Military GPS Testing Could Hamper Flights, Not Cars

There have been recent reports about how the U.S Department of Defense’s GPS testing could affect the GPS on your dashboard. We just wanted to tell you right off the bat: It’s most likely not going to affect the accuracy of your car’s GPS unit. Here’s why:

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the military is most likely testing its NextGen systems, the new U.S. satellite-based air traffic control system that’s due to go online from 2012 to 2018 and will replace the current ground-based system, spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said.

Between now and Feb. 11, GPS devices will be unreliable off the coast of Georgia, with a radius of 325 nautical miles at an elevation of 25,000 feet – which is pretty high, to say the least. A smaller radius will affect most of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina at a low level of 4,000 feet, an elevation that would still clear the average mountain in the Appalachians.

Similar testing is going on in Southern California through Sunday, but at an elevation too high to affect most drivers. Planes are a different story altogether, hence the FAA advisory.

Flight Advisory GPS Testing (Federal Aviation Administration)