armasuisse Science and Technology (S+T) took part in the AHORN22 conference in the Bernese Alps last December. Organised at Kleine Scheidegg by the Swiss Institute of Navigation (ION-CH) and bringing together the Austrian and German Institutes of Navigation (OVN and DGON), this three-way event was an opportunity to exchange views on problems of positioning, navigation and communications technology that are specific to the Alpine environment. armasuisse S+T put forward to this audience of experts several potential solutions to make up for the lack of GPS signals in challenging environments.

Satellite positioning systems are now essential in most civil and military fields, but their vulnerabilities are a major risk for a large number of critical applications. Whether it be deliberate scrambling, an overall breakdown or loss of signal reception in overshadowed areas (which are common in the Alps), the threat of local or total interruption to the service is a permanent worry for all and there is a clear need for viable alternatives. As part of its research programme into communications technology, armasuisse S+T is reviewing solutions to synchronise distributed networks when there is no GPS signal.

You might not guess it from their name, but global positioning systems can be used for more than just positioning. The accuracy of GPS time is far superior to most other commercial solutions, and it is a little-known but crucial application in the energy and banking industries, especially for communications networks. Hence the value of the results obtained by armasuisse S+T in synchronising devices using a network of fibre optic cable or antennae was recognised and appreciated by all participants.

The next conference, AHORN23, will be organised by the German Institute of Navigation (DGON) and take place at the end of this year in the Bavarian Alps.