Tag: Raytheon Technologies

GPS OCX delays continue

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New GPS ground stations that are contracted by Raytheon Technologies to replace the current ground stations have been delayed until July 2025, the Pentagon’s testing office reported.

The Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) is facing a new delay of 16 months, according to the 2023 Annual Report of the Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E).

More than seven years behind schedule, the continuous delays have caused the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to go over its yearly budget and have sparked discussions as to future budget allocations for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) to continue to control and enhance the GPS constellation.

“These delays increase the risk that U.S. and allied warfighters will be unable to conduct successful operations in future contested environments due to the lack of access to modernized GPS position, navigation, and timing (PNT) information,” the Pentagon’s testing office said in a statement.

The M-Code can now be broadcast on 21 of the 31 GPS satellites in orbit. However, it is only available to a small number of military personnel due to both the OCX issue and a lack of radios and receivers equipped to access it.

The Space Force has a Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) program underway to develop new computer chip-carrying cards to retrofit existing platforms, such as aircraft and ships, so they can ingest M-code signals, as well as to develop a new handheld receiver. This effort has also experienced delays, according to a June 2023 report by the Government Accountability Office.

The 2024 DOT&E report notes that because of the delays in the development of the MGUE receiver cards, the Army and Marine Corps are now buying commercially developed receivers capable of ingesting the M-Code for fielding with ground vehicles.

Additionally, the DOT&E report cautions that because the OCX software is designed to be the basis for an upgraded system, OCX Block 3F, designed to control the planned next generation of GPS satellites called GPS IIIF, that effort also is likely to be delayed. The Space Force intends to launch the first GPS IIIF satellite in 2027.

February 16, 2024
GPS OCX still delayed and lawmakers are not happy

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.”

August 24, 2023
Raytheon receives $207 million counter-UAS contract

In October 2022, Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies company, received a $207 million contract from the United States Army for Ku-band radio frequency sensors (KuRFS) and Coyote effectors. The Army plans to equip two of its divisions with KuRFS and Coyote effectors to defend against threats from unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

The KuRFS precision targeting radar and scaled Ku-720 mobile sensing radar provides 360-degree detection, identification and tracking of airborne threats. Coyote Block 2 kinetic and Block 3 non-kinetic effectors can defeat single UAS and swarms at high altitudes and long ranges.

The Army’s Mobile-Low, Slow, Small, Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System, integrates KuRFS and Coyote effectors with Northrop Grumman’s Forward Area Air Defense Command-and-Control system and Syracuse Research Corporation’s electronic warfare system. This creates a mobile deployed system that provides a complete extended-range defense solution.

January 11, 2023
Raytheon awarded FAA contract to upgrade WAAS to dual-frequency

WAAS makes airports without ground-based navigation available to pilots. (Photo: Raytheon)

WAAS monitors and evaluates all GPS signals over North America to enable pilots to fly using augmented GPS data for precision landing and enroute navigation

Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business, has been awarded a competitive indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract from the Federal Aviation Administration with a ceiling value of $375 million over the next 10 years.

Task orders, valued at $215 million, were executed at contract award to provide technical refresh and dual-frequency operation (DFO) upgrades to the FAA’s Wide-Area Augmentation System (WAAS) to provide safer air travel in support of the National Airspace System.

WAAS monitors and evaluates all GPS signals over North America to enable pilots to fly using augmented GPS data for safety-of-life missions such as precision landing and enroute navigation. The system allows pilots to safely land in places previously inaccessible because of the airport location or weather. It also makes airports without ground-based navigation available to pilots.

Under the WAAS DFO-2 contract, Raytheon will deliver more modern, and therefore sustainable, processing, system security, and network architecture, while also adding dual-frequency service.

“There is no margin for error during take-off, flight or landing,” said Denis Donohue, president, Surveillance & Network Systems at Raytheon Intelligence & Space. “Our modernization effort for WAAS will improve system robustness during ionospheric events and ensure safety-of-life requirements continue to be met.”

WAAS is a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) that provides GPS corrections for critical navigation for the aviation community, first responders and other government agencies, ensuring pilots can land safely in austere environments, despite weather challenges. It also provides corrections for SBAS-capable receivers in use across a diverse set of communities, including agriculture, maritime and surveying, among others.

Raytheon Technologies has been the prime development contractor for WAAS since 1996. Since reaching initial operational capability in 2003, Raytheon and the FAA have developed and fielded dozens of enhancements expanding WAAS’ precision approach capability, coverage area, and reliability, including improvements to the system infrastructure in preparation for dual-frequency service.

WAAS dual-frequency service will enable increased system accuracy, integrity and availability when subject to ionospheric perturbations, including solar storms. Work for this effort is based in Fullerton, California.

September 17, 2022
Anti-jamming market for GPS to be worth $5.9 billion by 2025

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According to a new market research report, “Anti-Jamming Market for GPS with COVID-19 Impact, by Receiver Type (Military and Government Grade and Commercial Transportation Grade), Technique (Nulling, Beam Steering and Civilian), End-User, Application and Geography — Global Forecast to 2025,” the anti-jamming market for GPS is valued at $4 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $5.9 billion by 2025.

The report, published by MarketsandMarkets, also states that the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2020 to 2025. Some of the key factors driving this growth include high demand for GPS technology in military applications and ongoing developments to improve overall GPS structure. Factors such as the growing demand for unmanned airborne vehicles and systems and the development of low-cost GPS anti-jamming solutions also are expected to provide growth opportunities to players in the GPS anti-jamming market.

According to the report, Nulling Technique is expected to hold largest share of GPS anti-jamming market from 2020 to 2025. In addition, surveillance and reconnaissance are expected to hold largest share of GPS anti-jamming market during the forecast period.

The GPS anti-jamming market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow significantly, as a result of a rise in the number of terror attacks in the region, which has led to countries enhancing their surveillance and antiterrorism capabilities, the report added. Countries in this area are also manufacture defense aircraft, which is expected to increase the scope of GPS anti-jamming for defense and aerospace systems. An increase in the defense expenditures of India and China, among other countries, and the expansion of militaries in emerging economies also have accelerated the demand for GPS anti-jamming solutions in Asia Pacific.

Raytheon Technologies, Hexagon, Thales Group, L3Harris Technologies, BAE Systems, Cobham, Mayflower Communications, infinDome, Lockheed Martin, Israel Aerospace Industries, Furuno Electric and Meteksan Defense are few major players in the GPS anti-jamming market.

MarketsandMarkets provides B2B research on 30,000 niche opportunities/threats that will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies’ revenues, the research firm said.

December 14, 2020
MGUE Increment 2 contracts awarded to BAE, L3 and Raytheon

The United States Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center awarded the Military Global Positioning System User Equipment (MGUE) Increment (Inc) 2 Miniature Serial Interface (MSI) with Next-Generation Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) to BAE Navigation & Sensor System, L3 Technologies (now L3Harris) and Raytheon Technologies.

According to the U.S. Space Force, the three MSI contracts are valued at $552 million and will be executed as Middle Tier Acquisition rapid prototyping efforts. The first delivery is scheduled for early fiscal year 2026.

Enhanced processing and security features associated with M-code drove the decision to develop a smaller and more powerful receiver card for handheld and dismounted applications, the U.S. Space Force said. The MSI with Next-Generation ASIC will enable Military-Code GPS receiver production, mitigating the obsolescence issue of current ASICs and providing significant security and performance improvements for GPS-enabled weapons systems. MGUE Inc 2 will be compatible with all existing and future spacecraft and ground systems, it added.

MGUE Inc 2 enables military GPS user equipment to receive allied GNSS positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) signals to increase both the resilience and capability of military PNT equipment, and deter attacks on GPS, the U.S. Space Force said. These signals will supplement GPS-based PNT in accordance with Department of Defense policies regarding usage of allied GNSS signals, ensuring identification and mitigation of cyber risks, and compatibility with existing PNT equipment.

Feature photo: EvgeniyShkolenko/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

November 16, 2020
Raytheon’s StormBreaker completes first guided release in U.S. Navy flight test

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, completed the first guided release of a StormBreaker smart weapon from an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which will become the second fighter jet to add the weapon when the program reaches initial operational capability later this year.

StormBreaker features a try-mode seeker that uses imaging infrared and millimeter wave radar in its normal mode. It can also deploy its semi-active laser or GPS guidance to hit targets.

During the U.S. Navy flight test, StormBreaker safely separated from the jet and successfully received guidance data from the plane, enabling it to be directed to its target while in flight, the company said.

“StormBreaker is the only weapon that enables pilots to hit moving targets during bad weather or if dust and smoke are in the area,” said Cristy Stagg, StormBreaker program director. “Super Hornet pilots will be able to use poor visibility to their advantage when StormBreaker integration is complete.”

Raytheon’s StormBreaker (Photo: Raytheon)

July 14, 2020