Rockwell Collins advances next-generation GPS by tracking new military signal

Rockwell Collins recently achieved live satellite M Code tracking with its new Global Position System (GPS) receiver for the Modernized User Equipment (MUE) program, marking a major step forward in developing the next generation of GPS technology for the military.

The MUE receiver card development program, awarded to Rockwell Collins in 2006 by the US Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), is developing the military user equipment portion of the next-generation GPS system that incorporates a new military signal and security architecture. The new technology offers enhanced integrity, exclusivity and improved anti-jam capabilities.

M Code, which stands for Military Code, is a key element in the modernization of military GPS. While it is transmitted on the same L1 and L2 frequencies used by the legacy P(Y) Code, it will significantly improve the security of military GPS. The ability to track the new code by the modernized GPS receivers is an important milestone for the MUE program.

"Pioneering GPS technology has long been a core competency for Rockwell Collins, dating back to our involvement in the development and launch of the Navstar Global Positioning System in the 1970s," said Ron Hornish, vice president and general manager of Precision Strike Solutions for Rockwell Collins. "Our success with the MUE program is indicative of our heritage and expertise in developing new GPS solutions that will deliver heightened security and performance to the military."

Source: Rockwell Collins