Stryker Brigade tests Army's newest mounted GPS devices

Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division tested the Army’s next-generation Assured Positioning Navigation and Timing solution at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., which allows Soldiers to maintain integrity of position and timing in GPS-contested environments.

The Mounted Assured Position Navigation and Timing will integrate across the Army’s wheeled and tracked platforms, bringing heightened protection levels against evolving GPS threats to support multi-domain operations.

Spec. Caleb Green of 2nd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, prepares for his nightly call-for-fire mission with the Long Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System mounted on top of one of his Fire Support Vehicle (Stryker). (Army photograph by Gregory Dalglish)

During the first week of testing, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers received New Equipment Training to familiarize them with the MAPS system capabilities and user interface.

Throughout the rest of the test, they provided feedback on the system during operationally realistic missions, including Call for Fire, Reconnaissance, Quick Reaction Force, and Medical Evacuation in a GPS degraded environment.

“I’ve never seen what happens to GPS Systems when they encounter an Electronic Warfare attack,” said Capt. Christopher Mazeau, Assistant Operations Officer for 1SBCT.

He said he is glad to see the Army is working to develop an answer to such threats.

MAPS is designed to support command and control by replacing the need for multiple GPS devices on a single platform, and it also helps to mitigate EW attacks with an onboard anti-EW antenna.

The system aligns with the Army Futures Command-directed requirement to prepare for tomorrow by providing overmatch in multi-domain operational environments.