STUTTGART, Germany — Germany has received its first batch of anti-spoofing, anti-jamming military-code GPS equipment, in the first non-U.S. sale of this equipment, manufacturer BAE Systems announced Tuesday.
The advanced M-code GPS receivers will be used for ground-based missions, BAE said in a statement. Germany placed the order for an undisclosed number of receivers in 2020, and the order was processed as a Foreign Military Sale (FMS), via a contract managed by U.S. Space Systems Command (SSC).
“Germany is the first country to receive M-Code GPS capabilities via FMS, leading the way among our allies,” Greg Wild, director of Navigation and Sensor Systems at BAE Systems, said in the release. “Accelerating the delivery of M-Code capabilities to allied warfighters around the globe is critical to ensuring trusted PNT in the face of modern threats from our adversaries.”
The Miniature Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver Engine – M-Code (MPE-M) can provide assured position, navigation, and timing for equipment such as handheld devices, ground vehicles, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS), BAE said.
The company declined to share how many systems were delivered to Berlin. In an email to Defense News, a spokesperson said that “a number of international customers” have expressed interest in the M-code technology, but would not provide further details on which countries.
“Any orders for our M-Code receivers will be processed by the U.S. FMS Office,” the spokesperson added.
Twenty-four of the GPS satellites currently in orbit broadcast the M-code signal, including the five GPS III satellites that have been launched to date. Last December, BAE Systems received a new order from the Defense Logistics Agency to procure new M-code receivers for the U.S. military, bringing the total contract value up to $641 million.
In March 2021, the U.S. Space Force launched a three-year program during which allies can borrow receiver cards for M-Code-ready Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) technology for their own laboratory and field testing.
Vivienne Machi is a reporter based in Stuttgart, Germany, contributing to Defense News' European coverage. She previously reported for National Defense Magazine, Defense Daily, Via Satellite, Foreign Policy and the Dayton Daily News. She was named the Defence Media Awards' best young defense journalist in 2020.
