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Space Systems Command foreign military sales MoU for GPS user equipment represents the next era of allied partnerships

A new, multi-lateral agreement that allows participating nations to buy and sell
military Global Positioning System User Equipment for common defense
stimulates Foreign Military Sales and allied interoperability.

U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC), along with the Department of War (DoW) Chief Information Officer (CIO), have enacted a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enable allied nations to build and share military Global Positioning System (GPS) User Equipment—this new MOU will stimulate new Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and promote allied interoperability with U.S. joint forces.

Mr. John Skudlarek, DoW CIO (left)  and USSF Col. Neil Barnas, SYD 831 Commander (right) present a Memorandum of Understanding enabling allied nations to build and share military Global Positioning System (GPS) User Equipment, at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Support and Procurement Agency in Capellen, Luxembourg. 

USSF Col. Neil Barnas, commander of SSC’s System Delta 831 (SYD 831) within SSC’s Military Communication and Positioning, Navigation and Timing (MilCom PNT) Program Executive Office, shared the MOU at a meeting attended by representatives from the Department of State, Under Secretary of the Air Force for Foreign Affairs, SSC’s International Affairs Foreign Military Sales Division, the U.S. Navy’s Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, the U.S. Air Force’s Modernized Aviation Receiver Enterprise Joint Program Office, participating MoU nations, and U.S. industry at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Support and Procurement Agency in Capellen, Luxembourg.

At the meeting, Barnas said, “This MOU enshrines our continued military partnership with allied nations through the shared use of GPS. It also continues the long legacy of GPS MOUs dating back to 1978. Increased allied interoperability in support of joint and allied warfighter combat capabilities is critical to ensuring our and our allies’ mutual objectives in space”

Mr. John Skudlarek, representing the DoW’s lead organization for PNT Policy, provided an overview of U.S. priorities and plans to modernize GPS, pursue Alternate PNT capabilities, and provide Global Navigation Satellite System situational awareness for military and civilian use. Mr. Skudlarek emphasized the importance of achieving interoperability with our foreign partners and expressed appreciation to all the partners for their participation.

Members of the SYD 831’s FMS Branch were on-hand to brief the member nation responsibilities associated with the new agreement, provide a GPS Military Code (M-Code) update, and present the status of two international collaboration projects.