Talk:Joint Precision Approach and Landing System

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I began this page, using LAAS as a template. JPALS is a military extension of LAAS technology, modified for military use.

I would appreciate it if someone would create a JPALS thumbnail and picture to the right, using one of the pics on Stanford's JPALS website (link is at the bottom). The best pic would be a screen snapshot of the JPALS system hierarchy - however, there may be copyright issues, in which case keeping the LAAS picture is fine, as the military system operates in much the same way. Dr1819 15:35, 13 April 2006 (UTC)

I began a very rough draft for JPALS, but never got around to finishing it. If you see anything worth adding from there, go ahead and take it. I made it along with the LAAS page at the same time, so they were very similar. --Dual Freq 22:46, 13 April 2006 (UTC)

Minor edit reordering the See Also in order of relevance to the topic. I'm considering deleting the reference to differential GPS. While it was a start, it's fallen by the wayside, even though WAAS remains technically a form of differential GPS. What say you others? Dr1819 23:36, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

Is it really true that JPALS is a "spinoff" from LAAS? I thought it was developed independantly? Maury 15:13, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

No - LAAS work began before JPALS was little more than a concept. JPALS incorporates most of the LAAS technology, with some key additions that provide authentication, encryption, and anti-jam measures. These measures prevent unauthorized use, deter hijacking of the signal, and guard against signal degredation by enemy means. Both systems were developed simultaneously, with significant overlap. There's not a lot of unclassified information available right now, but it appears that JPALS units installed aboard military aircraft will be able to use LAAS signals, as well as the more robust JPALS signals. Any other possibility, to put it bluntly, doesn't pass the sanity test, particularly given the FAA's emphasis towards phasing out non-WAAS/LAAS systems for all but the most heavily trafficked airfields. In fact, there's been considerable talk about authorizing handheld units for instrument approaches, provided they meet certain RAIM requirements, as well as the current requirements governing IAP database currency, airfield and approach selection procedures, etc. This would bust cheap instrument approach procedures wide open, with a sub-$500 handheld being able to provide equivalent accuracy in a WAAS environment, and better than CAT-IIIc accuracy in an LAAS environment. Expect to see new FAA regs governing the programmed display options, to ensure adherency to generally accepted standards.