How can civil users depend on a system controlled by the U.S. military?
A. GPS is owned and operated by the U.S. Government as a national resource. DOD is the “steward” of GPS, and as such, is responsible to operate the system in accordance with the signal specification. The National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Executive Committee was established by Presidential directive in 2004 to advise and coordinate federal departments and agencies on matters concerning the Global Positioning System (GPS) and related systems. This Committee replaced the Interagency GPS Executive Board (IGEB), which oversaw GPS policy matters from 1996 to 2004. The Executive Committee is chaired jointly by the Deputy Secretaries of Defense and Transportation. Its membership includes equivalent-level officials from the Departments of State, Commerce, and Homeland Security, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and NASA. Components of the Executive Office of the President participate as observers to the Executive Committee, and the FCC Chairman participates as a liaison. D
