Raytheon [RTN] successfully completed both a qualification and critical design review milestones as it develops the U.S. Air Force’s Global Positioning System Next Generation Operational Control System (GPS OCX), the company said Thursday.
The new GPS OCX is meant to offer significant improvements to the GPS system including enhanced availability, accuracy, and security, Raytheon said.
The OCX is being delivered in blocks: Block 0 comprises the Launch and Checkout Systems for the launch and early orbit of GPS III satellites, Block 1 delivers full OCX capabilities allowing the Air Force to transition from current GPS ground controls to OCX, and Block 2 delivers Block 1 capability along with GPS Navigation Warfare enhaancements.
The first completed milestone was the Block 1 Electromagnetic Interference Test of the OCX Monitor Station Receiver Element (OSMRE). The test was completed with a 100 percent requirements pass rate and demonstrated the unit meets susceptibility and emissions electromagnetic interference requirements necessary in deployment as part of 17 worldwide monitoring stations.
The second milestone was the Block 2 hardware Critical Design Review for the OSMRE, which allows for hardware development, Raytheon said.
“The completion of these test and design milestones demonstrates our progress on OCX execution with our Air Force customer. As the program execution has stabilized, we are showing consistent progress on downstream deliveries for the GPS OCX program,” Bill Sullivan, GPS OCX vice president and program manager at Raytheon, said in a statement.
GPS OCX is part of the U.S. Air Force-led GPS Modernization Program, providing new positioning, navigation, and timing capabilities for U.S. military and international civilian users. The U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center awarded a contract to Raytheon for the GPS PCX element to replace the current operational control system.
The company highlighted that currently the OCX Launch and Checkout System provides an early delivery of most of the general OCX capability and is set to support GPS III satellite launches.