GPS World

Tag: F-35 fighter

  • Space Force awards Lockheed Martin new GPS IIIF contract

    Space Force awards Lockheed Martin new GPS IIIF contract

    Total GPS IIIF commitment now at 14 satellites

    The U.S. Space Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $514 million contract to build GPS IIIF Space Vehicles 23 and 24, bringing its total GPS IIIF commitment to 14 spacecraft.

    With legacy spacecraft past their intended design life, the award marks a vital step in continued modernization of the constellation. The 14 upcoming GPS IIIF satellites will deliver advanced, reliable positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities for both military and civilian users.

    IIIF capabilities include: 

    • The Regional Military Protection capability that provides a 63-fold increase in anti-jam capabilities, allowing warfighters to access strong GPS signals in contested environments
    • Additional M-code-enabled satellites, allowing for secure GPS connection for warfighters
    • A digital navigation payload, increasing accuracy and reliability of IIIF spacecraft.

    “Modernizing the constellation with highly resilient, next-generation space vehicles ensures warfighters have access to the GPS capabilities they require for their missions,” said Christina Mancinelli, vice president of global communications and navigation at Lockheed Martin. “We continue to invest in advanced technology, facilities and the people who are the driving force in the production of this spacecraft that help our military secure peace.”

    Earlier this year, all Lockheed Martin-made GPS III satellites reached orbit. GPS III SV09 and SV10 each launched on accelerated timelines, bringing unprecedented levels of resiliency to the constellation.

    The GPS constellation provides critical positioning, navigation and timing capabilities to key warfighter platforms made by Lockheed Martin. For example, the F‑35 uses GPS to determine its exact location, keep its systems perfectly synchronized, and share real‑time position data with other assets, enabling autonomous navigation and pinpoint strike capabilities.

    Similarly, the UH-60 Black Hawk employs GPS to navigate accurately, deconflict with ground and air forces, and deliver cargo or weapons with high precision, enhancing mission safety and effectiveness.

    For civilians, the GPS constellation underpins banking transactions, telecommunications networks, emergency‑response services, and everyday navigation. The new GPS IIIF satellites broadcast all civil signals — including the interoperable L1C and L5 — at greater accuracy and reliability.

    Advanced design features speed and resiliency

    GPS IIIF satellites are engineered for resiliency. Starting with SV13, these spacecraft are built on the evolved LM2100 Combat Bus, providing increased cyber-hardening, improved spacecraft power, propulsion and electronics. The LM2100 Combat Bus is also outfitted with additional size, weight and power to accommodate future capability insertions.

    The company has already completed the core mate milestone — marking the official “birth” of a satellite — for three GPS IIIF satellites, with all other IIIF satellites in different phases of production. The company was also recently awarded a $105 million contract to continue modernization of the GPS ground segment. With these contracts, Lockheed Martin reaffirms its long-term commitment to a resilient, high-performance GPS constellation that supports billions of users worldwide.

    Lockheed Martin continues to advance GPS IIIF production at its Denver area facilities, employing emerging technologies such as augmented reality and digital twins to accelerate build rates and ensure capabilities are delivered to the warfighter quickly.

  • Breaking down the F-35 jet “mishap”

    Breaking down the F-35 jet “mishap”

    Image: Lance Cpl. Kayla Rainbolt, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort
    Image: Lance Cpl. Kayla Rainbolt, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort

    On Sept. 18, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Cpl. Christian Cortez, a pilot, set out on a training mission from the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, South Carolina, only to eject from his Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightening II fighter jet over North Carolina. The U.S. military then lost the expensive, highly automated, lethal jet that was still in flight, as it was set on autopilot when the pilot ejected.

    During the mishap, the U.S. Air Force Joint Base Charleston made a highly usual plea to the public to call with information regarding the lost plane. It is also still unclear why the pilot had to bail out of the jet and those details are actively under investigation.

    The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed on Sept. 19, that debris had been found in South Carolina in Williamsburg County, north of Charleston, reported The New York Times. Joint Base Charleston stated the jet debris is located about two hours north of the base and it is urging residents to avoid the area as the recovery team secures the scene.

    The jet search team consisted of the Second Marine Aircraft Wing, Navy regional authorities in the southeast, the Civil Air Patrol, the Federal Aviation Administration, and local law enforcement teams.

    The Marine Corp released a statement on Sept. 18, stating that its acting commander, Gen. Eric M. Smith, had directed all Marine Corps aviation units to conduct a two-day pause in operations to discuss aviation safety matters and best practices. The statement said that the directive came after three Class-A aviation mishaps occurred during the last six weeks.

    During the pause of operations, aviation commanders plan to review the service’s flight practices, procedures, and policies.

    The jet

    Lockheed Martin’s website states, “with stealth technology, advanced sensors, supersonic speed, weapons capacity and superior range, the F-35 is the most lethal, survivable and connected aircraft in the world. More than a fighter jet, the F-35’s ability to collect, analyze and share data, is a powerful force multiplier that enhances all airborne, surface and ground-based assets in the battlespace enabling men and women in uniform to execute their mission and return home safely.”

    The F-35 program is the most expensive U.S. weapons program of all time and is expected to cost more than $400 billion in development and acquisition and $1.2 trillion to operate and maintain the fleet over 60 years. Each jet costs more than $160 million, depending on the variant.

    Notable program advancements

    Lockheed Martin reached a $4 billion deal with the Pentagon in 2014 to bring in the new fleet of F-35 jets.

    In late 2019, Lockheed Martin received a $25 million initial contract for engineering and manufacturing development for the GPS Spatial Temporal Anti-Jam Receiver (GSTAR) system that was integrated into the F-35 as part of its modernization phase, also known as Block 4. The GSTAR provides protection against enemy jamming and spoofing by utilizing critical GPS capabilities that can quickly adapt to meet specific platform requirements.

    Several unanswered questions

    Several details of this story have left many wondering exactly how this U.S. fighter jet just went missing in U.S. airspace without anyone being able to locate it or know its heading. It is an expensive, highly automated, weaponized aircraft that can create catastrophic damage to its surroundings. 

    As this investigation is ongoing, further details about this incident have not been reported.   

  • Raytheon claims Navy contract to provide JPALS to Japan

    Raytheon claims Navy contract to provide JPALS to Japan

     

    Image: Raytheon Technologies video screenshot
    Image: Raytheon Technologies video screenshot

    Raytheon Intelligence and Space has been awarded a contract from the United States Navy’s Naval Air Traffic Management Systems Program Office to deliver the Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS) to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The GPS navigation and precision landing system will be deployed on the JMSDF JS Izumo carrier.  

    The JPALS system guides aircraft onto carriers and assault ships in all weather and surface conditions and is integrated on all F-35 aircraft. JPALS is also being deployed on all U.S. Navy aircraft and assault ships. 

    In addition, JPALS will be deployed on two international platforms, including the United Kingdom Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabeth, and an Italian aircraft carrier, the ITS Cavour, to support its F-35 squadron. 

    The primary work locations for JPALS are in Largo, Florida and Fullerton, California.   

  • Seen & Heard: Greenhouse pest drone, COVID-19 vaccination drop

    Seen & Heard: Greenhouse pest drone, COVID-19 vaccination drop

    “Seen & Heard” is a monthly feature of GPS World magazine, traveling the world to capture interesting and unusual news stories involving the GNSS/PNT industry.

    Screenshot: PATS Indoor Drone Solutions video
    Screenshot: PATS Indoor Drone Solutions video

    Seeking out (tiny) aerial threats

    Palm-sized drones are eliminating greenhouse pests in the Netherlands, reports the Associated Press. The drones seek out and destroy moths that produce crop-eating caterpillars. Tech startup PATS Indoor Drone Solutions uses drones as greenhouse sentinels. Cameras scan the airspace, and then steer the drones to fly into moths, destroying them in midair. The drone control system can distinguish between good and bad insects. The system is the brainchild of former students from the Delft University of Technology.

    Photo: Skydio
    Photo: Skydio

    Coming soon to a police department near you

    Drone-maker Skydio claims to be shipping the most advanced artificial intelligence-powered drone ever built, reports Forbes. The Skydio X2 is scheduled to launch later this year. The quadcopter reportedly can latch onto targets and follow them, dodging all sorts of obstacles and capturing everything on high-quality video. It can fly in tight, tactical situations, such as inside buildings or through a forest. Skydio claims its software can even predict a target’s next move, whether pedestrian or vehicle. American-made, the Skydio is popular with police departments and is often used for defense.

    The Loyal Wingman in its first test flight. (Photo: U.S. Air Force 88th Air Wing Public Affairs)
    The Loyal Wingman in its first test flight. (Photo: U.S. Air Force 88th Air Wing Public Affairs)

    Fighter jets to get a sidekick

    A military drone that will accompany fighter jets into combat flew its maiden voyage at the end of February. The Loyal Wingman, designed by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), uses artificial intelligence to target enemies. The Loyal Wingman is about the same size as the F-35 jet it will fly alongside. It has a range of 3,700 kilometers. The plane was flown from the ground control station at the Woomera Range Complex in the outback. The RAAF plans to buy three of the drones.

    Photo: Zipline
    Photo: Zipline

    COVID-19 vaccinations air-dropped in Ghana

    Ghana has launched a nationwide program that uses Zipline drones to deliver coronavirus vaccines to rural communities. Deliveries began March 2 under the COVAX program of the World Health Organization (WHO), which aims to provide poorer countries with enough doses to cover 20% of their populations. Zipline has been delivering medical supplies (blood, personal protective equipment, vaccines) since 2016 using its patented, autonomous drones.

  • F-35 fighter gets Raytheon missile with GPS-inertial positioning

    Screenshot from U.S. Navy video of a March 2016 test of an F-35 releasing the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW).

    Raytheon Company and the U.S. Navy completed the final developmental test to integrate the Joint Standoff Weapon C onto the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s C variant, keeping the low-cost, air-to-ground missile on track for full deployment in 2019.

    The JSOW glide weapon uses a GPS-inertial navigation system with an imaging infrared seeker that can identify and track targets autonomously. JSOW C weighs 1,000 pounds and is effective against high-value land targets at ranges greater than 70 nautical miles, day or night, and in adverse weather conditions.

    “With JSOW C in its internal weapons bay, the Navy’s F-35C can now eliminate the toughest ground targets from significant standoff ranges,” said Mike Jarrett, vice president of Raytheon Air Warfare Systems. “JSOW’s advanced warhead and smart fuse provide fighter pilots with plenty of flexibility against hard and soft targets — plus, it has many programmable effects.”

    Lockheed Martin, manufacturer of the F-35, and the F-35 Joint Program Office participated in the latest test, which took place on the Navy’s China Lake ranges in California.

    https://youtu.be/IAzWKu_4njI