Potential Commercial Aviation Uses of the Navstar GPS Precise Positioning Service

Peter M. Fyfe and Karl L. Kovach

Abstract:	GPS provides two distinct positioning services: the highly accurate Precise Positioning Service (PPS), and the less accurate Standard Positioning Service (SPS). The two levels of service are distinguished by the two special Signal-in-Space (SIS) interface features called SeIective Availability (SA) and Anti-Spoofing (A-S). PPS-capable user equipment (UE) sets are defined as being capable of either removal of the SA errors or operating with the A-S Y-codes, or both. Department of Defense (DOD) PPS policy, as stated in the 1992 Federal Radionavigation Plan (FRP), makes PPS available to U.S. Federal and Allied Government (civil and military) users. The FRP also states that civil use of PPS will be considered upon request and authorized on a case-by-case basis, provided: (1) it is in the U.S. national interest to do so; (2) specific GPS security requirements can be met by the applicant; and (3) a reasonable alternative to the use of PPS is not available. To our knowledge there have been no formal requests made to the DOD for civil use of the PPS because there has been no effort made towards satisfying these criteria for any specific application. This paper describes the benefits offered to commercial aviation users by having access to the PPS, and the implementation burdens common to both the SA and A-S features. It also addresses satisfaction of the FRP criteria for civil users being granted authorization to use the PPS. The paper concludes by recommending specific PPS capabilities needed by the commercial aviation community and proposes a top level architecture for civil use of the GPS PPS.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 6th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1993) September 22 - 24, 1993 Salt Palace Convention Center Salt Lake City, UT
Pages:	901 - 910
Cite this article:	Fyfe, Peter M., Kovach, Karl L., "Potential Commercial Aviation Uses of the Navstar GPS Precise Positioning Service," Proceedings of the 6th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1993), Salt Lake City, UT, September 1993, pp. 901-910.
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