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The Global Positioning System (GPS) consists of NAVSTAR satellites in earth orbit that send signals to receivers on land, sea, or in the air. The system became operational in 1978. Its military usefulness was demonstrated during Operation Desert Storm (1991), when coalition troops with receivers were able to navigate quickly and with great precision in the relatively featureless desert, thus having a significant tactical advantage over Iraqi forces. Collins Defense Communications, a subsidiary of Rockwell International, developed this GPS receiver (AN/PSN-8) for the U.S. military and delivered 1,400 units to the Department of Defense between 1988 and 1993. Although termed the "Manpack," it weighed 17 pounds and thus was often strapped to a truck or a helicopter. Each unit cost $45,000.
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Credit Line: Gift of Collins Avionics & Communications Division
Object ID: 1997.0006.01
Division: Division of Medicine and Science
Subject(s): Measuring & Mapping, Military
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