Satellite Navigation

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>This chapter charts the development of satellite navigation, focusing on the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS). Initially created for military use, GPS transformed modern warfare by allowing precise, real-time targeting and troop coordination. The chapter explains how GPS supplements inertial navigation systems (INS), especially in high-speed contexts like ballistic missile flight. It contrasts applications in submarines, which still rely on INS for stealth, with smart bomb targeting during the Gulf War. It also examines how satellite updates reduce inertial drift and extend the autonomy and accuracy of navigation systems in both military and civilian contexts.</jats:p>