Lockheed Martin [LMT] said recently that it successfully completed a key requirements review for the Global Positioning System (GPS) IIIB satellite series under the Air Force’s next generation GPS III Space Segment program.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Newtown, Pa., is working under a $3 billion development and production contract to produce up to 12 GPS IIIA satellites, with first launch projected for 2014. The contract, which features a “back to basics” acquisition approach to low-risk constellation sustainment and technology insertion, includes a Capability Insertion Program (CIP) designed to mature technologies and perform rigorous systems engineering for the future IIIB and IIIC increments planned for follow-on procurements.
GPS III is expected to improve position, navigation and timing services and provide advanced anti-jam capabilities yielding superior system security, accuracy and reliability for users world-wide, according to a statement released by Lockheed Martin.
The industry team, which includes ITT [ITT], Clifton, N.J., and General Dynamics [GD] of Gilbert, Ariz., recently completed a two-day GPS IIIB System Requirements Review (SRR) with the U.S. Air Force at Lockheed Martin’s facilities in Valley Forge, Pa. Over 170 attendees participated in the SRR, including representatives from the Air Force’s GPS Wing, Air Force Space Command, the Defense Contract Management Agency, the OCX Ground Segment team, the Federal Aviation Administration and user communities.
The successful review demonstrated to the industry team’s understanding of the inherent product development and technology maturity risks, how they will be met, and the program’s readiness to continue to the GPS IIIB System Design Review.
The GPS IIIA satellites will deliver significant improvements over current GPS space vehicles, according to Lockheed Martin, including a new international civil signal (L1C) and increased M-Code anti-jam power with full earth coverage for military users.
GPS IIIB will enable a cross-linked command and control architecture, allowing these GPS III vehicles to be updated from a single ground station instead of waiting for each satellite to orbit in view of a ground antenna. GPS IIIC will include a high-powered spot beam to deliver greater M-Code power for increased resistance to hostile jamming.
The team, which is progressing in the GPS IIIA Critical Design Review (CDR) phase of the program, has completed more than 80 percent of the planned CDRs and is well on its path to the overall space vehicle CDR in August, two months ahead of the planned schedule. Successful completion of the space vehicle CDR will allow the team to enter the production phase of the program.
SAIC, ThalesRaytheonSystems Sign NATO BMD Contracts
This year, NATO commanders will have real-time missile defense situational awareness under contracts with Team SAIC and ThalesRaytheonSystems, the NATO C3 Agency said.
The NATO Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) program has taken this step by the June 18 signing of two contacts that will provide NATO Commanders with an enhanced capability to plan and direct tactical ballistic missile defense operations to protect deployed forces.
ALTBMD Program Manager Alessandro Pera signed separate contracts with Team SAIC and Thales Raytheon Systems, and initiated work within the NATO C3 Agency to field by the end of the year a capability to provide real time missile defense situational awareness to a NATO air defense commander.
“With the active support of [Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe] SHAPE, the contract effort was put in place in a very short time, which shows the commitment and efficiency of the entire team to expeditiously increase the command & control capability of the NATO military organization,” Pera said.
In addition to providing, for the first time, a real time picture of missile defense operations, the Interim Capability (InCa) Step 2 will enhance the current InCa Step 1 by providing NATO commanders with the ability to rapidly coordinate defenses and enhance their planning capability.
The capability will be available to NATO Commanders by the end of 2010, and the design will be tested for the first time in July in the Joint Project Optic Windmill exercise to be held at the Royal Netherlands Air Force Base De Peel.
“It is a good example of cooperation and synergy between NATO bodies in charge of operations and Command, Control Communication and Information systems, namely SHAPE, NC3A, [NATO Air Command and Control Systems Agency] NACMA and ALTBMD Program Office, with industrial teams to equip NATO forces with state of the art systems,” Pera said.
InCa is an integrated deployable asset that makes use of elements of the (NACMA) (ACCS) Software developed by NACMA and marks its first operational use. It will be available for use where and when necessary to support NATO operations.