Russian Defense Ministry to use updated GLONASS GPS by 2016

The developer's CEO said that the renewed GLONASS version will have significant changes.

Russia's GLONASS satellite navigation network, updated in compliance with the Russian Defense Ministry requirements, will be made available for use by the ministry by the end of 2015, the CEO of the developing company Russian Space Systems said Tuesday.

"Just the other day the [Russian] Aerospace Forces held a meeting on the issue and came to an opinion that the tests [of GLONASS] should be completed this year. We will make every effort to put the system into operation to the customer within these terms," Andrei Tyulin said.

This updated system was planned to be put into operation several years ago, Tyulin added, but the Defense Ministry had a number of issues requiring resolution. The updated version of GLONASS will show significant changes in the system, the CEO said.

GLONASS is a satellite navigation system operated by the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces. The GLONASS project, launched in 1993, is considered to be Russia's equivalent of GPS (Global Positioning System).

Source: Sputnik News