The GPS Next Generation Operational Control System program of the U.S. Space Force has been cancelled by the Defense Acquisition Executive, based upon the recommendation of the acting service acquisition executive.
OCX was intended to update command and control of the GPS satellite constellation, replacing the current system, known as the Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP), as well as replacing the Launch, Anomaly and Disposal Operations system. However, the program was unable to deliver needed capabilities on an operationally relevant timeline at an acceptable level of risk to meet the GPS constellation modernization needs.
“It’s important we refine and update acquisition processes to prioritize rapid, incremental capability delivery versus complex ‘all or nothing’ system deliveries,” said Acting Service Acquisition Executive Tom Ainsworth. “The Department of War [Defense] has made clear that we need to deliver warfighting capability at a faster rate. We must continue to work with industry to meet the needs of our warfighters as we focus on delivering the right technology on the right timeline to enhance our capabilities and maintain space superiority.”
In July 2025, following a multi-year regimen of factory testing, the Space Force contractually accepted OCX from RTX (Raytheon) and began extensive integrated systems testing to resolve liens carried over from factory testing, as well as to ensure the system could operate within the broader GPS enterprise of ground systems, satellites, and user equipment.
As of January 2026, the program cost was approximately $6.27 billion which included complete Raytheon funding to date and other government costs, such as the cost of government testing and support costs to the OCX acquisition program office.
“Regrettably, extensive system issues arose during the integrated testing of OCX with the broader GPS enterprise,” said Mission Delta 31 Commander Col. Stephen Hobbs. “Despite repeated collaborative approaches by the entire government and contractor team, the challenges of onboarding the system in an operationally relevant timeline proved insurmountable. We discovered problems across a broad range of capability areas that would put current GPS military and civilian capabilities at risk.”
Because of past delays on the OCX program, the Space Force has made incremental improvements over the last 10 years to AEP. These successful upgrades provide confidence that further upgrades to GPS ground systems will continue to support the enterprise and deliver new capabilities.
“Ultimately, we analyzed the work remaining on OCX and compared this with the current GPS control system capability,” Hobbs said. “The analysis revealed additional investment in OCX was no longer the best solution for protecting and advancing GPS capabilities. Instead, we will continue enhancing the current control system to operate the GPS satellite constellation.”
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Operations Command has accepted a modernized operating system for GPS, designed to maintain the resiliency of the constellation and enhance positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services to meet evolving user demands.
The GPS Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) upgrade is part of a broader set of Space Systems Command acquisition programs designed to deliver a range of modernized capabilities across the GPS III enterprise. In addition to OCX, these programs include the GPS III/IIIF satellite vehicles and Military GPS User Equipment.
The modernization effort is expected to improve signal access in electronically contested environments, increase the system’s ability to detect failures, enhance position and time transfer accuracy, and strengthen the integrity and uninterrupted availability of the Military Code.
“One of our missions is to deliver sustained, reliable GPS capabilities to America’s warfighters, our allies, and civilian users,” said Cordell DeLaPena, program executive officer for military communications and PNT at Space Systems Command. “The current enterprise modernization efforts underway give users confidence that GPS will continue to provide worldwide premier PNT service.”
Mission Delta 31, in partnership with Space Systems Command, developed a systematic process involving transition exercises, rehearsals and constellation transfer trials to verify the system’s integrity and capability prior to full transfer, according to Col. Stephen Hobbs, commander of Mission Delta 31. Hobbs added that risk reduction activities are underway to demonstrate OCX’s ability to integrate with existing, on-orbit GPS satellites.
Raytheon initiated the delivery of OCX to the U.S. government with the submission of the Department of Defense Form 250 on July 1, 2025. Following acceptance, Mission Delta 31 will continue integrated systems testing, operational readiness exercises and preparations for the eventual transfer of the GPS constellation to the new system.
“Testing and transition events will continue until the system is ready to transfer to operations, which is expected in late 2025,” said Hobbs. “Technology in space is advancing at lightning speed, with many new players from around the world. To continue providing reliable GPS for everyone, from your smartphone map to critical military operations, innovation is vital. Modernizing GPS is key in maintaining this essential service and remaining a leader in Space.”
OCX is more than seven years behind schedule. What are the consequences?
Greg Turetzky
“It’s more consequential than most people realize. The first and most impactful consequence is the limitation of the GPS constellation to
32 satellites. There are more healthy satellites in the sky and, more importantly, Block III satellites sitting in the barn. These additional satellites and their modernized signals would improve navigation globally with improved accuracy and resilience. Additionally, without OCX the L5 signals are labeled ‘unhealthy’ and therefore the constellation is labeled ‘pre-operational.’ Without OCX, L5 cannot reach initial operational capability (IOC), which prevents certain market segments from being able to officially use them. GPS will remain in third place if the delay continues.”
— Greg Turetzky Consultant
Michael Swiek
“OCX seems more than seven years behind when you consider that we have been hearing about it as a concept and then a proposal for years before it became an actual program. In the Hope and Crosby movie, “The Road to Rio,” Jerry Colonna leads a cavalry charge to rescue the heroine across several brief scenes. He never arrives, and the heroine is saved by other means. Colonna then proclaims, ‘Well, we didn’t make it, but we sure added some excitement!’ While waiting for the heroic arrival of OCX, might the evolution of technology, and regular updates to the current system, already provide some of the improvements promised by OCX? The OCS is already upgraded to accommodate Contingency Operations for GPS III satellites, M-Code early use and incorporated cyber security protections. Is it, maybe, time to just move beyond OCX and start anew with today’s context and assessment of future needs?”
Ground antenna at Schriever Air Force Base, home of the 50th Space Wing. (Photo: Raytheon)
GPS ground stations that are contracted by Raytheon Technologies to replace the current ground stations are more than seven years behind schedule and lawmakers are not happy, reported Defense One. This delay has caused the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to go over its yearly budget and has sparked discussions as to future budget allocations for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) to continue to control and enhance the GPS constellation.
The USSF has been working to replace the current GPS ground stations with the GPS Next Generation Operational Control Segment (OCX) program since 2016. The operation was first delayed when the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world.
The additional delay was caused by efforts to replace IBM as the OCX hardware supplier after IBM sold its server product line to the Chinese company, Lenovo. The Pentagon believed the OCX program would be at a high risk for Chinese hacking after the sale to Lenovo, and in response, the contract with Raytheon was modified to replace the hardware with HP in 2020.
All of the delays have come at a cost, as the replacement of ground control stations has increased from $4 billion to $7 billion — a 73% increase over the original estimate — which was reported by a Government Accountability Office report in June.
Lawmakers wrote in the 2024 DOD appropriations bill, “[t]he fiscal year 2024 President’s budget request for the Space Force is $30,197,634,000, an increase of $3,907,806,000 or 15[%] over last year’s enacted level, continuing a trend of double digit growth over the past several years… [h]owever, despite these significant increases, the budget request continues to include serious shortfalls and disconnects.”
The USSF operates 32 GPS satellites, including six of the expected 10 next-generation GPS III satellites. However, some of the new satellites’ capabilities, including increased jamming resistance, can only be used once OCX comes online.
The lawmakers shared their displeasure with the OCX program delay, “[t]his is unacceptable and demands senior leader attention to ensure the program has the appropriate resources to complete OCX development and deliver the capability as soon as possible. The Committee remains concerned by other poor performing programs including Space Command and Control, Family of Advanced Beyond-line-of-site Terminals, Military GPS User Equipment Increment 1, and Enterprise Ground Services.”
What improvements will the Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) bring?
Ellen Hall
“The OCX system is a part of an enormous modernization effort to enhance the ground control segment of the current GPS. This enhancement alone increases accuracy, but coupled with modernized satellites, the next generation OCX will increase and improve coverage and security of GPS. In terms of coverage, the Next Generation OCX will be able to fly twice as many satellites, including both legacy equipment as well as GPS IIIF satellites. In terms of security, the modernized receivers host anti-jam capabilities and information assurance features.” — Ellen Hall
Spirent Federal Systems
Bernard Gruber
“The latest GPS modernization program was envisioned in the 1990s and started with the U.S. Air Force awarding the Lockheed Martin Team a $1.4 billion contract in 2008 to build the GPS III space system. As part of the modernization effort the initial OCX contract award was given to Raytheon two years later, in 2010, while a series of development contracts have been awarded, primarily Inc 1 and Inc 2, for the Modernized GPS User Equipment (MGUE) programs to L3Harris, Raytheon and then Rockwell Collins. The improvements of OCX aligned to the space and user efforts and substantially increased security protection of this world asset. Specifically, OCX controls all legacy satellites (GPS II) and civil signals (L1 C/A) and military signals (L1P(Y), L2P(Y)). It also controls the new modernized civil signal (L2C) and the aviation safety-of-flight signal (L5). Moreover, it also will have control functions for the MGUE signals (L1M and L2M (M-Code)), and the globally compatible signal (L1C). The next Block IIIF will finally upgrade capabilities to synchronize the entire system to include a worldwide network of dedicated monitoring stations, ground antennas and backup capabilities.” — Bernard Gruber
Northrop Grumman
By Michael J. Dunn, Space Systems Command, Capability Area Integrator for Positioning, Navigation and Timing
The Global Positioning System is the premier positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) source for more than six billion users worldwide. It is vital to the function of all 16 of the United States’ essential critical infrastructure components. Life as we know it relies on the essential services that GPS provides.
The United States Space Force (USSF) is committed to maintaining a healthy GPS constellation that continues to deliver the “gold standard” of PNT availability and reliability throughout the world. Continuous improvements in equipment and performance have been a hallmark of the enterprise since its inception. 2021 was no exception, with a continued record-setting delivery of new capabilities.
Space Systems Command (SSC) at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is laser-focused on delivering the most important modernization in GPS history. The government and industry team are committed to bringing major upgrades to the space, control and user-equipment segments. It is an exhilarating time for the GPS enterprise. The specific updates within each segment cement the continued evolution in GPS and the USSF commitment to delivering advanced capabilities to the nation and the world.
Space Segment
Currently, 37 GPS satellites are on orbit, with 29 satellites set healthy. The baseline constellation requirement is 24 satellites. The system continues to perform in stellar fashion, providing an average 48-centimeter position accuracy throughout 2021.
Orbital systems modernization is focused on the GPS III satellite fleet, and the program continues to deliver peerless capabilities. GPS III space vehicles (SV) 1–4 were all operationally accepted in 2020. In 2021, the most notable event was the launch of GPS III SV05 in June. The satellite successfully achieved operational acceptance and mission-capable status for USSF in just under two weeks: a new record. SVs 6–8 are available for launch and are awaiting their launch windows. SV09 system-level testing is in progress. SV10 component deliveries continue. GPS III provides up to eight times better anti-jam and a new L1C signal to improve user connectivity.
For the GPS IIIF program, the long-range picture remains bright as the contract for GPS IIIF SVs 15–17 was awarded in October 2021. The delivery of the first GPS IIIF is expected early in 2026. GPS IIIF will build upon the tremendous increase in capability provided by GPS III with the addition of a search-and-rescue payload, a laser retroreflector array for precise ranging, a fully digital navigation payload, and a Regional Military Protect capability that will provide 60 times greater anti-jam for operations in electromagnetically hostile environments.
GPS III space vehicle 05 (GPS III-SV05) launched in June 2021 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. (Photo: SpaceX)
Control Segment
The next-generation Operational Control System (OCX) continues to execute within its program baseline. OCX will provide enhanced command and control capabilities, modernized architecture, robust information assurance and cyber security.
OCX’s incremental development approach began with OCX Block 0, which is the launch and checkout system (LCS) for GPS III. The LCS successfully supported the launch and checkout of GPS III SV 01–05. OCX Blocks 1 and 2 will control all legacy GPS III satellites and both legacy and modernized signals.
Despite barriers presented by the global COVID-19 pandemic, all 17 global OCX monitoring station installations were completed in July 2021. Most of the remaining equipment was fielded throughout December 2021. System integration and verification continues with transition to operations scheduled for early 2023.
The Next Generation OCX 3F contract was awarded in April 2021. The program will modify OCX to launch and control GPS IIIF satellites with enhanced capabilities. Acquisition Milestone B is expected in 2022, and operational acceptance is planned for 2027.
MGUE: The future warfighter’s battlespace edge. (Image: Space Systems Command Production Corps)
User Equipment Segment
Millions of GPS receivers are fielded, but very few of them can use the military code (M-code) signal that is being broadcast by 24 GPS SVs. To keep our competitive advantage against the adversary, the GPS enterprise is focused on developing modernized GPS user equipment (MGUE) that takes advantage of these signals. The MGUE program is a joint service program developing modernized, M-code-capable military GPS receivers. The program is broken into two increments (Inc 1 and Inc 2). Both are designed to deliver secure PNT performance, allow navigation warfare operations, enhance anti-jam, anti-spoof and anti-tamper, and enable Blue Force Electronic Attack.
MGUE Inc 1 achieved a major milestone in September 2021 with successful testing on the Marine Corps Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). The event took place in an electromagnetically degraded GPS environment at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The JLTV is a pathfinder lead platform for the MGUE program. Lead platforms for the other services, the Army Stryker combat vehicle, Air Force B-2 bomber, and Navy Arleigh-Burke Class Guided Missile Destroyer, will commence integration testing in FY23 and FY24.
MGUE Inc 2 development continues to make progress in maturing the next generation ASIC technology required for all weapon-system platforms to provide functionality and backward compatibility. It will deliver a miniature serial interface card in CY26 to support handheld and ground applications. Eventually, MGUE receiver cards will be loaded onto hundreds of Department of Defense (DOD) weapon systems.
GPS III SV04 in Highbay (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
Partner Community
The GPS enterprise is committed to cooperation on a global basis. It works closely with the DOD, the armed services, the U.S. Coast Guard, other federal agencies, the International Civil Aviation Organization and all the other global and regional navigation satellite systems toward the development of PNT in the global commons.
A highlight of this cooperative work is GPS enterprise involvement in the National Executive Committee for Space-Based PNT (PNT EXCOM), which supports the interests of the various federal bodies, especially the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The PNT EXCOM is applying GPS technology to a broad variety of governmental activities, including the development of the Next Generation Air Transportation System and intelligent transportation systems.
The GPS enterprise commitment to international partners is unwavering. Our support to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is ongoing with support to the Capability Panel 2 for Navigation working toward the integration of MGUE and compatibility arrangements with Europe’s Galileo system. A highlight this year was the first delivery of MGUE loan equipment to the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and the Republic of Korea. Germany is the first country to purchase MGUE equipment.
Conclusion
GPS is the foundation of global PNT and a cornerstone of modern life. Improvements to the enterprise are continual. As the nation moves into the complex and dynamic world of the coming decades, the dedicated military, civilian and industry professionals that provide this world-changing capability will continue their challenging and rewarding work. Semper Supra!
The “encapsulation” of a GPS satellite. (Photo: U.S. Department of Defense)
By Col. Ryan Colburn Director, Spectrum Warfare Divisionand Portfolio Architect, Space and Missile Systems Center
The United States’ Global Positioning System is used now more than ever before. With an estimated four billion users worldwide, industries of all kinds continue to leverage the precise and consistent data streaming from the GPS satellites. The universal use of GPS signals permeates our lives and creates positive impacts around the globe.
We continue to deliver on our decades-long commitment to provide precise positioning and timing data to the civil, commercial and scientific communities. To support the evolving use of this global utility, the government and industry GPS Enterprise team has embarked on major investments to modernize GPS capabilities for our stakeholders. These efforts are occurring across all of our segments and combine to deliver incremental capabilities and improvements over time.
Colonel Ryan Colburn leads the team dedicated to modernizing the GPS constellation to meet tomorrow’s needs. (Photo: U.S. Space Force)
GPS ENTERPRISE ROADMAP
The GPS Enterprise Roadmap is an overview of the many programs we have in execution or planning stages. These efforts will enable us to deliver new and improved positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities across all segments. We are upgrading each of the three GPS segments (space, control, and user equipment) to deploy modernized capabilities while continually replenishing the GPS constellation; ensuring we have 24 or more operational satellites available at least 95% of the time.
Additionally, we are always working on what’s next. We are actively researching, prototyping and planning; looking at how we will continue to evolve this architecture into one that is more robust and resilient than it is today. Our team is working to define the next set of capabilities for not only the GPS, as the backbone of our architecture, but also for ways to build off of this system and expand our ability to deliver PNT capabilities in new and useful ways.
“We continue to deliver on our decades-long commitment to provide precise positioning and timing data to the civil, commercial and scientific communities.”
2021 UPCOMING MILESTONES
Space Segment
The GPS III program is off to a great start, further enhancing military readiness and bolstering the activities and assurance of all GPS users. The program continues to push space acquisition boundaries with the first reuse of a Falcon 9 rocket for a National Security Space mission.
Slated for launch in June, SV05 will launch on a flight-proven Falcon 9 booster that was recovered after successfully launching SV04 into orbit.
SV05 will continue the GPS constellation modernization effort and will deliver users a bump in performance and accuracy. The satellite features the interoperable L1C signal, the newest civilian L5 signal and anti-jamming improvements. For the military user, SV05 will become the 24th military-code (M-code) satellite, bringing M-code utility to its Initial Operating Capability.
The GPS III SV03 satellite is encapsulated in its protective launch fairings. (Photo: U.S. Space Force)
Ground Segment
2021 will be a big year for the Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX). OCX will soon complete the installation of an entirely modernized network of 17 global monitoring stations. These stations allow OCX to monitor the full suite of legacy as well as modernized military and civil navigation signals, including L2C and L5.
In the factory, OCX will continue to use a newly accredited GPS System Simulator (GSYS) in support of mission software testing. In parallel, OCX will continue to replace mission equipment with Hewlett-Packard Enterprise hardware prior to its deployment to operational sites. Once deployed, connections to the GPS command and control antennas will begin, and interconnections to other mission systems will be established.
This includes the GPS Global Information Grid Automated Information System (GGA) subsystem, which will ensure timely dissemination of important navigation data to the public. OCX’s Launch and Checkout System (LCS) will be used to launch and initialize GPS III SV05.
OCX 3F is a modification of the OCX baseline to support GPS IIIF-specific mission requirements. OCX 3F will maintain backward compatibility with the existing systems to support the legacy GPS constellation and will integrate future GPS IIIF capabilities. For example, it will implement command and control of the Regional Military Protection (RMP) and Rapid Warfighter Effects requirements. We are on track for an OCX 3F contract award later this year.
A GPS Antenna is installed at the Diego Garcia Tracking Station, part of the Satellite Control Network operated by the Space Force. (Photo: U.S. Space Force)
User Equipment Segment
In 2021, Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) Increment 1 will culminate its ground user form factor efforts by completing a Field User Evaluation (FUE) of M-Code GPS technology in two service-nominated lead platforms. The Army FUE will be conducted with multiple variants of Stryker vehicles.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Marine Corps will use the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) for their FUE. Both events will assess the performance of the enhanced GPS receivers in operationally relevant environments. Toward the end of 2021, MGUE Increment 1 will deliver the aviation/maritime form factor, which will enable Navy Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG) and USAF B-2 bomber lead platform integration in 2022.
GPS III SV03 is rolled out to the launchpad before its daytime launch on June 30, 2020.
Enterprise Integration
None of these systems are delivered in a vacuum, and we work hard to integrate them all. It is the only way we can continue to deliver on our promises outlined in our published standards. From test campaigns and requirements management, to model-based systems engineering and roadmaps; it takes a united team of government and industry partners to deliver truly integrated capabilities.
We have many exciting milestones this year and we have a world-class government and industry team working tirelessly to ensure continued delivery, maintenance, and operations of GPS Enterprise capabilities. Our motivation is simple — continuing to deliver and evolve the gold standard PNT capabilities we all rely on day in and day out.
The U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), located at the Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is the center of excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. The SMC’s portfolio includes space launch, global navigation satellite systems, military satellite communications, a meteorological satellite control network, range systems, space-based infrared systems, and space situational awareness capabilities.
The M-code-enabled SV03, shown launching in June 2020, was joined by SV04 in December. SV05, the 24th M-code-enabled satellite, is expected to launch by July 2021, completing the Initial Operating Capability of M-code. (Photo: U.S. Space Force)
As we embark on a new year, 2021 ushers in a new administration and the start of the 117th Congress. With these changes comes a litany of opportunities, as well as challenges, for the nearly four-decade-old GPS industry.
Next month, the GPS Innovation Alliance (GPSIA) will mark its eighth anniversary as the voice of the GPS industry, educating policymakers and regulators about the GPS success story of innovation, economic growth and job creation. It is a uniquely American story made possible because of bipartisan support for protecting the spectrum used by GPS and maintaining funding to enable the modernization of the GPS constellation, ground control and military ground user equipment.
Congressional Support. This commitment was evident in the last Congress through broad support from both parties for two Congressional resolutions, H.Res.219 and S.Res.216, that affirmed the importance of continuous availability, accuracy, efficiency, robustness, reliability and resiliency of the GPS constellation.
Innovation and modernization of the GPS constellation are well underway. Last year, under the emerging leadership of the U.S. Space Force, two new Lockheed Martin-built GPS III satellites were launched into space. This new generation of GPS satellites offers three times greater accuracy, up to eight times improved anti-jamming capability for military users, and the addition of the L1C signal to enable interoperability with other navigation systems, such as Europe’s Galileo.
GPS modernization also has led to the introduction of M-code, an advanced, new signal designed to improve anti-jamming and anti-spoofing, as well as to increase secure access to military GPS signals for U.S. and allied armed forces. In GPS-denied environments, M-code reduces the jamming radius, giving military planners and targeteers options to minimize or avoid collateral strike damage.
With at least two additional GPS III satellites set to launch this year and a new ground control segment known as the Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX), the continued success of the GPS program remains bright.
Ligado Still Looms
As GPSIA continues to urge Congress to allocate the funding needed to support the modernization of GPS, we also are fighting to ensure uninterrupted operation of the estimated 900 million GPS devices in the United States ranging from precision agriculture to consumer gadgets.
Last year, we were deeply disappointed by the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision approving the applications of Ligado Networks, despite the well-documented objections of the expert agencies charged with preserving the integrity of GPS, specifically, on the critical issue of what constitutes harmful interference to users of GNSS.
Regrettably, the FCC chose to ignore the established “1-dB Standard,” which has a long history of protecting GPS operations from harmful interference in both international and domestic regulatory proceedings.
“All Americans benefit from a competitive 5G landscape.”
At the same time, Ligado and its supporters continue to argue that their proposal is the fastest way to bring 5G to all Americans. In actuality, millions of Americans already have access to 5G services and, thanks to the efforts of the FCC, hundreds of megahertz of 5G spectrum in low-, mid- and high-band frequencies have been or will soon be made available for commercial use. GPSIA believes all Americans benefit from a competitive 5G landscape.
5G without compromise. However, that goal can be achieved without undermining GPS receivers and devices that are foundational to wireless technology in general, including 5G. We remain hopeful that a new administration and congress will commit to protecting GPS receivers from harmful interference using the appropriate standard for determining such interference to ensure that the more than $1 billion per day in U.S. economic impact created by GPS continues to flourish.
2020 also brought the issue of GPS resiliency into the national forefront. In February, the president signed an Executive Order aimed at fostering greater resiliency for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT)-based systems, including GPS.
GPSIA supported this order and outlined in subsequent regulatory filings why GPS remains the gold standard for delivering PNT functions to our military as well as a wide range of other sectors, including transportation, agriculture, electricity and finance.
Complementing GPS. As the federal government considers alternative PNT solutions, it is critical that they be complementary to GPS, able to easily integrate into current or future devices, and based on a recognition that each PNT application has unique requirements driven by its intended function, environment and design factors. In sum, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Protecting Consumer Privacy. Looking ahead, GPSIA expects 2021 will bring a robust discussion around consumer privacy protections. While GPS satellite broadcasts are one-directional and cannot track a user’s location, we recognize that GPS is one of many data points that can contribute to application-specific location tracking. As such, GPSIA would urge Congress to ensure that geolocation data is appropriately addressed as part of any U.S. federal privacy legislation. In doing so, we believe protections for precise geolocation information will empower consumer choice, enhance transparency, and strengthen security.
On the surface, infrastructure modernization, protecting GPS spectrum, PNT resiliency, and consumer privacy may seem like distinctly different issues. What they have in common, though, is an ability to garner bipartisan support, deliver substantial consumer benefits, and strengthen our nation’s economy. GPSIA stands ready as a resource and looks forward to working with the Biden-Harris Administration and leaders in the House and Senate to promote, protect and enhance GPS.
As we bid farewell to the last GPS-IIA satellite and read of delays to both the launch schedule for GPS III satellites and roll-out of the OCX program, we are mindful of the need to maintain GPS as the “Gold Standard” in GNSS.
Certainly, new signals, enhanced resilience and expanded capabilities are offered by the modernized GPS playbook. Delays relative to both the BeiDou and Galileo constellations could seriously impact the position of GPS on the medals podium — maybe not in the longer term, but certainly in the coming few years.
This may have a secondary impact on the receiver market, shifting focus away from GPS to more capable signals in the near term. Once GPS has caught up, receiver manufacturers may choose to retain the technology that they developed to capitalize on BeiDou and Galileo signals, rather than developing their legacy GPS capabilities.
GPS L2C is currently “pre-operational,” transmitted by slightly more than half the existing mixed-generation satellite fleet and waiting for OCX support. As of Feb. 20, a realistic estimate for operational capability of GPS L2C is now 2023.
GPS L5 is also pre-operational, transmitted by slightly less than half of the GPS satellites and waiting for OCX support. As of Feb. 20, a realistic estimate for GPS L5 is 2027.
The forecast for GPS L1C operational capability is the late 2020s. This is intended to be the signal that offers international interoperability with the current interoperability signals offered by existing BeiDou and Galileo satellites.
Delays to the implementation of GPS L1C may mean that GPS misses the interoperability boat entirely. During the delay, new interoperability capability with even more robust signals could be devised and lofted aboard Galileo, BeiDou and GLONASS satellites. By then, other countries could also develop their own constellations, possibly regional or even global systems.
Potentially, GPS could be left behind as other nations discuss non-GPS internationally interoperable signals on yet-to-be launched satellites. This may have a profound impact on SBAS, too. Differential corrections provided by the Japanese MSAS, Russian SDCM and European EGNOS SBAS systems might evolve to support “beyond L1C” interoperability signals. Aircraft landings at world airports could mandate the use of corrections to these new signals. This might mean that U.S. receiver manufacturers could be frozen out, or will have to incorporate these new interoperable signal standards.
GPS Block III satellites along with OCX offer improved signals, capabilities and resilience, but the satellites need to be flying, OCX needs to be operational and receivers need to be in the hands of the users. Sooner rather than later is a must for Gold-Standard GPS.
Paul Crampton is a senior systems engineer at Spirent Federal Systems with more than 30 years of GPS experience.
The U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center’s GPS Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) program on March 26 instructed Raytheon to replace the computer hardware in OCX prior to system delivery.
The IBM computer product line used in the system was sold to a Chinese company, Lenovo, in August 2014. At the time of the sale, the U.S. government identified this as a major impact to OCX by creating an unacceptable cyber risk. However, the government waited implement a fix until Raytheon showed promising program performance in delivering OCX.
“Over the last two and a half years, since OCX came out of its Nunn-McCurdy breach, Raytheon has been executing as planned, giving us confidence in OCX’s ability to transition into operations,” said Lt. Gen. John Thompson, SMC commander.
Software development was completed in the fall of 2019, and the program is in the integration and test phase. Within a year, Raytheon is expected to deliver a qualified software baseline capable of operating the GPS constellation, Thompson said.
In 2017, the federal government sponsored a hardware trade study with U.S.-based vendors to replace IBM’s hardware. As a result of the study, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) was selected as the vendor. The program then conducted a pilot project replacing the IBM hardware in the 17 external monitoring stations and four ground antenna sites, resulting in successful HPE replacement.
“This gave us confidence that we had a viable OCX technical solution providing a long term sustainable hardware baseline that meets our stringent cyber security requirements,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Gabriele, SMC’s OCX materiel leader. “As Raytheon continues to track to their contractual commitments, addressing the unsupportable IBM cyber security risk is prudent to do pre-system delivery to the government.
“Although this government-directed change will impact the Raytheon schedule, the government is holding Raytheon accountable to deliver qualified software prior to integrating on the HPE platform and deploying to operational sites,” Gabriele said.
“By executing the fix now we eliminate $150 million in rework and retesting, and ensuring we deliver a system that is capable of transitioning to operations,” said Barbara Baker, SMC Command and Control Division’s senior materiel leader.
Decades-old hardware
Another benefit of the $378 million government-directed contract change is the opportunity to replace the now decade-old IBM hardware. This will improve system performance and increase the OCX program supportability posture.
“OCX is critical to continuing high priority national efforts to modernize GPS with new military and civil positioning capabilities, including enhanced security, precision, reliability, and integrity. OCX will deliver sustained, reliable GPS capabilities to America’s warfighters, allies, and civil users,” Baker said.
The OCX program is part of the GPS Enterprise Modernization. OCX will deliver two times more satellite capacity, modern cyber-secure infrastructure, improved accuracy, globally deployed modernized receivers with anti-jam capabilities, and improved availability in difficult terrain.
“As a high interest program, we will continue to work with our industry partners to deliver a global GPS capability, Gabriele said.
A ULA Delta IV rocket carrying GPS III SV02 lifts off from Space Launch Complex-37 on Aug. 22. (Photo: ULA)
The U.S. Air Force’s second next-generation GPS III satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, is responding to commands, under control and now using its own internal propulsion system to get to orbit following its successful Aug. 22 launch.
At 11:01 a.m. ET, Air Force and Lockheed Martin engineers at Lockheed Martin’s Launch & Checkout Facility near Denver declared they had full control of GPS III Space Vehicle 02 shortly after the satellite’s separation from its United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket booster. The satellite, nicknamed “Magellan” by the Air Force, began its rocket ride to space with a 09:06 a.m. ET launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
GPS III SV02 is now climbing towards its operational orbit about 12,550 miles above the earth under the power of its own Liquid Apogee engines. Engineers at Lockheed Martin Space’s Waterton, Colorado facility are commanding the satellite using elements of the GPS Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) Block 0.
“GPS III SV02 is receiving and responding to commands just as planned. In the days ahead, we’ll finish orbit raising to our operational slot and then send the satellite commands telling it to deploy its solar arrays and antennas,” said Johnathon Caldwell, Lockheed Martin Space’s Vice President for Navigation Systems. “Once we are set up, we’ll begin on-orbit checkout and tests, including extensive signals testing with our advanced navigation payload.”
The payload is provided by L3Harris. The first GPS III satellite launched in December 2018 and its navigation payload has performed beyond expectations on-orbit during pre-operational testing, according to L3Harris.
GPS III SV02 is the second GPS III satellite designed and built by Lockheed Martin to help the Air Force modernize today’s Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation with new technology and capabilities. GPS III satellites provide 3x greater accuracy and up to 8x improved anti-jamming capabilities. GPS III also provides a new L1C civil signal, compatible with other international global navigation satellite systems, like Europe’s Galileo.
The First GPS III Satellite Completes On-Orbit Testing
Image: ULA
GPS III SV02 will be the second GPS III satellite in orbit and the second GPS III satellite now being commanded from Lockheed Martin Space’s facility.
On Dec. 23, 2018, the Air Force launched the first GPS III satellite. Nicknamed “Vespucci,” GPS III SV01 underwent months of checkout and thorough testing of its advanced, new navigation payload provided by Harris Corporation.
“GPS III SV01’s performance exceeded expectations during testing,” Caldwell said. “On July 12, we officially completed all On Orbit Check Out & Test activities. We are excited to see this satellite move to the next phase and perform in an operational environment.”
That’s expected to happen later this year once the first satellite is handed over to the Air Force.
Thinking Ahead From the Ground Up
In preparation for this handover, in 2016, the Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin the GPS III Contingency Operations (COps) contract to upgrade its current GPS ground control system – the Operational Control Segment (OCS) – to be able to fly today’s 31-satellite constellation, as well as the new, more-powerful GPS III satellites, until OCX Block 1, still in development, is delivered.
Lockheed Martin delivered the GPS III COps software upgrade in May and it is currently undergoing preparations for installation.
COps is the latest GPS ground control upgrade project Lockheed Martin has had since it began sustaining the OCS in 2013. In November 2018, the company completed the AEP 7.5 upgrade — the largest architectural change in the system’s history — replacing significant code, hardware and software to improve the system’s cybersecurity capabilities and positioning the Air Force to better operate in contested, degraded and operationally limited environments.
In December 2018, the Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin the GPS Control Segment Sustainment II (GCS II) contract to continue to further modernize and sustain the OCS through 2025.
In 2020, the OCS is expected to receive the M-Code Early Use (MCEU) upgrade, which will allow control of M-Code, an advanced, new signal designed to improve anti-jamming and anti-spoofing, as well as to increase secure access to military GPS signals for U.S. and allied armed forces.
With GPS III SV01 and SV02 now on orbit, GPS III satellites continue to roll off the production line at Lockheed Martin’s advanced $128-million GPS III Processing Facility near Denver. On May 27, the Air Force declared the GPS III SV03 Available for Launch (AFL) and had the company place it into storage waiting for a launch date. GPS III SV04-08 are now in various stages of assembly and test.
In all, Lockheed Martin is under contract to build up to 32 next-generation GPS III/IIIF satellites for the Air Force. Additional IIIF capabilities will begin being added at the 11th satellite. These will include a fully digital navigation payload, a Regional Military Protection capability, an accuracy-enhancing laser retroreflector array, and a Search & Rescue payload.
Raytheon Company’s GPS Next-Generation Operational Control System program, known as GPS OCX, completed final qualification testing of the system’s modernized monitor station receivers, which are now ready to be installed around the world starting in August.
GPS OCX is the enhanced ground control segment of a U.S. Air Force-led effort to modernize America’s GPS system.
“The modernized receivers give GPS OCX the ability to receive and decrypt all GPS III military and civil signals, a critical capability the current system doesn’t have,” said Dave Wajsgras, president of Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. “Monitor station receiver installation keeps us on track for full system delivery by our June 2021 contractual deadline.”
The modernized receivers will measure and monitor legacy military and civilian signals sent by the current GPS satellite constellation plus the new signals sent by the next-generation GPS III.
The receivers will also feed correction models at the master control station, giving U.S. Air Force satellite controllers the information necessary to make key adjustments to maximize accuracy.
Feature photo: GPS ground antenna at Schriever Air Force Base, home of the 50th Space Wing. (Photo: Raytheon)
