The U.S. Army has upgraded navigation hardware designed to enhance troops' navigation and communication capabilities in high-stress combat environments where GPS is blocked or manipulated. Mounted Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing System (MAPS) GEN IIHe began to distribute the to the troops.
The new system builds upon its predecessor, MAPS GEN I, and has been developed to be more secure against sophisticated electronic warfare threats, particularly those where adversaries attempt to sabotage GPS location technology by jamming or spoofing it. MAPS Gen II began fielding after receiving approval for full-scale production in March.
Jennifer Thermos, interim product manager for Mounted PNT, explained the importance of the new system by noting the difference between spoofing (jamming) and the more dangerous spoofing (sending a spoof signal). "Spoofing causes disruption, but spoofing can be much more damaging. If you don't have a system like MAPS GEN II that can recognize and reject spoofing attempts, you could be following a fake GPS signal that could take you where the enemy wants you."
According to the press release, MAPS GEN II protects against such traps with tighter encryption, sensor fusion algorithms, and additional security enhancements. It also features an alert system that alerts soldiers to electronic interference threats.
Among the units training to use the new system is the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division, part of the 7th Infantry Division.
Captain Tianna Johnson of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team confirmed the new system's capabilities, noting the GPS interference issue they encountered during training: "In one case, MAPS indicated a detected threat, which is exactly what MAPS GEN II was designed for, and we were able to take the necessary precautions."
MAPS Gen II is also under development by Anduril and other major manufacturers With the New Generation Command and Control (C2) infrastructure This integration is part of the Pentagon's priority to rapidly integrate new technologies into the services.