Canberra, Australia and Las Vegas – Locata Corporation announced U.S. Air Force (USAF) veteran Paul Benshoof, formerly chief of strategic development at the 746th Test Squadron (746TS) at Holloman Air Force Base, has joined the company as global business development manager for military and government applications in the U.S. and abroad. This expansion helps the company meet growing global demand for GPS backup for critical government, civilian and commercial infrastructure. Benshoof, who witnessed the success of Locata’s precision positioning in GPS-denied environments during USAF LocataNet development at White Sands Missile Range, will set and execute the company’s worldwide defense sales initiatives.

Near universal reliance on GPS for critical positioning and navigation requirements in military, civilian government and commercial applications – despite the fact that GPS signals are frequently blocked, jammed, spoofed or unavailable – is driving increasing demand for an alternative positioning solution. Locata’s terrestrial technology can locally replicate GPS precise positioning - on the ground. The ability to provide a backup to GPS is therefore now recognized as an essential national requirement for future applications, as clearly laid out in the 2010 Federal Radionavigation Plan and the U.S. President’s National Space Policy of the USA.

On Sep. 7, the USAF granted Locata a multi-year contract to install a LocataNet over a 2,500 square mile area of the famed White Sands Missile Range. Locata has been proven by independent USAF testing to be fully autonomous from GPS, delivering the same or better positioning, navigation and time (PNT) as the GPS satellite constellation. Locata currently has 94 granted patents and over 100 more in process to protect their innovations.

“It’s an honor to have Mr. Benshoof join our team,” said Nunzio Gambale, CEO and co-founder of Locata. “Paul’s caliber of GPS expertise and firsthand experience with military and government positioning requirements will be instrumental in helping grow our business in this sector. He will help military and government organizations meet next-generation positioning needs using Locata’s world-first backup to GPS.”

Benshoof began his 22 years in GPS as the project manager responsible for the development and procurement of the PLGR – the DoD’s handheld GPS receiver, manufactured by Rockwell Collins. He then devoted his energy to developing navigation warfare (NAVWAR) test assets to support advanced technology demonstrations in GPS-denied environments, as well as supervising international test programs for NATO and allied forces. As GPS testing became increasingly important, he formed and directed the GPS Test Center of Expertise, a consortium of U.S. test agencies dedicated to GPS test and evaluation, while also chairing an international working group that helped standardize GPS test practices among 11 participating countries.

“While other companies have attempted to replicate GPS without satellites, Locata is the first to succeed,” said Benshoof. “Just as the early days of GPS were sparked by groundbreaking military applications, Locata has followed this same evolutionary path, yet much more rapidly. I’m honored to be a part of the team bringing essential GPS backup to the countless nations, organizations and partners that need it.”