美军太空部队开始向盟友提供抗干扰GPS技术
内森·斯特劳特（Nathan Strout）
华盛顿消息：美国太空部队制定了一项为期三年的安排，以让盟国借用和测试使用新的GPS信号的导航设备，这种信号很难干扰或欺骗。
为美国军方开发的M码信号旨在为作战人员提供更具弹性的GPS接入。
美军太空与导弹系统中心（SMC）2021年3月24日宣布，根据新协议，盟国将可以租借M码军用GPS用户设备（MGUE）技术的接收卡，用于实验室和实地测试。
该安排于2020年12月生效，加拿大是该文件的第一个联合签署国。美军太空与导弹系统中心称，首批接收器已于2月份交付。法国、德国、英国和韩国将获得这项技术，而澳大利亚、意大利、瑞典和荷兰预计将在今年晚些时候加入这项协议。
2020年11月，美军太空与导弹系统中心宣布已从德国收到第一份具有M代码功能的MGUE订单。当时，该中心指出，它正在努力促进更多的对外国军售，同时制定早期测试的贷款协议。
虽然在轨道上大约有二十多颗GPS卫星能够广播M码，但由于地面的严重延迟，这一新的信号一直受到阻碍。2019年美国政府问责办公室（GAO）的一份报告指出，雷声科技正在建设的耗资62亿美元的下一代运营控制系统落后于计划5年。该系统预计今年夏天交付。
在此期间，美国空军于2017年向洛克希德·马丁公司（Lockheed Martin）发布了一份合同，对目前的GPS地面系统进行升级，称为M码早期使用（M码信号的有限版本）。MCEU于2020年3月获准日常使用，7月完成了对地面系统的必要硬件和软件升级。MCEU于11月宣布投入使用。
Nathan Strout
4 hours ago
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force created a three-year arrangement for allies to borrow and test equipment for navigation that uses a new GPS signal that is difficult to jam or spoof.
The M-Code signal developed for the military is intended to provide more resilient GPS access to war fighters.
Under the new agreement, allies will be able to take receiver cards for M-Code-ready Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) technology on loan for laboratory and field testing, the Space and Missile Systems Center announced March 24.
The arrangement became effective in December 2020, with Canada being the first cosigner of the document. The first receivers were delivered in February, SMC said. France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Korea are set to receive the technology, while Australia, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands are expected to join the agreement later this year.
In November, SMC announced that it had received its first order for MGUE with M-Code capability from Germany. At the time, the center noted that it was working to facilitate more foreign military sales, while developing loan agreements for early testing.
While there are about two dozen GPS satellites on orbit capable of broadcasting M-Code, the new signal has been held up by significant delays on the ground. A 2019 Government Accountability Office report noted that the $6.2 billion Next Generation Operational Control System being built by Raytheon Technologies was five years behind schedule. Delivery of that system is expected this summer.
In the interim, the U.S. Air Force issued a contract to Lockheed Martin in 2017 to build an upgrade to the current GPS ground system called M-Code Early Use, a limited version of the M-Code signal. MCEU was approved for everyday use in March 2020, with the necessary hardware and software upgrades to the ground system completed in July. MCEU was declared operational in November.