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When GPS Lies, ACTOR Tells the Platform What to Trust

Expedition Technology ·

A soldier in combat gear leans over a ruggedized field case on cracked desert ground under a stormy sky. The open case holds four displays, one a thermal image, with antennas rising from it, and a fixed-wing drone flies in the distance. The ACTOR wordmark is overlaid at lower right.

A military aircraft goes down over contested water near a narrow strait. Two aviators survive and wait in the swells. An unmanned surface vessel reaches them and begins moving toward an extraction point.

During the transit, the vessel starts to drift.

An adversary is transmitting counterfeit GPS signals across the recovery corridor. The vessel continues to receive believable coordinates, so its autopilot keeps making corrections. Each adjustment carries it farther from the rescue aircraft and closer to hostile waters.

Expedition Technology’s ACTOR is built for this moment.

ACTOR analyzes signals from multiple GNSS constellations guiding a platform and determines whether they came from authentic satellites. When a signal is false, ACTOR warns the operator or autonomous system before corrupted position, navigation, or timing data can redirect the mission.

That matters because GPS spoofing can be difficult to recognize. A jammed receiver may lose its signal or report that positioning is unavailable. A spoofed receiver keeps working. It can continue reporting position, heading, elevation, speed, and time while the information slowly moves away from reality.

For an autonomous platform, even a small error can have serious consequences. A false elevation reading can cause an aircraft to descend toward terrain. A manipulated heading can push a fast-moving system far outside its intended route. A spoofed position can move a vessel across a boundary it was ordered to avoid.

GPS also provides precise timing to communications networks, computer systems, and critical infrastructure. Corrupted timing can cause connected systems to fall out of sync and interrupt secure communications.

ACTOR gives operators an early warning that the information feeding those decisions can no longer be trusted. A platform can stop using suspect GPS data to correct its navigation. Operators can shift to onboard sensors, inertial navigation, or another approved source. Command centers can avoid distributing compromised timing across a wider network.

ACTOR identifies spoofed signals through RF fingerprinting. Every radio transmitter leaves subtle physical characteristics in the signal it produces. Those characteristics come from the hardware itself and create a distinct fingerprint.

ACTOR uses machine learning to recognize the fingerprints associated with authentic GPS satellites. A counterfeit signal may contain convincing coordinates and timing data. Its physical signature can still reveal that it came from another transmitter.

The capability is designed for deployment across a wide range of platforms. Scout supports low-SWaP installations with low latency, real-time requirements. Nomad provides a portable option for vehicles, mobile teams, and temporary sites. Command brings greater processing capacity to ships, submarines, command centers, and fixed facilities.

Expedition is advancing ACTOR beyond spoofing detection to deliver a trusted Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) capability. By isolating authentic satellite signals from spoofed transmissions, ACTOR can calculate reliable position and timing information even while an attack is underway.

In the strait, that capability gives the rescue vessel a chance to recognize the lie, correct its course, and continue carrying the aviators toward safety.

Learn more about ACTOR or contact Expedition Technology to discuss integration and evaluation.