Signal Sentry 1000, an Exelis product that detects and locates GPS interference sources in 3-D by using longitude, latitude and altitude, was deployed during Super Bowl XLVIII at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

In terms of power, satellite-to-Earth GPS signals are relatively weak and susceptible to outages due to intentional and unintentional jamming. If the signal is jammed, GPS receivers may not be able to determine 3D position, track time, speed or distance. And now, due to the broad availability of low-cost GPS jamming devices on the Internet, the risk associated with signal disruption has increased significantly. GPS jammers are often used by criminals to conceal stolen cars and by commercial drivers who sometimes remain on the road for dangerously long hours. Truckers near shipping ports have been shown to use personal privacy GPS jammers, causing interference with the signal also used to navigate large ships, which severely compromises the safe and efficient operation.

During the Super Bowl, GPS devices were used extensively to track and monitor the location of team members and officials. GPS was also used to ensure that event organizers and security knew the exact location of team vehicles en route to the stadium. If a vehicle were to break down delaying the arrival of a team or game staff to the event, logistics and scheduling could have been adjusted accordingly.

"Signal Sentry 1000 helped our law enforcement officials keep thousands of fans in attendance safe during one of the most exciting nights for millions of Americans," said Mark Pisani, vice president and general manager of positioning, navigation and timing for Exelis Geospatial Systems. "Protecting critical GPS infrastructure is extremely important for public safety."

Signal Sentry 1000 was designed to collect actionable intelligence for law enforcement and to protect GPS signal-dependent critical infrastructures. At the Super Bowl, Exelis deployed eight Signal Sentry sensors positioned in an array pattern to detect and locate the jamming source. Threats are detected through a network of sensors, which is part of a centralized server executing Exelis-developed proprietary location algorithms.

In addition to national special security events like the Super Bowl, sensors can also be used around different types of critical infrastructure, such as utilities and government facilities, to automatically sense and locate any intentional or unintentional source of GPS jamming. Once a threat is detected, users receive specific information regarding the location of the threat in order to stop or mitigate the interference.