Back to the Future (of GPS Backups)

Visions of the future are the domain of science fiction-imagine a world where some fantastic thing is possible. The FAA presents its own vision in the Performance Based Navigation Roadmap, which is produced about every five years. The third edition is expected around the time you get this. In it the current status of performance-based navigation, PBN, a generalized term for RNAV and RNP (required navigation performance), is analyzed and goals are set for the near, intermediate and long term-each roughly five years apart.

jmiller

Monday, April 11, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA's Performance Based Navigation Roadmap is focusing on "navigation resiliency" to address GPS vulnerabilities and is actively seeking Alternative Position, Navigation, and Timing (APNT) systems.
The current Minimum Operational Network (MON) is considered a temporary bridge, with the FAA aiming to implement a permanent APNT solution by 2025.
Leading APNT candidates include an expanded DME/DME network (costly for general aviation), a modernized eLORAN system (a robust land-based backup gaining international interest), and futuristic MEMS-based inertial navigation (currently facing technical and cost challenges).

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Visions of the future are the domain of science fiction—imagine a world where some fantastic thing is possible. The FAA presents its own vision in the Performance Based Navigation Roadmap, which is produced about every five years. The third edition is expected around the time you get this. In it the current status of performance-based navigation, PBN, a generalized term for RNAV and RNP (required navigation performance), is analyzed and goals are set for the near, intermediate and long term—each roughly five years apart.

The roadmap has been quite accurate at forecasting the future. For example, this is from the first roadmap produced in 2003 discussing the 2016-2020 timeframe: “At the end of this period, operators will use RNP-based RNAV universally in all domains, with the retention of a minimal operational network of ground-based NAVAIDS used as backup.”