GPS tech is definitely decades old, I could dig out a couple of handheld units I have in a box that would qualify for that distinction (circa 2000) and those were a few models into what was available to consumers let alone unis and governments.
Using that specific application for decades is more of a stretch, but technically possible if you count all Mapfactor navigation and they first used it on a PC (released 2002 apparently). Even on mobile devices it's not that far off qualifying as possible though (released 2007 on Windows CE so 16 years).
Sounds like the sort of thing that is liable to turn into a modern retelling of The Loaded Dog.