Marine Corps Commercial Global Positioning System Procurement and Use

1.  Purpose.  This MARADMIN provides the policy for use of commercial Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
2.  Background.  GPS is the primary source of position, navigation, and timing information for the Department of Defense.  Rapid growth in commercial GPS technology has created an increased demand for commercial GPS receivers in the Marine Corps.  Though commercial GPS is available for peaceful, civil, commercial, and scientific use on a continuous worldwide basis, inherent weaknesses of commercial GPS exist.  It is essential that Marines understand that these systems may not be reliable during conflict.  Keyed Precise Positioning System (PPS) Selective Availability Anti-spoofing Module GPS User Equipment (UE) (e.g. Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR)) provides enhanced assurance and exclusive use of GPS that are not available with commercial GPS.
3.  Action.
3.a.  Per References (a) and (b), all acquisition programs, regardless of whether platform, system, or device, procured by the Marine Corps through the Defense Acquisition System (DAS) incorporating GPS and are used in combat, combat support, or combat service support must use GPS receivers operating in keyed PPS mode.  While Standard Positioning Service (SPS) is not generally authorized for these military applications, the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer (DoD CIO) and the Joint Staff/J-6 considers waiver requests and will be the final approval authorities on all commercial SPS GPS waivers.  Critical military operations, such as weapons delivery coordination, target location, fire support, close air support, extraction, and rendezvous are not waiverable, and will only be performed in combat training, and military exercises with keyed PPS GPS UE.
3.b.  In accordance with References (a) and (b), commercial GPS receivers are authorized for Operations and Maintenance purchase and limited non-critical applications to enhance individual situation awareness and logistics material tracking upon approval through the Director HQMC C4 via the Information Technology Procurement Request and Approval System (ITPRAS).
3.c.  Non program of record friendly force tracking devices being purchased to meet Combatant Command (COCOM) force protection requirements, attach COCOM reference to ITPRAS request.
4.  Any additional questions can be addressed to the POCs identified in this MARADMIN.
5.  This MARADMIN is canceled on 1 January 2018.
6.  Release authorized by BGen D. A. Crall, Director, Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4), Washington, D.C.