National Guard units continue to deploy in support of overseas contingency operations and are often front-line units slated to deploy immediately in the event a major conflict breaks out.
The National Guard should be fielded the same equipment and capabilities as the Active Component to ensure a fully interoperable and resilient Total Force and to counter emerging Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) threats.
Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) is a critical enabler of Army Maneuver, Fires, and Command and Control systems and is a foundational Multi-Domain Battle capability that supports calibrated force posture (position and maneuver across strategic distances); multi-domain formations (operations in contested spaces against near-peer adversaries); and convergence (continuous integration of capabilities in all domains).
DAPS is a US Army Program of Record to replace the legacy Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR) with a modernized handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) to support dismounted operations and dismounted operations within a vehicle.
The DAPS program addresses two critical capability gaps for PNT in support of dismounted operations: Access and Integrity.
Access is the ability to retrieve accurate PNT information in a contested Electronic Warfare/Cyber environment and Integrity is the ability to trust the PNT information.
The DAPS program is implementing Congressional and OSD guidance to develop and field Military Code (M-code) 1, a military signal used in the L1 and L2 GPS bands designed to enhance PNT capabilities and improved resistance to existing and emerging threats to GPS, such as jamming and spoofing.
Operational benefits of M-code include:
• A higher power signal that offers improved resistance to jamming and interference.
• Advanced security features to prevent unauthorized access or exploitation.
• Improved message formats and signal modulation techniques for faster and more accurate performance.
In addition to receiving M-code, DAPS follows a PNT PACE (Primary, Alternative, Contingency, Emergency) Plan that utilizes alternative RF signals and inertial sensors to facilitate continued operations as GPS is degraded.
The capabilities provided by DAPS will significantly enhance the National Guard’s situational awareness, ability to counter emerging NAVWAR threats and will ensure a fully interoperable and resilient Total Force. Currently, National Guard units are not programmed to receive DAPS and will be forced to operate legacy GPS systems that are susceptible to jamming and spoofing threats.
The DAPS program is managed by the Project Management Office for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PM PNT) under the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Sensors (PEO IEW&S).
Recommendation: Congress and the Department of Defense (DOD) increase funding to support fielding the Dismounted Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing System (DAPS) to Army National Guard Infantry Brigade Combat Teams, Maneuver Enhancement Brigades, Field Artillery Brigades, Special Forces Groups and Air National Guard Air Support Operations Squadrons.

1 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title IX, §913, Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4328 , as amended by Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title XVI, §1605, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 1099, Limitation on Use of Funds for Purchasing Global Positioning System User Equipment