GLONASS global navigation satellite system, developed for the Ministry of Defence. The system will be 24 satellites, moving above the Earth in three orbital planes with inclination of the orbital planes of 64.8 degrees and a height of 19 100 km. The measuring principle is similar to the U.S. navigation system NAVSTAR GPS, is often referred to as GPS. Using GPS allows in any location (including the polar region), almost any weather, as well as in outer space near the object to determine the location and speed of objects. The system is designed, implemented and operated by the Department of Defense USA. Russian advocates of GPS claim that the American system allows for better monitoring. Supporters of the GLONASS not without reason, indicate that at present domestic system is growing rapidly with the strong support State (since the total dependence on the American GPS jeopardizing the safety of Russia), while the GPS functionality in the near future may be in question.

This is acknowledged and American counterparts. So in 2009 by the General Accounting Administration, USA (GAO) released a report on the future of GPS, which expressed concern that the orbital may be unable to provide proper maintenance quality in the period from 2010 to 2018. Brad Parkinson, the first director of the program of GPS, the chief architect and defender of GPS, said that there is a possibility that the group is less than 24 satellites, which negatively affect the quality of monitoring. In addition, American experts stress that the development of the replacement generation of satellites, called IIF, unduly delayed (the contract was signed in 1996, but conditioned the satellite to So far there) and went far over budget.