2023 Weems Award

Presented to: Paul C. Manz

Citation: For outstanding contributions and exceptional
technical leadership in the development and delivery
of “resilient and survivable PNT” for assured precision weapons and munitions

Paul C. Manz successfully led a personal crusade to accelerate improved GPS anti-jam/ anti-spoof, assured positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), and M-Code GPS-related technologies across DoD’s tactical warfare community. His sustained efforts resulted in the accelerated validation and early adoption of M-Code GPS by multiple joint precision-guided munition (PGM) programs of record.

Mr. Manz defined, developed, and successfully led the firstever successful demonstration of a novel new network-assisted GPS system-of-systems capability for precision fires. This now fielded capability dramatically increases the availability of artillery-fired PGMs in mountainous terrain and urban canyons.

Mr. Manz developed, led and successfully demonstrated the first-ever GPS-denied PGM PNT capability using Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) alternative navigation (AltNav) signals from space in combination with the successful demonstration of a complementary first-ever automated AltNav “Hot Start” system-of-systems capability called network-assisted assured PNT.

While Mr. Manz’s efforts focused on building resilient and survivable PNT solutions for the DoD, he also had positive impacts in the commercial sector. In a recent example, a frequency and satellite agnostic ionospheric correction solution prototyped as part of Mr. Manz’s DoD investments is now available for use by commercial industry partners offering novel alternatives to GPS.

Mr. Paul C. Manz currently serves as chief technology officer (CTO) for the Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO AA), co-chair of the long-standing DoD-level Joint Lethality PNT and Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) Overarching IPT, and senior government advisor to the Defense Science Board PNT Task Force. Mr. Manz was previously recognized as the Top Engineer in DoD, the defacto Top EE in Federal Government, and the Top Precision Weapons/Munitions Engineer in the U.S. He has a dozen U.S. patents and holds a MPA and BSEE.