Are we about to lose GPS - post this Br***t mess? Very worrying

[Robert Wilson]

USA controls Galileo and apparently Europe is getting a system of its own - but both may be denied to GB boats.

This I heard from a neighbour last evening, one who seems to know what he is talking about - but I don't in this case.

So, post Br***t, might Europe deny this vital facility to GB sailors/fishermen/CG/commercial vessels etc etc ?
Or at least might we have to "pay through the nose" by way of licence fees, usage tariffs etc?

What a horrifying thought, if true.

Anybody any advice, thoughts, knowledge on this?

 

[BabySharkDooDooDooDooDoo]

Galileo is the EU system which the UK may well be denied access to but I hadn't heard anything about losing access to the USA's GPS

 

[mainsail1]

We will still have access to normal commercial levels of Galileo but not the secret defence level. We will continue with American GPS as now. As a sailor, no need to worry.

 

[Robert Wilson]

Reassuring news , so far.
I have actually been aware that the USA can/may from time-to-time downgrade or switch off their controlled GPS facility - and I, like said neighbour, thought that it is the Galileo system.
He mentioned that Trumpy is sabre-rattling, looking at various ways to make the USA more powerful, which seems to hang true if The Media are to be believed.
Which system does the USA control?

 

[sailorman]

Our distribution / logistics system would crash without GPS being available. Dont panic, it will be all right. especially for those of us with paper charts & a pencil

 

[AndrewL]

We, the public, are not going to lose access to GPS or Galileo due to Brexit.

GPS is US owned and controlled, it broadcasts an unencrypted signal for public use and an encrypted signal for use by whoever the USA grant access. The USA can "turn off" the signal for a region if they so choose, as happened over India during the Kargil war. There is no foreseeable reason why the USA would disable GPS over Europe or the UK.

The recent press coverage about Galileo is about access to one of the encrypted services, which is only available to EU member states. After Brexit the UK will lose access to this service, because we will not be a member state anymore. However, the unencrypted public service will remain available to all, for free. Obviously in a time of crisis (war) the EU can selectively disable the public service.

 

[Gadget257]

It will only come into effect during times of war (where being at lost sea may be the safest place to be) when the GPS is turned off to prevent the "enemy" from using it to target weapons, drones etc.

 

[ProMariner]

USA controls Navstar, the satellites that make GPS happen. They can and do degrade the signal, from time to time, for system tests and security reasons, no need to throw out the 2B pencils yet.

 

[Champagne Murphy]

I thought we were all going to need different kit to read Galileo, anyway?

 

[Robert Wilson]

OK, thanks one and all.
As said, keep the 2B pencils handy!

 

[AndrewL]

There is a good article here that explains the details of Galileo and what the UK will lose after Brexit.
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/galileo-satellite-system-brexit-gps

It also explains why the recent announcements from the UK government that we will build our own system are bulls#*t.

 

[Blue Sunray]

Are we about to lose GPS?

No

 

[Blue Sunray]

USA controls Navstar, the satellites that make GPS happen. They can and do degrade the signal, from time to time, for system tests and security reasons, no need to throw out the 2B pencils yet.

No they can't (easily), and don't (not for about 15 years now).

 

[Blue Sunray]

GPS...broadcasts an unencrypted signal for public use and an encrypted signal for use by whoever the USA grant access. .

You are about 15 years out of date.

 

[Blue Sunray]

In an attempt to put to bed some of the more ill informed comments above:

https://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/modernization/sa/

Selective Availability (SA) was an intentional degradation of public GPS signals implemented for national security reasons. In May 2000, at the direction of President Bill Clinton, the U.S government discontinued its use of Selective Availability in order to make GPS more responsive to civil and commercial users worldwide. The United States has no intent to ever use Selective Availability again.
In September 2007, the U.S. government announced its decision to procure the future generation of GPS satellites, known as GPS III, without the SA feature. Doing this will make the policy decision of 2000 permanent and eliminate a source of uncertainty in GPS performance that had been of concern to civil GPS users worldwide.

 

[Robert Wilson]

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/galileo-satellite-system-brexit-gps

Interesting article. Thanks AndrewL

 

[Motor_Sailor]

. . . It also explains why the recent announcements from the UK government that we will build our own system are bulls#*t.

Of course it's bullshit. But it feeds into the post-Brexit La-La Land fantasy that resonates with the 'true believers'.

 

[DeeGee]

We live in the digital age, our dependency increases daily.
Today, O2 goes down, the immediately accessible bus and train timetables are no longer accessible.
Tomorrow, services actually dependent on internet/WiFi/Bluetooth will grind to a halt.
Aircraft can navigate and land hands-off, but we keep humans there to make us feel good. If airlines have their way, that human will go and aircraft will be Teslas in the sky, and losing gps will just........

 

[JumbleDuck]

I thought we were all going to need different kit to read Galileo, anyway?

No, it's inter-operable with GPS. My HP-33A shows Galileo satellites.

 

[DeeGee]

Very interesting article.

There is a good article here that explains the details of Galileo and what the UK will lose after Brexit.
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/galileo-satellite-system-brexit-gps

It also explains why the recent announcements from the UK government that we will build our own system are bulls#*t.