrated test and evaluation effort for EMALS test site operations, Failure Reporting Analysis and Corrective Actions System, prototype and testing, environmental qualification testing and remediation, electromagnetic interference testing, and training efforts. Work will be performed in Lakewood, New Jersey (60 percent); Tupelo, Mississippi (25 percent); and Rancho Bernardo, California (15 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2021. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $18,898,425 will be obligated at time of award, $2,737,924 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Bethel-Webcor JV-1,* Anchorage, Alaska, is awarded $11,470,000 for firm-fixed-price task order N4425519F4123 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N44255-17-D-4032) for the P-253 Fleet Support Facility at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. The work to be performed provides for the construction of P-253 Fleet Support Facility to include construction of a single-story addition to Building 2836. 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AIR FORCE Etegent Technologies Ltd., Cincinnati, Ohio, has been awarded a $24,500,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for research and development. This contract provides for further development of cognitively-derived analyst tools to support the integration of more fully integrated intelligence products of greater relevance to the warfighter, and transitioning of analyst-aiding tools and technologies within the Department of Defense intelligence community. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by March 11, 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 24 offers were received. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $ $599,250 are being obligated on the initial task order at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Research Site, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-D-6939). DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $9,673,729 modification (P00001) to previously awarded contract FA2860-19-C-0005 for the rotary wing aircraft maintenance contract. This modification provides for services to support all management, personnel, equipment and services necessary to perform helicopter maintenance in support of aircraft assigned to the 11th Wing and their customers. Work will be performed at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by June 30, 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $75,020,715. The 11th Contracting Squadron, Services Flight, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity. WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES Marcon Inc., Falls Church, Virginia, has been awarded a $10,646,332 firm-fixed-price contract. The contract is to provide technical and managerial assistance as related to all elements of facility planning, program and project execution, including a wide range of analytical and planning, design, and construction management support services to assist the Washington Headquarters Services Facilities Services Directorate in the accomplishment of its missions. Work performance will take place at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Fiscal 2019 Pentagon Reservation Maintenance Revolving funds in the amount of $10,646,332 are being awarded. The expected completion date is Jan. 30, 2023. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-17-D-0016). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1782108/

  • ‘Bring it’: Adm. Aquilino open to greater directed-energy trials

    August 28, 2023 | International, Aerospace

    ‘Bring it’: Adm. Aquilino open to greater directed-energy trials

    The Pentagon for the past three years has spent an average $1 billion on the development of directed-energy weapons, according to a watchdog.

  • Boeing proposes designs for new ICBM deterrent

    July 25, 2018 | International, Aerospace

    Boeing proposes designs for new ICBM deterrent

    By Stephen Carlson July 24 (UPI) -- Boeing has proposed design options to the U.S. Air Force for design of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, a possible replacement for the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. "We offered the Air Force cost and performance trades for a deterrent that will address emerging and future threats," Frank McCall, vice president for Boeing Strategic Deterrence Systems, said in a press release. "By considering the various capabilities and opportunities for cost savings, the Air Force can prioritize system requirements as we progress toward the program's next phase," McCall said. Boeing received a $349 million contract from the Air Force last August for work on the GBSD, and completed a design review in November. A system functional review will be completed later this year, while Boeing is expected to present the completed design to the Air Force in 2020. Along with Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin are competing for development contracts on the new missile. The Ground Based Strategic Deterrence program is the U.S. Air Force effort to replace the venerable LGM Minuteman II ICBM, which is nearing the end of its lifespan. Upgrades of the Minuteman series of ICBMs have been in service since the early 1960's. Much of its components are over 50 years old and making replacement necessary. The GDSM program is still in its early stages but is expected to start entering service in 2027 and is planned to be in service until 2075. The current Minuteman III is an underground silo-launched missile armed with nuclear warheads with up to a 350 kiloton yield. It has a range of well over 6,000 miles, though the exact maximum range classified. The Minuteman III can carry up to three multiple independent reentry vehicle warheads but is restricted to one per missile by treaty. The United States currently has 450 ICBMs in service. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2018/07/24/Boeing-proposes-designs-for-new-ICBM-deterrent/7861532445298

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