Littleton, Colorado-based Lockheed Martin Space Systems has received a $395 million U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center contract option to build two additional GPS III satellites. The contract option calls for long-lead and production hardware to manufacture GPS III space vehicles (SVs) 9 and 10.
“The GPS III SV 9 and 10 satellites are expected to be ready for launch in 2022, thus sustaining the GPS constellation,” said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, Space and Missile Systems Center’s commander.
Littleton, Colorado-based Lockheed Martin Space Systems has received a $395 million U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center contract option to build two additional GPS III satellites. The contract option calls for long-lead and production hardware to manufacture GPS III space vehicles (SVs) 9 and 10.
“The GPS III SV 9 and 10 satellites are expected to be ready for launch in 2022, thus sustaining the GPS constellation,” said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, Space and Missile Systems Center’s commander.
Lockheed will build the spacecraft in Littleton, which are expected to be completed by August 8, 2022.
The government plans to compete future purchases of GPS III satellites beginning with the GPS III SV 11. This future competition will maintain the current technical GPS III baseline, and will add additional hosted payloads to increase system accuracy, search and rescue capability, and universal S-Band compatibility, the Air Force said.
According to published reports, in addition to Lockheed Martin, the Air Force is evaluating such companies as Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems and Northrop Grumman Aerospace for the next group of GPS III satellites.
The contract option calls for a total of $373.4 million to be obligated, which includes fiscal year (FY) 2014 and 2015 advanced procurement funds. It also includes FY 2016 space procurement funds, the Air Force said.
Lockheed Martin was awarded the initial GPS III contract in 2008.
