Ground antenna at Schriever Air Force Base, home of the 50th Space Wing. (Photo: Raytheon)
The United States Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) awarded a $228 million contract to Raytheon Intelligence and Space for the GPS Next-Generation Operational Control System (OCX) Follow-On (OCX 3F). The contract award was made on April 30.
OCX 3F upgrades the OCX Blocks 1 and 2 system to use the enhanced capabilities of the new GPS IIIF space vehicles being developed by Lockheed Martin. The OCX 3F program — in combination with the GPS IIIF space vehicle program — ensures positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) will continue to be available for future generations, said the Los Angeles Air Force Base in a press release.
The OCX 3F program is part of the GPS Enterprise Modernization effort. GPS OCX Blocks 1 and 2, planned for delivery in 2022, will represent a major evolution in capabilities for the GPS enterprise. In addition to supporting the latest U.S. Department of Defense standards and practices for cybersecurity, OCX 3F also supports advanced features over the legacy GPS ground segment. The new features include:
- an enhanced and expanded network of monitoring stations for improved cybersecurity and improved anti-jam capability
- enhanced operational capability to control the modernized military signals
- support of GPS III boosted Earth coverage military code (M-code)
- monitoring of new Galileo-compatible and safety-of-life signals.
“OCX is an adaptive architecture designed to evolve to combat emerging threats. OCX 3F is a great example of modifying the OCX Blocks 1 and 2 software baseline to launch and incorporate the GPS IIIF enhanced satellite capabilities,” said Barbara Baker, SMC Production Corps Command and Control Systems Division’s senior materiel leader. “I look forward to continuing our relationship with Raytheon in delivering the United States Space Force GPS capabilities.” Raytheon Intelligence and Space will perform the work in Aurora, Colorado, and delivery is expected in July 2025.
“The OCX 3F program office is looking forward to working with Raytheon on this new GPS ground control program. We are ready to take on any challenges and to work full bore to deliver the critical regional high-powered signals and GPS IIIF launch and control capabilities in support of joint warfighters,” said Lt. Col. Grant Spear, SMC OCX 3F materiel leader.