tinyurl.com/6dtb3 -> story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=738&e=1&u=/ap/20041216/ap_on_go_pr_wh/positioning_satellites
web sites) has ordered plans for temporarily disabling the US network of global positioning satelli tes during a national crisis to prevent terrorists from using the naviga tional technology, the White House said Wednesday.
AP Photo Any shutdown of the network inside the United States would come under onl y the most remarkable circumstances, said a Bush administration official who spoke to a small group of reporters at the White House on condition of anonymity. The GPS system is vital to commercial aviation and marine shipping. The president also instructed the Defense Department to develop plans to disable, in certain areas, an enemy's access to the US navigational sa tellites and to similar systems operated by others.
web sites) is developing a $48 billion program, called G alileo. The military increasingly uses GPS technology to move troops across large areas and direct bombs and missiles. Any government-ordered shutdown or jamming of the GPS satellites would be done in ways to limit disruption s to navigation and related systems outside the affected area, the White House said. "This is not something you would do lightly," said James A Lewis, direct or of technology policy for the Washington-based Center for Strategic an d International Studies. You have to give them credit for being so open about what they're going to do."
web sites) abandoned the practice in Ma y 2000 of deliberately degrading the accuracy of civilian navigation sig nals, a technique known as "selective availability." The White House said it will not reinstate that practice, but said the pr esident could decide to disable parts of the network for national securi ty purposes. The directives to the Defense Department and the Homeland Security Depart ment were part of a space policy that Bush signed this month. It designa tes the GPS network as a critical infrastructure for the US government . The White House said the policies were aimed at improving the stability a nd performance of the US navigation system, which Bush pledged will co ntinue to be made available for free. The US network is comprised of more than two dozen satellites that act as beacons, sending location-specific radio signals that are recognized by devices popular with motorists, hikers, pilots and sailors. Bush also said the government will make the network signals more resistan t to deliberate or inadvertent jamming.
The informati on contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewr itten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associ ated Press.
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