“We are building on the approach to provide affordable resilient PNT”

What has an open architecture, laser-sharp navigation through GPS, and jamming got to do with missiles? Rohit Braggs, Chief Operating Officer of Orolia loads heavy ammunition of information and helps us shoot at just the precise spots where communication technology is intersecting with defense technology. Excerpts from his interaction with Pratima Harigunani:

What is your view and experience with open and modular architectures?

Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) itself is an inexpensive technology to implement and is easily scalable, requiring only the appropriate receiver. But adding expensive, complicated technology to ensure the continuity of positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) data when GNSS is compromised can actually undermine the intended benefits for systems. Maintaining a state of military readiness is a top priority for defense agencies. The ideal approach would deliver a consistent solution that is cost-effective across different platforms and provides a compatible, scalable system to all of them. Expensive, inflexible solutions will not solve the total problem. To provide affordable secure PNT for every link in the communications chain, a different approach is needed.

How much gap exists in areas like scalability, configuration, integration, etc. for defense technology solutions?

The ability to design system specifications based on a flexible, building-block architecture is often inhibited by the fact that most contractors only provide one part of the solution. That puts the burden on the defense agency to piece together platforms and systems of systems that are not over-engineered in terms of cost, integration complexity, or capabilities. At Orolia, we are building on the approach to provide affordable resilient PNT. Using a collection of complementary, flexible, and scalable technologies, we can provide PNT precision and access at a lower cost than traditional navigation solutions that rely on high-cost sensors. We offer a cost-effective, bolt-on – fast and easy to integrate – solution with an open architecture that works well with existing systems and increases security on a flexible scale to suit various risk factors.

Is cyber-warfare the next big turf of international politics and military landscape?

Today’s time-sensitive networks rely on available and accurate PNT signals to provide leaders with the information required to make timely and effective decisions.

Modern state and criminal threat actors have little difficulty gaining access to portable devices that can jam and spoof GPS signals.

When we think of security around PNT for critical infrastructures in general, including military applications, we reckon that the awareness has finally increased over the last couple of years. Today’s time-sensitive networks rely on available and accurate PNT signals to provide leaders with the information required to make timely and effective decisions. Signals provided by GNSS, such as GPS, represent the gold standard in terms of availability and accuracy. However, the proliferation of GNSS-degrading and denying devices across state and non-state actors put this critical information overmatch capability in jeopardy.

Can you elaborate?

Many of our civil/government infrastructures are reliant on GPS to provide the trusted PNT data that allows their time-sensitive networks to operate accurately and precisely. Financial markets, communications systems, and utilities all trust GPS to provide this information. As GPS and other GNSS signals become ubiquitous in terms of how we operate, threats to the availability and integrity of GPS signals will increase. Modern state and criminal threat actors have little difficulty gaining access to portable devices that can jam and spoof GPS signals. As GPS use spreads into more mobile applications farther afield, even natural and urban terrain must be accounted for when considering PNT availability. To combat threats to GPS signal availability and trust, other techniques and signals of opportunity must be considered as alternate sources of PNT information when GPS is not available. Although GPS will remain the most accurate system, for now, correctly integrating combinations of other signals is the recipe for resilient systems that can survive operations for the duration of GPS signal loss.

A shortcoming of GNSS-based PNT applications, the low signal strength, makes all GNSS signals vulnerable to disruption by either jamming or spoofing.

What else can you tell about GPS and GNSS, things that we can see unfolding next?

Compared to other RF signal levels, GNSS signals are exceptionally weak. The satellites are orbiting at approximately 11,000 miles above the surface of the earth, and the transmission power of a GPS satellite transmitter is in the 10-100W range. By the time the signal reaches earth, it is weaker than the atmospheric background noise level in its band. This is referred to as a negative signal-to-noise level. In other words, if you tuned a standard RF receiver into the GPS L1 frequency band of 1575.42 MHz, for example, you would hear or see nothing but background noise. A GNSS receiver can extract this weak signal from the noise by utilizing its processing gain because it “knows” the correct signal pattern. After the search pattern correlates with the actual signal pattern and a match has been detected, the decoding of the data stream begins. The positions for the satellites in view can be extracted also as well as their distances from the receiver. As soon as this data is available, the receiver can calculate its position.

That’s interesting. How water-tight is this data?

Yes. Although modern multi-GNSS receivers can receive several GNSS constellations simultaneously, therefore offering better coverage in locations with a limited view of the skyline in “urban canyons”, a shortcoming of GNSS-based PNT applications remains – the low signal strength, which makes all GNSS signals particularly vulnerable to disruption by either jamming or spoofing. Illegal consumer-grade GPS jammers, referred to as Personal Privacy Devices (PPD), fall under the category of intentional jamming. Spoofing, which is sometimes also referred to as complex jamming or GPS hacking, is the act of broadcasting false signals with the intent of deceiving a GNSS receiver into accepting the false signals as genuine. The tactics and techniques used to combat jamming are referred to as interference detection and mitigation (IDM). Protection against jamming and spoofing also falls under the “combatting interference” umbrella, as does testing of GNSS components and PNT systems against jamming and spoofing. A strong and well-coordinated IDM solution into a PNT system makes it resilient against jamming and spoofing.

Protection against jamming and spoofing also falls under the “combatting interference” umbrella, as does testing of GNSS components and PNT systems against jamming and spoofing.

Can you tell us about your solutions and how do they serve the technology needs in the defense space?

Orolia is a world leader in Resilient PNT solutions that improve the reliability, performance, and safety of mission-critical operations, including in remote, harsh, and GPS/GNSS denied environments. Orolia has the broadest portfolio of technologies across the Resilient PNT value-chain and designs mission-critical, high-performance hardware, software, and systems, including high precision time and frequency reference systems, high-end clocks, GNSS simulators, and emergency positioning beacons. Our products and solutions are used in a large variety of applications by large system integrators, governments, and blue-chip companies in aerospace, defense, and diverse commercial applications, including industrial technology, telecom, finance, etc.

Any specific examples or use-cases that you want to share here?

Assured PNT is the convergence of PNT technology with non-traditional and emerging technology to improve the reliability, performance, and safety of mission-critical applications in the air, on land, and in the sea. Orolia’s Assured PNT Defense Platform is an innovative turnkey solution that addresses the threats and vulnerabilities of GPS/GNSS, ensuring military forces have the continuity of trusted PNT data needed for mission success.

Orolia was asked to provide the Navy with a very specific and precise Assured Timing system for a critical air and missile defense radar platform. This advanced timing system had to be extremely rugged to withstand the shock and vibration of the harsh environment of a ship. It had to not only withstand this harsh environment but also output very accurate timing signals as well. In addition, both the hardware and software had to offer Open Architecture (OA) Compliance for performance and technology enhancements throughout the life of the program. Orolia was able to meet all the above low phase noise and ruggedization requirements through simple modifications to our flagship COTS SecureSync time and reference platform − while meeting or exceeding all scheduled program timelines. The SecureSync platform is particularly well-suited for radar applications like this because it is highly flexible, scalable, and easy to modify.

Braggs is Chief Operating Officer, Orolia

pratimah@cybermedia.co.in