Lockheed Martin has received a follow-on contract to continue to sustain and upgrade the US Air Force’s (USAF) Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite constellation’s ground control system.
The performance period of the USAF GPS control segment sustainment II (GCS II) contract runs through 2025 and follows the GCS contract awarded to the company in 2013.
As per terms of the GCS II contract, Lockheed Martin will continue modernisation of the GPS architecture evolution plan operational control segment (AEP OCS).
This sustainment and upgrade will support GPS III satellite on-orbit operations such as positioning, navigation and timing missions, developed under the GPS III Contingency Operations (COps) programme.
Furthermore, the latest contract will support critical troop capability, operational M-code. It is currently being developed under the M-code Early Use (MCEU) contract and will be deployed next year.
Lockheed Martin Space Mission Solutions VP/GM Maria Demaree said: “Lockheed Martin’s experience integrating GCS projects, as well as the system engineering and software integration performed on GPS III Contingency Operations (COps) and M-Code Early Use (MCEU), position us well to deliver GCS II.
“We look forward to supporting the airforce as it deploys the next generation GPS III satellites and their new capabilities for our warfighters.”
In addition, the company will focus on growing the OCS’s resiliency and carry out the GPS Information Network’s (GIN) technical refresh.
Lockheed Martin will also acquire, develop, fabricate, integrate, test, and install software and hardware modifications into the USAF GPS operational baseline on a regular basis.
The original GCS contract saw the company implement several engineering modifications such as the COTS Upgrade 3 (CUP3) / Ground Antenna Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN) Interface Technology Refresh (GAITR) upgrade, the Remote Site COTS Network (RSCN) project, and Red Dragon Cybersecurity Suite (RDCSS) to the OCS.
