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Fiscal Year 2018 Program Funding

This page lists the FY 2018 funding amounts requested, authorized, and appropriated for each element of the nation's GPS program.

Each line item below provides external links to original source documents, including bills, report language, and agency budget justifications submitted to Congress.

This page highlights legislative provisions in the funding bills for information only. The executive branch does not endorse any pending legislation except where explicitly noted.

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Defense Appropriations

LAW

On March 23, 2018, President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, an omnibus funding measure that provides $1.18 billion to the Air Force GPS program in FY 2018.

The President's request was $1.09 billion. View PDF (9 MB)

Starting in FY 2018, the budget includes no funds for GPS IIF procurement.

Funding Marks

Program Line Item	President's Budget Request	House Mark	Senate SubCommittee Mark (DRAFT)	Final
Procurement: GPS III Satellites Space Procurement, Air Force, Line Item 6, "GPSIII / GPS III Space Segment" View justification (3 MB PDF)	$85.894M	$85.894M View PDF (8.6 MB)	$85.894M View PDF	$85.894M View PDF (31 MB)
Development: GPS III, Search & Rescue Payload, and M-Code Hosted Payload RDT&E, Air Force, Line Item No. 310 / Program Element 1203265F, "GPS III Space Segment" View justification (7.5 MB PDF)	$243.435M	$223.435M (−$20M vs request) View PDF (8.6 MB)	$215.435M (−$28M vs request) View PDF	$243.435M View PDF (31 MB)
Development: Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) and GPS Enterprise Integrator RDT&E, Air Force, Line Item No. 318 / Program Element 1206423F, "Global Positioning System III -- Operational Control Segment" View justification (7.5 MB PDF)	$510.938M	$510.938M View PDF (8.6 MB)	$510.938M View PDF	$510.938M View PDF (31 MB)
Development: Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) RDT&E, Air Force, Line Item No. 57 / Program Element 1203164F, "NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (User Equipment) (SPACE)" View justification (8.5 MB PDF)	$253.939M	$243.939M (−$10M vs request) View PDF (8.6 MB)	$332.439M (+$78.5M vs request) View PDF	$342.439M (+$88.5M vs request) View PDF (31 MB)
TOTAL	$1.094206B	$1.064206B (−$30M vs request)	$1.144706B (+$50.5M vs request)	$1.182706B (+$88.5M vs request)

• The final measure adds $10 million to GPS III development for "GPS backup technology demonstration". The increase is offset by a $10 million cut labeled "Excess to need". See table for source.
  • The increase is consistent with an amendment adopted in the House (H.Amdt. 258) that, among other things, "Provides $10 million for the purposes of carrying out a GPS backup technology demonstration." View source at house.gov
  • The original House bill proposed a $20 million reduction to GPS III, citing "Excess to need". See table for source.
  • The draft Senate version proposed a funding cut for GPS III, stating "Improving funds management: Prior Year carryover" and "Reduce duplication: M-code". See table for source.
• The final measure adds $98.5 million to MGUE, noting, "Program increase - military GPS user equipment - Increment 2 - handhelds." The increase is offset by a $10 million cut labeled "Excess to need." See table for source.
  • The draft Senate version proposed similar adjustments to MGUE. See table for source.
  • The House bill included the same "Excess to need" reduction. See table for source.

GPS III Program Guidance

• The House report includes the following directive language on GPS III: "The Committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to conduct a review that considers solutions that minimize technical and schedule risk as well as maximize reutilization of existing technology and infrastructure investments and to provide a report on the results of the review to the congressional defense committees not later than February 1, 2018. The Committee also expects the Secretary of the Air Force to request procurement funds in fiscal year 2019 for the acquisition of space vehicles 11 and 12" (p. 195). View PDF (8.6 MB)

Legislative History

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Transportation Appropriations

LAW

On March 23, 2018, President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, an omnibus funding measure that provides $110.3 million to the Department of Transportation to operate a civil GPS augmentation system (WAAS) in FY 2018.

The FY 2018 budget includes no DOT funding for civil requirements in the GPS program. It also does not provide a trackable line item for the PNT activities of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research & Technology, though such activities remain fully budgeted.

Funding Marks

Program Line Item	President's Budget Request	House Committee Mark	Senate Committee Mark	Final
Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) for GPS FAA Facilities & Equipment, Activity 2, Budget Item 2D03, "Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) for GPS" View justification (8 MB PDF)	$102.3M	$105.3M +$3M vs request View PDF (1.8 MB)	$110.3M +$8M vs request View PDF (550 KB)	$110.3M +$8M vs request View PDF (9.2 MB)

WAAS Program Guidance

• The final measure provides an $8 million increase to WAAS.
  • This is consistent with the Senate report, which "recommends the FAA to commence development of the WAAS GEO 7 satellite system early in fiscal year 2018 to avoid a gap in sustainment of the full three-satellite WAAS navigation constellation." (p. 40). View PDF (550 KB)
  • The House report included a similar justification for its proposed increase to WAAS (p. 27). View PDF (1.8 MB)
  • The House report also states: "Satellite and global positioning systems NextGen programs.—The Committee recommendation places a high priority in accelerating the advancement of GPS and satellite enabled technologies" (p. 21). View PDF (1.8 MB)
• The final measure includes this direction to FAA: "Wide area augmentation system (WAAS) for GPS.—The agreement includes language consistent with House and Senate direction on WAAS dual frequency operations and directs the FAA to provide a briefing to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations to accomplish the direction within 120 days of enactment of this Act" (p. H2874). View PDF (9.2 MB)
  • The House report includes this direction: "In the fiscal year 2017 appropriations Act, the Committee directed the FAA to begin algorithm development and test in support of dual frequency operations. In addition, the Committee recommended that the FAA dedicate sufficient funding to begin design, development, modeling and prototyping of the new dual frequency algorithms. The Committee directs the FAA to brief the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on their plan for accomplishing this directed action within 120 days after enactment" (p. 27). View PDF (1.8 MB)
  • The Senate report offers similar direction with a 90 day due date (p. 40). View PDF (550 KB)

GPS Vehicle Tracking

• The final measure contains a provision regarding GPS vehicle tracking. Please see our Geolocation Privacy Legislation page for details. Go there

Legislative History

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Defense Authorization

LAW

On December 12, 2017, President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. The act includes policy and funding guidance for the GPS program. It does not expend funds from the U.S. Treasury.

Funding Marks

Program Line Item	President's Budget Request	House Mark	Senate Mark	Final
Procurement: GPS III Satellites Space Procurement, Air Force, Line Item 6, "GPSIII / GPS III Space Segment" View justification (3 MB PDF)	$85.894M	$85.894M View PDF (1.6 MB)	$85.894M View PDF (1.9 MB)	$85.894M View PDF (1.7 MB)
Development: GPS III, Search & Rescue Payload, and M-Code Hosted Payload RDT&E, Air Force, Line Item No. 310 / Program Element 1203265F, "GPS III Space Segment" View justification (7.5 MB PDF)	$243.435M	$243.435M View PDF (1.6 MB)	$283.735M (+$40.3M vs request) View PDF (1.9 MB)	$243.435M View PDF (1.7 MB)
Development: Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) and GPS Enterprise Integrator RDT&E, Air Force, Line Item No. 318 / Program Element 1206423F, "Global Positioning System III -- Operational Control Segment" View justification (7.5 MB PDF)	$510.938M	$510.938M View PDF (1.6 MB)	$510.938M View PDF (1.9 MB)	$510.938M View PDF (1.7 MB)
Development: Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) RDT&E, Air Force, Line Item No. 57 / Program Element 1203164F, "NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (User Equipment) (SPACE)" View justification (8.5 MB PDF)	$253.939M	$263.939M (+$10M vs request) View PDF (1.6 MB)	$352.439M (+$98.5M vs request) View PDF (1.9 MB)	$263.939M (+$10M vs request) View PDF (1.7 MB)
TOTAL	$1.094206B	$1.104206B (+$10M vs request)	$1.223006B (+$138.8M vs request)	$1.104206B (+$10M vs request)

• The MGUE increase is notated in both the conference and Senate reports as follows: "UFR: Military GPS User Equipment INC2".
• The House's proposed increase for MGUE included the note, "Demonstration of Backup and Complementary PNT Capabilities of GPS".
• The Senate's proposed increase for GPS III development included the note, "UFR: GPS satellite simulator (GSS)".

GPS III Program Guidance

• The House report states, "The committee supports the GPS III program, and recommends the Air Force leverage the existing nonrecurring investment and technical risk reduction when developing an acquisition plan for future space vehicles. The committee continues to support evolutionary acquisition for space vehicles with technology insertion plans to meet warfighter requirements" (p. 236). View PDF (1.6 MB)

Ground Monitoring Stations

• Section 1602 amends chapter 135 of title 10, United States Code, by adding a new section, 2279c. Subsection (b) of section 1602 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 113–66), which is a limitation on construction on United States territory of satellite positioning ground monitoring stations of certain foreign governments, is transferred to section 2279c of title 10, United States Code. This section excludes foreign governments that are allies of the United States from the underlying limitation and extends the underlying limitation's sunset date to December 31, 2023. View at congress.gov
• The provision originated as Section 1611 of the House bill. View at congress.gov

Demonstration of Backup and Complementary PNT

• Section 1606 requires, during FY 2018, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly develop a plan for carrying out a backup GPS capability demonstration for the Global Positioning System. The Secretaries are required to provide a briefing on this plan to the appropriate congressional committees within 120 days of the enactment of the Act. This section further states that, subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretaries are required to jointly initiate the backup GPS capability demonstration and that the demonstration will terminate 18 months after the enactment of the Act. At this date of termination, the Secretaries are required to submit a report on the demonstration. This section authorizes for this demonstration, for FY 2018, $10.0 million as specified in the funding tables. View at congress.gov
• The provision originated as Section 1617 of the House bill. View at congress.gov

Enhancement of PNT Capacity

• Section 1607 requires the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a plan to increase resilience for the positioning, navigation, and timing capacity for the Department of Defense. This section requires the plan to ensure that military GPS user equipment (MGUE) terminals have the capability to receive the signals from the Galileo satellites of the European Union and the QZSS satellites of Japan, beginning with increment 2 of the acquisition of such terminals. This plan would also include an assessment of the feasibility, benefits, and risks of military GPS MGUE terminals having the capability to receive foreign PNT signals, beginning with increment 2 of the acquisition of such terminals. Such plan would also include an assessment of options to use hosted payloads to provide redundancy for the GPS signal; ensure that the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, engages with relevant U.S. allies to enable MGUE terminals to receive allied signals and negotiates other potential agreements relating to PNT enhancement; and include any other options the Secretary of Defense determines appropriate. Finally, this section requires the Secretary of Defense to submit the plan along with certain evaluations to specified congressional committees not later than 180 days after the enactment of the Act. View at congress.gov
• The provision originated as Section 1618 of the House bill. View at congress.gov

Counter Threat Strategy

Section 1239 requires a congressional report including, among other things:

"(R) A plan to counter the military capabilities of the Russian Federation, which, in addition to elements the Secretary of Defense determines to be appropriate, shall include recommendations for—

"(i) improving the capability of United States Armed Forces to operate in a Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied or GPS-degraded environment;"

View at congress.gov

Cooperation with Japan

• The House report "encourages further outer space cooperation between the United States and Japan" and directs a report "by December 1, 2017, on the status of cooperation between the United States and the Government of Japan regarding outer space activities, including with respect to space-based position, navigation, and timing" (p. 237). The report specifically mentions GPS and Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). View PDF (1.6 MB)

Homeland Defense

• The House report directs a briefing "by December 15, 2017, on the risks associated with disruptions to the Global Positioning System (GPS) that could affect defense of the homeland and other defense activities in the United States. The briefing shall include the requirements for PNT reliability and redundancy for Department of Defense operations in the United States, an analysis of the extent to which defense of the homeland operations rely on accurate PNT signals from GPS, and an assessment of alternative sources of PNT that could be used as a backup to ensure continuity of operations in the event of a major disruption to GPS." (p. 237). View PDF (1.6 MB)

Legislative History

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