English: A NEW SPACE satellite navigation system called NAVSTAR could bring changes for U.S. Infantrymen in the late 1980s.

By then, compact 8- to 12-pound satellite signal receivers could be providing ground troops with precise location information for both common and unique combat operations.

The receivers would be tied to a system of 24 NAVSTAR global positioning satellites currently being developed by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile System Organization (SAMSO) in Los Angeles. The joint military service program is scheduled to be fully operational about 1984.

Current development models of the NAVSTAR manpack weigh about 25 to 30 pounds. With time, SAMSO hopes the bulk can be reduced to a small handheld unit and made adaptable for use in many types of ground vehicles and lightweight watercraft.

The NAVSTAR system is expected to aid Army units in target designation, fighter aircraft support, field artillery direction, parachute drops, supply air drops, ground and water navigation, and long-range patrol operations.