MOSCOW: It has been the source of frustration, enlightenment and missed turnings for millions of drivers across the world. But the United States’ long monopoly on satellite navigation — used by generals to guide nuclear missiles and by motorists everywhere to get around — is about to come to an end. Russia has announced that it is now close to completing Glonass, its own rival global navigation satellite system.

Russia’s space agency says it intends to launch eight satellites by the end of the year, bringing the number of its satellites orbiting the earth to 18.

By the end of 2009 it says it will have 24 satellites in space — the number needed for a satellite network. “Everything is going according to plan.

We hope that by the end of this year our system will be available for civilian use,” Igor Panarin said on Wednesday, adding that Russian scientists would meet in Moscow next week to overcome the final technical hurdles.

Once complete, Russia will be able to compete with the Global Positioning System run by the US. The European Union and China are also developing navigation systems.

Although there are many civil uses for navigation technology, it is the military uses that appear to be behind Moscow’s haste to complete Glonass, experts say.

With its own satellite navigation system Russia will be able to deploy its cruise and ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines and tanks without US satellite assistance.

President Vladimir Putin has taken a keen personal interest in Glonass, ordering that work on it be completed by 2008. —Dawn/The Guardian News Service