What Happens If the Stars Go Out. U.S. Army Dependence on the Global Positioning System

摘要

Dependence on technological superiority should prompt many questions. What if the Army cannot use the Global Positioning System (GPS) data or it is degraded. Are the troops trained to operate when GPS systems are degraded. What about the precision guided munitions that hit exact coordinates to prevent collateral damage. Are commanders planning for the possible loss of systems that provide them global reach and awareness. This thesis attempts to determine if the U.S. Army is unbalanced in its dependence on GPS and if degraded system conditions will deny mission success. Descriptive and historical analysis, as well as a survey of Army field-grade officers indicated a heavy reliance placed on GPS, but the available evidence did not indicate over dependency. A point to note is that, as with any consideration of technology, this thesis is a snapshot in time.