GPS Partnership Council Invites Attendees to Discuss Asset’s Future

GPS as a national asset will be highlighted at the 11th GPS Partnership Council, set for May 1 and 2 at the Space and Missile Systems Center at the Los Angeles Air Force Base, in El Segundo, California. The theme of the council is “Our National Asset At Work.” Registration is now open; attendance is limited to 250.

According to the council, “The GPS Partnership Council serves as a means to communicate with GPS stakeholders on present-day activities, future plans, and measures that are in place to ensure GPS remains the world leader for providing space-based positioning, navigation, and timing services to the warfighter and civilian users. Our commitment to mission assurance ensures users around the globe will continue to benefit from improved GPS performance, while we continue acquiring, operating and sustaining GPS as the ‘gold standard’ for positioning, navigation and timing for the warfighter, the nation, and the world.”

Key council members include:

• Brig Gen Martin Whelan, director of Requirements, HQ AFSPC/A5
• Col Bernie Gruber, director of the Global Positioning Systems Directorate
• Anthony Russo, director for National Coordination Office for Space-Based PNT.

The meeting is sponsored by the Los Angeles Chapter of the Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association and GPS Directorate.

Day 1, Tuesday, covers two topics, “The Enterprise” — a GPS system capability review, and a discussion of “Modernized GPS User Equipment (MGUE),” with an Army future perspective and an MGUE industry panel.

Day 2, Wednesday, covers “GPS at Work for the Nation” in the morning, including GPS’ role for the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, and other agencies. The afternoon of Day 2 looks at “The Warfighter,” with speakers from 2SOPS followed by a panel discussion.

Both days feature opportunities for networking. The final day, Thursday, features the GPS Scramble Golf Tournament.

Attendees can also browse the displays and exhibits during the conference.