USAF
Awards Boeing and Lockheed Martin GPS III Study Contracts
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Boeing
and Lockheed Martin were each awarded US$16 million contracts to  spend
the next 12 months developing an architecture concept for the next
generation of the navigation satellites, known as GPS III. Spectrum
Astro, which also made a bid, was not awarded a contract.
The
GPS III architecture study, the first of a three-phase program, will
conclude in late 2001. The U.S. Air Force plans to award two
26-month program definition and risk reduction contracts to begin
hardware development, in 2002. One contractor will be selected in
2004 to complete development and build the satellites. The first of
the new satellites is to be launched in 2009, with the entire
constellation expected to remain operational through at least 2030.
The
USAF wants GPS III to deliver better anti-jam capability, by
providing two new high-power spot beams for the military-code
(M-code) signals to the L-1 and L-2 channels that service military
users. Furthermore, it will have two other channels that provide
navigation signals for civilian use in local, regional and national
safety-of-life applications for improved position, navigation and
timing knowledge. One of the new civil signals is expected to
transmit higher power than the other two signals for improved
reception worldwide.
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