United States Lockheed Tender

The next step in modernizing the Global Positioning System GPS satellite constellation with new technology and capabilities is happening from the ground up On May 22 Lockheed Martin NYSE LMT delivered the GPS III Contingency Operations COps software upgrade to the U.S. Air Forces current GPS ground control system. The upgrade will enable the Air Force to start commanding the new next-generation GPS III satellites now coming off the production line and beginning to launch.And the new GPS III satellites are coming. The first GPS III satellite launched in December 2018 the second GPS III shipped to Cape Canaveral in March for a July launch and the Air Force on May 17 declared the third new GPS III Available for Launch next. The challenge was modernizing the current ground system formally known as the GPS Architecture Evolution Plan Operational Control System AEP OCS - to fly the legacy constellation as well as the new modern GPS III satellites until the next generation Operational Control System OCX Block 1 still in development is delivered.To address this in 2016 the Air Force contracted Lockheed Martin to develop the GPS III COps program. Currently the AEP OCS controls 31 GPS IIA IIR IIR-M and IIF satellites launched between 1993-2016. With the AEP OCS new GPS III COps upgrade the Air Force will be able to command and control both the legacy satellites as well the more powerful GPS III satellites.Positioning Navigation and Timing is a critical mission for our nation and COps will allow the Air Force to gain early access to its new GPS III satellites said Johnathon Caldwell Lockheed Martins vice president for Navigation Systems. We just finished Final Qualification Testing and delivery on COps and it will be integrated and installed on the AEP OCS over the summer. We look forward to the Air Force flying a GPS constellation on the COps OCS which includes the new GPS III satellites later this year.Meanwhile the first GPS III space vehicle GPS III SV01 launched in December 2018 is finishing up pre-operational on-orbit check-out. It continues to be controlled by OCX Block 0 software installed at Lockheed Martins GPS III Launch and Checkout Center at the companys Denver facility. GPS III SV01 is expected to be handed over to the COps OCS later this year after the legacy constellation is moved over to the updated AEP OCS.Lockheed Martin has sustained the AEP OCS since 2013. In November 2018 the company completed the AEP 7.5 upgrade - the largest architectural change in the systems history - replacing significant code hardware and software to improve the systems cybersecurity capabilities and positioning the Air Force to better operate in contested degraded and operationally limited environments.In December 2018 the Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin the GPS Control Segment Sustainment II GCS II contract to continue to further modernize and sustain the AEP OCS through 2025. In 2020 the AEP OCS is expected to receive the M-Code Early Use MCEU upgrade which will allow control of M-Code an advanced new signal designed to improve anti-jamming and anti-spoofing as well as to increase secure access to military GPS signals for U.S. and allied armed forces.Lockheed Martin is under contract to develop and build up to 32 GPS IIIIIIF satellites. GPS III will deliver three times better accuracy and provide up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities. GPS IIIs new L1C civil signal will make it the first GPS satellite to be interoperable with other international global navigation satellite systems. Additional IIIF capabilities beginning at the 11th satellite will include a fully digital navigation payload Regional Military Protection an accuracy-enhancing laser retroreflector array and a Search Rescue payload.