For most of us, GPS is as invisible and indispensable as gravity itself. It has reshaped modern life, guiding aircraft, synchronizing global finance, and powering everything from navigation apps to precision agriculture. But GPS was never meant to operate alone in today’s increasingly complex and contested world. As reliance has grown, so have the risks.

The Fragility of a “Single Source of Truth”

Just 31 satellites keep the world moving, from food deliveries to financial markets. But disruptions are escalating. In 2024, airlines reported 1,500 daily GPS spoofing incidents in the Middle East, a 62% year-over-year surge. More than 150 ships lost GPS in the Red Sea on a single day this summer. These are not anomalies; they are signals of a system under pressure. 

Tensions in the South China Sea and other global hotspots are amplifying interference incidents as electronic warfare becomes more sophisticated. Globally, the UN’s ITU, ICAO, and IMO jointly expressed “grave concern” over rising jamming and spoofing attacks that endanger aviation, maritime safety, and telecom systems. 

Presidential Directives That Acknowledge the Risks of GPS

Successive U.S. administrations have recognized GPS as a critical vulnerability and called for complementary solutions:

NSPD-39 (Dec 2004) established national policy for safeguarding PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) services

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (2018): GPS Backup Demonstration: National Defense Authorization Act 2018, Section 1606

Executive Order 13905 (Feb 2020) mandated stronger national resilience through diverse PNT alternatives

Space Policy Directive-7 (Jan 2021) superseded NSPD-39, outlining integration of GPS and alternative PNT services 

These directives reinforce a central point: GPS remains vital, but it cannot be the only layer of resilience.

Why Military-Grade Innovation Matters for Everyone

TERN has built the Independently Derived Positioning System (IDPS™), a patented, software solution for multiple uses – both commercial and defense – leveraging onboard sensors, proprietary AI, and maps to deliver continuous, lane-level positioning without satellites.

IDPS™ has been tested in active conflict zones under live jamming conditions, where it operated flawlessly even as GPS was deliberately denied. It’s also been tested on four different classes of military vehicles in – both on and off road without GPS, with less than 0.2% drift. That level of precision, achieved under electronic attack, demonstrates resilience that everyday commercial environments also demand.

The same conditions that disrupt GPS in defense, contested terrain, spoofed signals, deliberate interference, mirror the challenges faced by fleets in urban canyons, tunnels, and remote areas. If a solution can perform in a conflict zone, it can be trusted to perform in city streets.

From Defense Contracts to Commercial Acceleration

Government contracts aren’t just validation; they accelerate development. Programs like the U.S. Army’s xTechOverwatch competition, in which TERN is a finalist, enable companies like TERN to test, refine, and prove capabilities under the most demanding standards. That rigor directly benefits commercial partners, who gain access to solutions already stress-tested at the highest level.

The Accessibility — and Risk — of GPS Jammers

GPS interference is not limited to nation-states. A jammer the size of a pack of cards can scramble GPS signals enough to hide a vehicle from tracking systems. Models are widely available online for as little as $100, with more powerful variants still inexpensive and easy to procure. This low barrier to entry makes interference a threat for commerce and infrastructure; not just defense.

Defense-Grade Resilience Equals Commercial Advantage

It is estimated that a GPS failure would cost the U.S. economy an estimated $1.6 billion per day in delays, inefficiencies, and safety risks. For fleets, that means missed deliveries and wasted fuel. For emergency responders, it means lost seconds in life-or-death situations. For automakers, it erodes capabilities and confidence in advanced driver-assist systems that require uninterrupted positioning.

By pairing GPS with resilient, infrastructure-free alternatives like IDPS™, industries can protect against contested environments and disruptions while unlocking the next generation of autonomy, safety, and efficiency.

The Future of Navigation is Layered and Signal-Free

GPS will continue to be a cornerstone of global infrastructure. But the future demands a layered, intelligent PNT architecture, one where GPS is complemented by resilient, edge-based technologies like IDPS™.

Defense contracts accelerate this evolution. The payoff is universal: military-proven navigation, deployed commercially, ensures protection for everyone, from armies and first responders to delivery fleets and daily commuters.

It’s time to reframe navigation as a global utility that is intelligent, resilient, and layered. GPS sparked the first revolution in wayfinding. The next revolution is already here, building on GPS, not replacing it, to deliver the resilience our world now requires.

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