Lockheed Martin [LMT] has joined a team lead by Northrop Grumman [NOC] to compete for a follow-on Air Force contract for mission enterprise control support for Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, Northrop Grumman announced yesterday.
They plan to vie for the Air Force’s GPS Next Generation Control Segment (OCX) Phase B effort, which will support existing GPS Block II satellites and the forthcoming Block III satellites starting next decade.
The Phase B effort follows a current Phase A program under contract with Northrop Grumman and Raytheon [RTN]. The Air Force tapped the two companies late last year to conduct concurrent developmental work, in to reduce the risk in the design of the GPS OCX over the next 18 months. Lockheed Martin bid in that competition was unsuccessful (Defense Daily, Nov. 29, 2007).
Phase A activities include trade studies, requirements definition and engineering model development.
The Phase A contract “will provide the Air Force a flexible, scaleable, extensible and service-oriented re-architecture of the current GPS ground system,” Northrop Grumman said. “If selected for Phase B, Northrop Grumman’s Team OCX will deliver and sustain OCX via a block development approach.”
“Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Services is a tremendous addition to Northrop Grumman’s experienced and proven team and will greatly enhance our ability to offer the customer an innovative and low-risk OCX solution that modernizes GPS command and control for effects-based operations,” said Steve Bergjans, GPS OCX vice president and program manager for Northrop Grumman.
Lockheed Martin has a 30-year GPS service history, including integrating and operating all versions of GPS space vehicles and ground system architectures.
“We look forward to working side-by-side with Northrop Grumman to provide the Air Force and global users new capabilities via an outstanding combination of innovation, navigation, and timing know-how,” said Vicki Schmanske, vice president of Space Command and Control Systems for Lockheed Martin.
Northrop Grumman said it has an “innovative approach for an enduring next generation control segment that will optimize operational effects via net-enabled, shared situational awareness and assured services.”
Northrop Grumman’s team also includes Harris [HRS], Integral Systems, Inc., and General Dynamics [GD] Advanced Information Systems.