Fiscal Year 2021 Program Funding

Updated January 28, 2021

On February 11, 2020, the White House released the President's Fiscal Year 2021 budget proposal. This page lists the FY 2021 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 December 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, an omnibus funding measure that includes nearly $1.8 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD) GPS program, $18 million below the request.

The President's request was over $1.8 billion including procurement and research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E). View source (8 MB PDF)

Starting in FY 2021, the GPS program is funded through the Space Force instead of the Air Force.

Funding Marks

• The cut to GPS IIIF procurement includes this note: "Excess to need". The House and Senate reports included similar notes. See table for sources.
• The change in GPS IIIF development funding consists of a $8 million cut due to "Prior year carryover" and a $30 million increase for "Navigation Technology Satellite-3 payload and launch". This echoes the notes in the Senate report. See table for sources.
• The cut to MGUE development includes this note: "Maritime/ground card integration prior year carryover". This echoes the notes in the Senate report. See table for sources.
• The Senate had proposed to cut OCX with this note: "Maintain program affordability: OCX Block 3F early to need". See table for source.

Alternative Navigation Systems

• The explanatory statement for the act notes that, "operational requirements for assured position, navigation, and timing alternative navigation (ALT NAV) systems are increasing rapidly as the Army looks to compete in a Global Positioning System denied or challenged environment. These requirements are at risk of outpacing Service investments in the area. The Secretary of the Army is encouraged to ensure that sufficient resources are in place through the budget process and in execution of current year resources, to develop and field ALT NAV capabilities and the necessary broadcast service to enable such capabilities."
  View source (19 MB PDF)

Legislative History

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Transportation Appropriations

LAW

On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, an omnibus funding measure that includes $83.9 million for the GPS Wide Area Augmentation System.

The President's budget request for FY 2021 did not designate specific DOT funding to cover civil requirements in the DOD GPS program.

Funding Marks

GPS Backup and Complementary PNT

• The House report includes the following direction regarding DOT's field demonstration of GPS backup and complementary PNT services: "The Committee directs the Department to brief the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on the results of the field demonstration and the Department's recommendations no later than 30 days after the recommendations have been finalized. This briefing should include estimates on the funding necessary to carry out the Department's recommendations. Further, the Committee provides $5,000,000 to assist the Department in carrying out its recommendations." View PDF (2 MB)
• The Senate explanatory statement states, "The Committee supports the Department's efforts to implement the National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–282) and awaits the Department's recommendations from the recent demonstration. The Committee is aware that the Department has six staff positions for this work and encourages the office to fill current vacancies to ensure adequate staffing to fulfill the requirements of this initiative. Within the funds provided, the Committee directs the Secretary to dedicate $2,000,000 to support implementation of the Department's recommendations." View PDF (422 KB)

Geolocation Privacy

• The Senate explanatory statement directs DOT "to require recipients of Federal funds, to the extent permitted by law, to submit and make publicly available a privacy policy regarding the collection, use, sharing, and protection of geolocation information. The Committee directs the Department to develop a public resource of best practices for privacy positive approaches for geolocation data in transportation." View PDF (422 KB)

Legislative History

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Defense Authorization

LAW

On January 1, 2021, Congress enacted the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 over a presidential veto. The act includes policy and funding guidance for the GPS program but does not expend funds from the U.S. Treasury.

Funding Marks

• The cut to GPS IIIF procurement includes this note: "Unjustified growth". This echoes the notes in the House report. See table for sources.
• The cut to GPS IIIF development includes this note: "Execution lagging." This echoes the notes in the House report. See table for sources.
• The cut to OCX development includes this note: "Funds available prioritized to other space missions". This echoes the notes in the Senate report. See table for sources.
• The cut to MGUE includes this note: ""MGUE program slip". This echoes the following note in the Senate report: "The committee understands that the modernized Global Positioning System user equipment program for the Space Force has slipped by over a year and that more delays are possible." View Senate note (1.6 MB)

Harmful Interference to GPS

• Section 1661 prohibits the availability of funds for certain purposes relating to GPS. The House bill contained a provision (Sec. 1609) that would prohibit the Department of Defense from taking actions to modify equipment to mitigate interference from terrestrial communications networks operating in certain frequency bands. The Senate amendment contained no similar provision. The Senate receded with an amendment that strikes the findings of the House provision. View PDF (3.5 MB)
• Section 1662 establishes a limitation on awarding contracts to entities operating commercial terrestrial communication networks that cause harmful interference with the Global Positioning System. The House bill contained a provision (Sec. 1608) that would prohibit the Secretary of Defense from entering into or continuing a contract with any entity engaged in commercial terrestrial operations within specified frequency bands. This prohibition may be waived if the Secretary certifies to the congressional defense committees that such operations cause no harmful interference to Department of Defense use of the Global Positioning System. The Senate amendment contained no similar provision. View PDF (3.5 MB)
• Section 1663 requires an independent technical review of FCC Order 20–48. The Senate bill contained a provision (Sec. 234) that would require the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the National Academies to undertake an independent technical review of Federal Communications Commission Order 20–48 insofar as the order may impact Department of Defense equipment and operations. The House bill contained no similar provision. View PDF (3.5 MB)
  • The Senate report states, "The committee is aware that extensive testing performed by 9 federal agencies concluded that the Ligado proposal will cause interference for both civilian and military Global Positioning System (GPS) users. The committee notes that the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Energy, and Federal Aviation Administration all strongly oppose this proposal. The committee is also concerned that the mitigation conditions imposed on Ligado in the FCC Order are not practical and do not adequately protect GPS." View PDF (1.6 MB)
• Section 1664 calls for an estimate of damages from FCC Order 20-48. The Senate bill contained a provision (Sec. 1083) that would prohibit the Secretary of Defense from using any funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act for fiscal year 2021 to comply with Federal Communications Commission Order 20–48 until the Secretary submits to the congressional defense committees accurate estimates of the costs associated with compliance. The House bill contained no similar provision. View PDF (3.5 MB)
  • The Senate report states, "The committee is concerned that the Federal Communications Commission approved Ligado's proposal despite extensive testing performed by 9 Federal agencies that concluded that the Ligado proposal will cause interference for both civilian and military GPS users. The committee is concerned that the conditions imposed on Ligado in FCC 20-48 are not practical and do not adequately protect GPS. Specifically, the committee is concerned that the requirement for Ligado to repair or replace any potentially affected Federal GPS receiver would only cover the cost of the GPS receiver and not any of the associated development and fielding costs to repair or replace the device, placing a large cost burden on the Department of Defense." View PDF (1.6 MB)

PNT Resilience and GPS Backup

• Section 1610 concerns a prototype program for multi-global navigation satellite system receiver development. The House bill contained a provision (Sec. 1607) that would prohibit the obligation or expenditure of more than 80 percent of those funds authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2021 for certain Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment. Such restriction would remain in place until the Secretary of Defense certifies to the congressional defense committees that the Secretary of the Air Force is carrying out a prototype program, required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92), to increase the resilience of military position, navigation, and timing; and provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a briefing on the implementation of such program. The Senate amendment contained no similar provision. The Senate receded with a clarifying amendment that shifts the limitation on availability of funds from the acquisition of GPS user terminals to the operations funds of the Secretary of the Air Force. View PDF (3.5 MB)
• Section 1611 concerns resilient and survivable positioning, navigation, and timing capabilities. The Senate bill contained a provision (Sec. 1601) that would require the Secretary of Defense to prioritize elements, platforms, and systems most critical for the operational plans of the combatant commands and to field sufficient equipment to ensure resilient positioning, navigation, and timing for such elements, platforms, and systems. The provision would also require the Secretary to provide to the congressional defense committees a plan to carry out the requirements of this provision along with any reprograming or budget proposals. The House bill contained no similar provision. View PDF (3.5 MB)
• The conference report to accompany the act directs "the Secretary of Defense to submit to the congressional defense committees a report assessing the ability of each combatant command to conduct all-weather, day-night airfield operations in a non-permissive, global positioning system-denied environment." View PDF (5.3 MB)
  • The House report contains similar direction. View PDF (3.4 MB)
• The House report "directs the Secretaries of Defense, Transportation, and Homeland Security to provide a briefing to the appropriate congressional committees by January 31, 2021, on the implementation of an operational backup system required under NTSRA." NTRSA is the National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018. View PDF (3.4 MB)

Legislative History

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