COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.,
Dec. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/
-- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has completed a major upgrade
to modernize the current ground control system of the U.S. Air
Force's Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite
constellation.
The Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Upgrade #2 (CUP2) project is
the latest step in the Air Force's multi-year plan to refresh
technology and transform the legacy Operational Control Segment –
known as the Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP) -- into a modern,
high-performance command and control system. On October 15, CUP2 became fully operational and
began managing the 31 GPS IIR, IIR-M and IIF satellites that make
up today's GPS constellation.
"Under CUP2, Lockheed Martin and the Air Force installed modern
commercial hardware and a major software upgrade that enhances the
system's ability to protect data and infrastructure from cyber
threats, as well as improves its overall sustainability and
operability," said Vinny Sica, vice
president and general manager of Mission Solutions for Lockheed
Martin. "Continued modernization and cyber-hardening of the GPS
control system is vitally important to the sustainment of
navigation services for our military and all global GPS users."
The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin the CUP2 project in
November 2013 under its GPS Control
Segment (GCS) contract, and the system is now fully deployed into
the AEP's GPS Master Control Station and the Alternate Master
Control Station. This is the third major technology refresh of the
GPS command and control system since the GCS contract began in
January 2013.
This upgrade to the existing ground control system provides the
Air Force with flexibility. In May, as part of Contingency
Operations (COps) under the GPS III contract, Lockheed Martin
demonstrated a preliminary design to build off CUP2 and further
upgrade the AEP to support next generation GPS III satellites as
they perform their positioning, navigation and timing mission. COps
is a temporary gap filler prior to the entire GPS constellation's
transition onto the next-generation Operational Control System
(OCX) Block 1, which is currently in development.
The Global Positioning Systems Directorate at the U.S. Air Force
Space and Missile Systems Center contracted the CUP2 upgrade. Air
Force Space Command's 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2SOPS), based
at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, manages and operates the GPS
constellation for both civil and military users.
For additional GPS Ground Control System information, photos and
video visit:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/gpsgcs.html.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a
global security and aerospace company that employs approximately
98,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research,
design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of
advanced technology systems, products and services.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin