US Army Land Navigation in the 21st Century
Abstract
U.S. Army land navigation systems primarily rely on GPS-enabled technologies. The U.S. Army has developed and integrated precision position, navigation, and timing systems into every aspect of operations from land navigation and unit position tracking to engagement of targets with precision munitions. The GPS system has proved to be very reliable throughout the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the vulnerabilities of this system present it as a target of opportunity for hostile states and organizations. Major threats to GPS technology include antisatellite weapons, signal jamming and signal spoofing, space debris, space weather, and electromagnetic pulses. This research investigates U.S. Army doctrine and training to determine whether or not company-grade officers receive sufficient legacy land navigation and unit position tracking training to conduct combat operations if GPS-enabled systems fail. Do legacy land navigation courses and unit position tracking courses still remain in the curriculum for junior grade officers? The research is focused on training in the Army officer commissioning programs at the United States Military Academy (USMA), Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), and Officer Candidate School (OCS). The research also addresses the training of lieutenants and captains at the U.S. Army Infantry, Armor, and Engineer Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) and Captain's Career Course. Basic map and compass land navigation training must continue if the U.S. Army plans to continue its dominance in ground warfare. Overreliance on the GPS signal may result in significant loss of life and equipment if the GPS signal is lost.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 08, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA563009
Entities
People
- John M. Morgan
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College