Which one of the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS) is not correct?

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system consisting of a constellation of satellites orbiting the Earth [5]. GPS receivers calculate a user's precise location, providing data in terms of latitude, longitude, and altitude (or height) [2]. While the system was originally developed by the U.S. Department of Defense for strategic military purposes, it is no longer used exclusively for military operations; today, it is widely available for civilian use in cars, smartphones, and disaster management [4]. Technically, GPS operates on the principle of trilateration, which uses the time delay of signals to determine distances from multiple satellites. However, in general educational contexts, the term 'triangulation' is frequently used interchangeably to describe this positioning process. Therefore, the statement that GPS provides information exclusively for military operations is incorrect.

Sources

1. [2] https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_geodesy/geo09_gps.html
2. [4] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Natural Hazards and Disasters > Earthquake Hazard Mitigation > p. 57
3. [5] https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/gps/
4. [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/global-positioning-system
5. [3] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 11: Keeping Time with the Skies > 11.4 Why Do We Launch Artificial Satellites in Space? > p. 185