Modern militaries have become deeply dependent on GPS for navigation, targeting, and synchronization, but that reliance creates a critical vulnerability as adversaries develop spoofing, jamming, cyberattacks, and anti-satellite weapons. Inertial navigation systems (INS) can dead-reckon but drift over time and usually require periodic GPS updates; sophisticated spoofing can subtly mislead systems, while area denial of GPS would leave many platforms and munitions effectively blind. Facing these threats, defense planners are looking beyond electronic countermeasures to resilient alternatives that don’t rely on satellites.
Automated celestial navigation, or astro-inertial navigation, is a proven Cold War-era solution now poised for a comeback. Early deployments on systems like the SM-62 Snark cut its circular error probable from about 17 miles to four, and variants live on in ICBMs and the SR-71 Blackbird. The SR-71 used a crate-sized Nortronics NAS-14V2 guidance group nicknamed “R2-D2,” whose gimbaled telescope autonomously sought three of 64 stored stars, referenced a Julian calendar and precise chronometer, and corrected INS drift - fully automating mission navigation. Modern miniaturization and automation could revive this capability to provide independent, hard-to-jam position fixes for aircraft, missiles, and other platforms operating in GPS-denied environments.
Summary generated by AI from the linked article. hn.today is not affiliated with Hacker News or Y Combinator.
Korea's privacy regulator has increased fines for data breaches to up to 10 percent of a company's annual revenue. This change aims to encourage companies to prioritize data protection and prevent leaks. (koreajoongangdaily.com)
More U.S. military deaths during the Iran conflict have not been fully disclosed by the Pentagon. The actual number of casualties is higher than publicly reported. (washingtonpost.com)
Hackers exploited Anthropic's AI model, Claude, to gain unauthorized access to OpenAI's systems. The breach highlights risks in using AI models for security-sensitive operations. (wsj.com)
Linguistic illegibility refers to situations where an LLM's internal computations are not accurately reflected in its language output or probes. Security measures relying on linguistic self-reporting are therefore insufficient, and alternative techniques like taint tracking and sandboxing are necessary to ensure safety. (arxiv.org)
Classified stealth parts of F-35 fighter jets were diverted to Hong Kong by a shipper and have gone missing. The incident raises concerns about security and potential unauthorized access to sensitive military technology. (politico.com)
Google's threat intelligence group infiltrated the notorious supply-chain hacking gang TeamPCP, allowing them to monitor and disrupt the group's activities. An undercover Mandiant analyst built trust within the group, providing critical intelligence that helped law enforcement arrest two alleged members. (wired.com)
Today's best Hacker News stories, summarized and screenshotted, one email a day.