Satellite Navigation: Russia vs. U.S.

MOSCOW, April 3rd - a technological fight over the United States monopoly on satellite navigation begins.

The Russian Institute of Radionavigation and Time develops devices such as chips and receivers. By the end of 2007 the Russian space agency plans to launch 8 navigation satellites that would nearly complete the country’s own system, called Glonass.

The system is expected to begin operating over Russian territory and parts of adjacent Europe and Asia, and then go global in 2009 to compete with the Global Positioning System of the United States.