Twenty years ago, the United States Air Force announced the Global Positioning System had achieved Full Operational Capability. On July 17, 1995, a total of 24 satellites were on orbit, providing global 24-hour coverage. In the two-decades since, GPS has been woven into nearly every aspect of human activity, from military operations to sports.
At the time “FOC” was announced, GPS had already proved its worth during Operation Desert Storm, allowing ground forces to navigate the featureless desert terrain, even when the system had only 16 satellites providing about 19 continuous hours of coverage per day. Today, roughly two-thirds of all munitions being used to combat ISIS rely on some form of GPS guidance.
more…