But scientists point to other technology developed from military systems, such as GPS satellite navigation, which has come down in price and is now increasingly popular.

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The aircraft has terrain-following radar and GPS satellite navigation.

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That has already happened with weather data and with America's GPS satellite-navigation system that was opened for full commercial use a decade ago.

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Europe should recognize that with satellite navigation, GPS is a de facto global standard.

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By unleashing a massive pulse of electromagnetic radiation sweeping over the planet, a severe solar storm could potentially knock out the electric power grid, silence radio and satellite communications and disrupt GPS navigation systems.

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Its Galileo satellite navigation system is being designed not only to compete with the American GPS, but to interfere with its signals.

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We should expect that more capable follow-on to the SC-19 anti-satellite weapon will allow the PLA to target even higher orbit satellites, like our critical GPS navigation and radar surveillance satellites.

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While the participants engaged in much discussion there of Iraq, trade and other issues, the most significant result of the meeting may have been an agreement to ensure that Europes Galileo navigation system does not interfere with the frequencies used by Americas Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system .

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America is planning to improve its satellite-navigation system further: next year, it will start launching a second generation of GPS satellites, which will offer greater accuracy for civilian users and, for military purposes, greater protection against the signal being jammed by an enemy.

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