FAA warns pilots in Las Vegas - Fly without GPS

[DefiantSix]

The military has plenty of aircraft that do not need GPS to get the job done.   Husband is a retired USAF radar navigator.

The aircraft don't need the GPS, true, but you seem to have missed my point.  The inexpensive, hyper accurate WEAPONS that kill bad guys with a minimum of surrounding civilian casualties get damned in-accurate in a hurry without the GPS system feeding location data to 'em.

[formerlurker]

The aircraft don't need the GPS, true, but you seem to have missed my point.  The inexpensive, hyper accurate WEAPONS that kill bad guys with a minimum of surrounding civilian casualties get damned in-accurate in a hurry without the GPS system feeding location data to 'em.

Aircraft radar systems that are updated on a regular basis can get the job done with laser guided precision.   

The USAF does not need GPS to function and get the mission done successfully - on time and on target. 

[formerlurker]

Take away GPS, and a fat chunk of all precision guided munitions - you know, the stuff that permits us to drop a bomb on a headquarters and decapitate a division, instead of having to bleed a river of blood fighting our way through all of the poor schlub privates, corporals and sergeants standing between our guys and that general - are instantly lobotomized.

While GPS is certainly a great advantage, it does not cripple the aircrafts (bombers) capabilities to destroy with precision.

I am not advocating for the removal of GPS, just simply pointing out it wont stop the military's ability to obtain success on a mission. 

[DefiantSix]

Aircraft radar systems that are updated on a regular basis can get the job done with laser guided precision.   

The USAF does not need GPS to function and get the mission done successfully - on time and on target. 

Radar/laser guided munitions are a lot more expensive than the GPS guidance packages on something like the JDAM.  Radar guidance is also nowhere near as accurate and can be spoofed.  Given the continued ass reaming the military's budget will be taking under the O-ministration, expensive ordnance will be harder to come by.  Cheap is necessary to get the job done as often as we seem to be requiring.

[Thor]

GPS is a lot more effective at Airborne Mine Countermeasures than previous systems. It also saves aircraft reconfiguration for that mission. I think it was pretty dumb of the Government to allow the civilian use of GPS. However, it's not illegal to receive any transmitted signals. (Those transmitted in the clear, that is)