Interagency Memorandum of Agreement
With Respect to
Support to Users of
The Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS)

1. PARTIES. The parties to this agreement are the Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Functional Component Command for Space (JFCC SPACE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN), and the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Airspace System (NAS) Security and Enterprise Operations (NASEO), hereinafter identified as the Parties
2. AUTHORITY. This agreement is authorized under the provisions of 14 USC § 141 entitled Cooperation with Other Agencies, States, Territories, and Political Subdivisions and Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 4000.19, entitled Support Agreements. The Parties enter into this Agreement in recognition of and in accordance with national level policy and strategy; and pursuant to their respective statutory authorities. Nothing in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) supersedes the statutory authority of any constituent department, agency, center or organization. This MOA supersedes all previous versions of the Interagency Memorandum of Agreement with Respect to Support to Users of the Navstar Global Positioning System.
3. PURPOSE. This Agreement establishes and documents the responsibilities of primary advocates supporting DOD, air, land, and maritime users of the Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Positioning Service (SPS), and establishes collaborative responsibilities for operational Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) information-sharing and real-time coordination processes between the Parties. This Agreement also establishes and documents the broader web of mutual and individual department/agency/center responsibilities for realtime coordinated information-sharing and support for a coordinated U.S. government response to interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services within the Homeland, in order to better protect critical national infrastructure and interests.
4. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS. The following documents are applicable to the policies and procedures outlined in this Agreement:
   • USC Title 10 Section 2281, Global Positioning System
   • National Security Presidential Directive 39 (NSPD-39), U.S. Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Policy, December 8, 2004
   • Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 4000.19, Support Agreements, April 25, 2013
   • Department of Homeland Security, Position, Navigation, and Timing Interference Detection and Mitigation Plan, August 20, 2007
   • Department of Homeland Security, Position, Navigation and Timing Interference Detection and Mitigation Plan (PNT-IDMP) Implementation Strategy, January 8, 2008
   • Department of Homeland Security, United States Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Interference Detection and Mitigation Plan Summary, April 2008
   • Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Transportation (DOT) Memorandum of Agreement Civil Use of the Global Positioning System, November 3, 2008
   • USC Title 49 Section 106, Federal Aviation Administration
   • Presidential Policy Directive 4 (PPD-4), National Space Policy of the United States, June 28, 2010
   • Federal Radionavigation Plan, (current revision)
   • GPS Standard Positioning Service (SPS) Performance Standard, (current revision)
   • ICD-GPS-240 (current revision), Navstar GPS Control Segment to User Support Community Interfaces
   • ICD-GPS-870 (current revision), Navstar GPS to User Support Community
     Interfaces, (during the Operational Control System (OCX) era)
5. BACKGROUND
   1. The 2008 DOD/DOT MOA established policies and procedures to ensure an effective working relationship between DOD and DOT regarding civil use of the Navstar Global Positioning System and outlines information coordination and dissemination policy regarding the status of GPS PNT services.
   2. PPD-4 directed departments and agencies to improve interagency partnerships through cooperation, collaboration and information sharing; enhance federal capabilities and techniques to identify, locate, and attribute sources of radio frequency interference; and develop collaborative response strategies.
   3. NSPD-39 assigns the following: the DOD will operate GPS and facilitate other department/agency/center representation and participation in decisions that affect their equities; the DOT will monitor U.S. civil PNT performance; and the DHS will coordinate with other USG government departments/agencies/centers to monitor for, detect, characterize, locate, identify, attribute, and resolve any interference within the Homeland that adversely affects use of the GPS and its augmentations for Homeland Security, civil, commercial, and scientific purposes.
   4. The DHS PNT Interference, Detection and Mitigation Plan (IDMP) Implementation Strategy directed the development of plans for the coordination of federal capabilities to identify and attribute interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services within the Homeland; and the development, implementation and exercise of procedures to enable federal agencies with assigned responsibilities, authorities and jurisdictions to investigate and mitigate such interference.
   5. This document supersedes the existing MOA entitled Interagency Memorandum of
      Agreement with Respect to Support to Users of the Navstar Global Positioning System
      (GPS) (2014). This MOA identifies specific mutual and organizational responsibilities
      of DOD – JFCC SPACE, DHS – USCG NAVCEN, and FAA NASEO. Additionally, other Parties may be added in future annexes that support synchronized and focused activities in response to interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services, within the Homeland.
   6. Timely coordination and sharing of information is essential to the success of this MOA. Day-to-day execution of these activities is enhanced by coordination between the GPS Operations Center (GPSOC), FAA's NASEO, and Coast Guard NAVCEN's Navigation Information Service (NIS).
6. MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITIES. The Parties include an interagency partnership of 24/7 operations/support centers, which provide points of contact for any world-wide GPS user, Critical Infrastructure (CI) sector, and other Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) operators.
   1. Within existing and evolving collaborative capabilities and processes, the Parties will:
      1. Provide for timely distribution of GPS constellation-related information, data files, and messages to the civil community as outlined by applicable documents,
      2. Accept and coordinate responses to requests for general or technical information from respective GPS user segments and support requests or problem reports from interagency partners related to the GPS constellation, service outages, or interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services to user segments or CI sectors,
      3. Coordinate and cooperate with other GNSS service providers on matters affecting compatibility and interoperability of PNT services, international user support, and international interference activities, as defined in Department of State approved bilateral Agreements.
   2. Annex A: Interagency Procedures for the Reporting of GPS Interference Affecting User Segments and Critical Infrastructure Sectors Within the U. S. Homeland, to this Memorandum, describes coordinated procedures for sharing information among the Parties and other entities on reported service outages or interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services to user segments or CI sectors. To support the interagency processes outlined in Annex A, the Parties will advise interagency partners on upcoming agency/department exercises within the Homeland for potential opportunity to exercise GPS interference reporting and resolution procedures.
   3. Mutual support will be conducted through existing department, agency or organization Operations and Maintenance funds.
7. DOD – JFCC SPACE RESPONSIBILITIES. The Commander, JFCC SPACE exercises tactical control of the 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2 SOPS) through the Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC). Within 2 SOPS, the GPS Operations Center (GPSOC) serves as the DOD's focal point for GPS operations and analysis. The GPSOC is the single point of contact for all DOD, Allied, and Coalition forces experiencing service outages or interference to GPS-provided PNT services on the global battlefield. In order to fulfill responsibilities under this Agreement, the GPSOC will:
   1. Provide GPS unclassified, publically releasable operational data files and messages, by means of defined interfaces, to the GPS User and User-support communities for public dissemination, as outlined in the current and applicable versions of Interference Control Documents (ICD) ICD-GPS-240 or ICD-GPS-870 / ICD-GPS-875 and other applicable documents.
   2. Provide interagency partners with a 24/7 operations center for technical questions or requests for information related to:
      1. operational status of the GPS constellation; and
      2. service outages or interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services to the military user segment within the Homeland, and with respect to event classification.
   3. Inform interagency partners (NAVCEN, FAA, and others as identified by annex) of all GPS service interruption events and reports of interference to GPS-provided PNT services affecting user segments or CI.
   4. Provide technical analysis through the use of the GPS Interference And Navigation Tool (GIANT) to support interagency inquiries and source location of interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services to any user segment or CI sector.
   5. When requested, GPSOC / 2 SOPS will participate in interagency teleconferences to:
      1. gain situational awareness related to service outages or interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services; and
      2. perform PNT interference-related tasks specified in established orders and directives; and
      3. act as the incident leader for events affecting military user segments.
8. DHS – USCG NAVIGATION CENTER (NAVCEN) RESPONSIBILITIES. The mission of the NAVCEN's Navigation Information Service (NIS) is to gather, process, and disseminate timely GPS, Differential GPS (DGPS) PNT information, and general maritime navigation information. The NIS serves as the civil GPS point of contact for all non-aviation, non-military surface and maritime GPS users. In order to fulfill responsibilities under this Agreement, the NAVCEN will:
   1. Provide for the dissemination of GPS unclassified, publically releasable, operational data files and messages provided by the GPS Control Segment by means of defined interfaces, as outlined in the current and applicable version of ICD-GPS-240 or ICDGPS-870 / ICD-GPS-875 and other applicable documents.
   2. Provide interagency partners with a 24/7 operations center for technical questions or requests for information related to:
      1. operational status of the Nationwide Differential GPS augmentation system and Nationwide Automatic Identification System;
      2. Notice Advisory to NAVSTAR Users (NANU) messages and status of GPS constellation inquiries; and
      3. service outages or interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services to civil/non-military/non-aviation user segments, nationally and internationally.
   3. Inform interagency partners (GPSOC, FAA, and others as identified by annex) of all GPS service interruption events and reports of interference to GPS-provided PNT services affecting user segments or CI.
   4. Provide technical analysis of interruptions to Differential GPS and/or Nationwide Automatic Identification System to support source location of interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services to any user segment or CI sector.
   5. Provide interagency partners status of any investigations or coordinated field efforts to resolve interference disrupting or affecting GPS-provided PNT services to the maritime user segment.
   6. When requested, the NAVCEN will participate in interagency teleconferences to:
      1. gain situational awareness related to service outages or interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services;
      2. perform PNT interference-related tasks specified in established orders and directives; and
      3. act as the incident leader for events affecting civil/non-military/non-aviation user segments within the Homeland.
   7. Provide stewardship as Executive Secretariat for this MOA and associated annex(es).
9. DOT – FAA NASEO RESPONSIBILITIES. The NASEO provides oversight and coordination across geographic boundaries for national satellite operation to support collaborative decision making for the prevention and mitigation of events impacting National Airspace System (NAS) operations. The NASEO is the focal point for GPS anomaly reporting and information sharing nationally. The NASEO is also the central GPS coordination facility for all civil, commercial aviation users of the NAS. For the purposes of this Agreement, NASEO also represents the FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC). ATCSCC is the nation's Traffic Flow Management focal point with the responsibility to balance the National Airspace System capacity with the demand from users for services. The ATCSCC also coordinates international GPS related matters with Aeronautical Navigation Service Providers (ANSP) global partners. In order to fulfill its responsibilities under this Agreement, the NASEO will:
   1. Provide for the dissemination of GPS unclassified, publically releasable operational data files and messages sent by the GPS Control Segment by means of defined interfaces, as outlined in the current and applicable version of ICD-GPS-240 or ICD-GPS-870 / ICD-GPS-875 and other applicable documents.
   2. Provide interagency partners with a 24/7 operations center for technical questions or requests for information related to:
      1. operational status of timing-dependent space and ground-based GPS local and wide area augmentation services used in the National Airspace System;
      2. civil aviation GPS service interruptions nationally and internationally;
      3. service outages or interference affecting or disrupting GPS-provided PNT services to the civil and commercial aviation user segment within the NAS.
   3. Provide unclassified teleconference capability to interagency partners in order to share information related to service outages or interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services to the aviation user segment within the NAS.
   4. Support requests from interagency partners to initiate teleconferences for information sharing of service outages or interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services to user segments or CI sectors.
   5. Provide geographical Area of Interest analysis through the use of the signal propagation modeling tools to support source location of interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services to any user segment or CI sector.
   6. Support interagency efforts to characterize, locate, attribute, identify and resolve instances of interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services affecting user segments or CI sectors.
   7. Provide interagency partners the status of any investigations or coordinated field efforts to resolve interference disrupting or affecting GPS-provided PNT services to the aviation user segment.
   8. Inform interagency partners (NAVCEN, GPSOC, and others as identified by annex), the Department of State and international Aeronautical Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) civil entities of reports of interference to GPS-provided PNT services affecting the international aviation user segment.
   9. Inform interagency partners (NAVCEN, GPSOC, and others as identified by annex) of all GPS service interruption events and reports of interference to GPS-provided PNT services affecting user segments or CI.
   10. When requested, the NASEO will participate in interagency teleconferences to:
       1. gain situational awareness related to service outages or interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services; and
       2. perform PNT interference-related tasks specified in established orders and directives.
       3. act as the incident leader for events affecting civil and commercial aviation user segments within the NAS.
10. READINESS TO ACT. In order to maintain readiness, the Parties will:
    1. Develop, approve and maintain the GPS EMI Interagency Common Checklist and incorporate the procedures into their local operating procedures. This checklist is intended to guide the NAVCEN, GPSOC, FAA, and others as identified by annex, to coordinate activities, maximize efficient use of assets and resources, and ensure accurate information is being disseminated to all GPS providers and users.
    2. Support the development of and participate in interagency exercises of GPS interference reporting and resolution procedures. Exercises will occur at least annually with 60 days advance notice.
    3. Support other national, department, agency or interagency-sponsored exercises that include scripting of interference affecting GPS-provided PNT services to one or more user segments or CI sectors.
    4. Document and share lessons learned and recommendations for improved GPS interference reporting and resolution procedures after each exercise or actual GPS interference incident.
11. POINTS OF CONTACT. Points of contact are listed in Appendix A of Annex A. Changes to the points of contact will be distributed to a representative of the undersigned within 14 calendar days of the change.
12. OTHER PROVISIONS. Nothing in this agreement is intended to conflict with current law, regulation or established directives of the Department of Defense, United States Strategic Command, United States Air Force, Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard, or Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration. If a term of this agreement is inconsistent with such authority, then that term shall be invalid, but the remaining terms and conditions of this agreement shall remain in full force and effect. This Agreement shall be interpreted and implemented in a manner that respects and complies with (and does not abrogate) the statutory and regulatory responsibilities of any party. This Agreement does not obligate funds. All support activity identified within this Agreement will be contingent upon and conducted with existing agency Operations and Maintenance funds.
13. EFFECTIVE DATE. This agreement is effective upon signature of all Parties.
14. AMENDMENT AND REVIEW. This Agreement and associated annexes will be reviewed every three years by the Parties to determine the need for additional modifications or amendments. Such review will consider respective legal authorities, core competencies, and capabilities relevant to the joint and individual department/agency responsibilities outlined herein. Findings will be brought to the attention of the signatories. This Agreement may be modified or amended by mutual agreement of all Parties.
15. DURATION OF AGREEMENT. The terms of this Agreement, as modified with the consent of all Parties, will remain in effect until terminated by the Parties, but not more than nine years from date of last approving signature. A minimum of 90 days advance notice of proposed termination will be provided to the Parties.
16. ANNEXES. Annex A, Interagency Procedures for the Reporting of GPS Interference Affecting User Segments and Critical Infrastructure Sectors Within the U.S. Homeland, with signatures.
    1. Future annexes may be added to further coordinate and document activities supporting GPS.
    2. Attached annexes with appendixes may be updated as needed. Changes to attached annexes will be agreed upon by each Operation Center Commander/Manager before being incorporated into local Standard Operating Procedures.
    3. Due to the dynamic operational nature of the Annex A, it will be reviewed, updated and approved as needed by the Operations Centers involved.
       1. For JFCC SPACE the review, update and approval of Annex A will be delegated to 2 SOPS Commander.
       2. For DHS – USCG the review, update and approval of Annex A will be delegated to USCG NAVCEN Operations Officer.
       3. For FAA – the review, update and approval of Annex A will be delegated to FAA GPS Program Manager.
       4. Other agencies identified within Annex A or future annexes may identify their signature authority by memo to the Parties and that memo will become an attachment to this MOA.
17. DISPUTES. Where possible, disputes will be resolved by informal discussion between the Parties. If disputes cannot be resolved through good faith negotiations, the dispute will be elevated to signatories for consideration and resolution.
18. RELEASE OF DATA. No technical information developed by Parties to this Agreement pursuant to activities relevant to this Agreement; or sensitive, personal/private, proprietary or commercial sector information derived from investigations conducted subsequent to activities pursuant to activities relevant to this Agreement, shall be published or released to the public without prior written approval of the originating or investigative department, agency or organization. General information specifying an industry sector, or general information related to geographic location(s) are releasable without prior approval. All data generated by the Parties pursuant to or subsequent to activities pursuant to this Agreement is subject to the restrictions and protections accorded to the Parties under the Parties' legal authorities and other applicable authorities and direction, including but not limited to those authorities and directions identified within paragraph 4.

AGREED TO:

GPS is operated and maintained by the U.S. Space Force. GPS.gov is maintained by the National Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing. Contact us / Tell us what you think of this website. Website host: NOAA. Privacy policy. This page was last modified on January 6, 2021. For the desktop version of this page, rotate your device to landscape.