Official U.S. Government information about the
International CooperationPresident Obama's National Space Policy of 2010 encourages international cooperation related to GPS and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). It directs the United States to:
“Engage with foreign GNSS providers to encourage compatibility and interoperability, promote transparency in civil service provision, and enable market access for U.S. industry”.
The policy also states that the United States may use foreign positioning, navigation, and timing services to augment and strengthen the resiliency of GPS.
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This page summarizes U.S. efforts related to GPS cooperation with other countries and international organizations. The reference links provided below lead to source documents at other government websites.Some links on this page lead to content in the Portable Document Format (PDF) and may require you to install PDF software.Get software...
The United States and Australia initiated a cooperative relationship on GPS and GPS augmentations through a Joint Delegation Statement signed in 2007. The cooperation expands upon existing efforts to ensure interoperability between GPS and Australia's Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS).
Since 2007, the U.S. Air Force has held discussions with China's Compass program to ensure radio frequency compatibility with GPS. These operator-to-operator meetings have occurred under the auspices of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The United States discusses broader cooperation issues with China during meetings of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG). The United States is interested in engaging in further bilateral discussions with China on civil GNSS services and applications.
The United States and the European Union and its member states have been close partners in the area of satellite navigation since 2004, when the parties signed a historic agreement establishing cooperation between GPS and Europe's planned Galileo system. The cooperation aims to ensure that GPS and Galileo will be interoperable at the user level for the benefit of civil users around the world. The cooperation is also intended to maintain fair trade in the global satellite navigation market.
The GPS-Galileo Agreement established four working groups for cooperation on:
The United States and India issued a Joint Statement in 2007 establishing cooperation on GPS and GPS augmentations. The cooperation expands upon existing efforts to ensure interoperability between GPS and India's GPS And GEO-Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system.
The United States and Japan have enjoyed a successful relationship on satellite navigation since 1998, when the heads of both nations signed a Joint Statement establishing cooperation in the use of GPS. Through this relationship, the two nations have achieved interoperability between GPS and Japan's MTSAT-based Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), a geostationary satellite similar to the U.S. Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The nations have also taken steps to ensure interoperability between the next-generation GPS constellation and Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), a regional satellite constellation designed to complement GPS over East Asia.
The United States and Russia initiated cooperation in 2004, with the primary goal of enabling civil interoperability at the user level between GPS and Russia's GLONASS system. Two working groups have been established to address: (1) radio frequency compatibility and interoperability for enhanced positioning, navigation, and timing; and (2) technical interoperability between the search-and-rescue capabilities planned for GPS and GLONASS.
The United States is a charter member of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG), established in 2005 through the U.N. Office of Outer Space Affairs. The ICG promotes worldwide applications of satellite navigation technology, particularly in developing nations. The United States is a key member of the ICG Providers Forum, a venue for multilateral interaction among the world's providers of satellite navigation services.Learn more at the ICG website...
Beyond the ICG, the United States works on international satellite navigation issues through other multilateral bodies, including:
This page was updated on April 19, 2012.ThisU.S. government website has been developed by theNational Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing and theCivil GPS Service Interface Committee. It is hosted by theCoast Guard Navigation Center.Privacy policy.Contact webmaster.
