Came across this quite by accident.
BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, Indian and Russian design. State-of-the-art and reputed to be invulnerable to counter-measures, known or anticipated.
A test of the missile failing at least in part. That navigation faulty. Using American GPS [?] in part for guidance, that GPS not functioning as normal, unexpectedly in a manner not known to those involved in the missile test.
"During a user trial on 20 January 2009, BrahMos was tested with a new navigation system but it failed to hit the target."
According to: Dr Sivathanu Pillai [BrahMos Aerospace Corporation's director]
"'The missile performance was absolutely normal until the last phase, but the missile missed the target, though it maintained the direction.'" and that 'The problem was in the software, not hardware'."
Furthermore:
"The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) [Indian] said that here were 'small hitches' in the last stage of the test firing, which was attributed that to the US GPS satellites, which were switched off on that day as Barack Obama was sworn in as the President of the United States."
BrahMos the missile of which the propulsion system of Russian origian, that guidance systems as designed in India.
The Russians not insisting that their indigenous GLONASS analog of the American GPS incorporated into BrahMos? GLONASS and GLONASS alone?
GLONASS-K now in orbit and functioning.
American GPS was SWITCHED OFF [?] the day Obama was sworn in? I guess that was a security measure to prevent someone from using a large-size RC [radio-controlled] plane to deliver a bomb on the capitol building while the inauguration was taking place!
Maybe not switched off but rather encrypted or jimmied in a manner to prevent use practical or otherwise by unauthorized parties.
I never saw this mentioned anywhere else. But it does make sense.
Al L.
This is a great article. It is amazing how GPS system technology is used for missile launching. However, it is a problem that they are having navigation faulty. I know the military has been having problems with GPS spoofing as well. I personally these problems are happening because the technology is so advanced. They even use GPS systems for unmanned aerial vehicles.
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