The Space and Missile Systems Center bought two more GPS 3F satellites from Lockheed Martin, exercising an option under a September 2018 agreement to buy up to 22 satellites from the company for $7.2 billion.
To date, SMC had purchased 12 satellites of the III generation. The latest contract is for space vehicles 13 and 14. The price per satellite is slightly lower because the 2018 contract included development costs.
SMC purchased 3F SVs 13 and 14 after the 3F framework passed a critical design review earlier this year. “The program employed an intensive yearlong process which validated the GPS 3F design as a low risk,” said the spokesperson.
SMC said the latest version of GPS 3F has greater anti-jam protection capability as well as a new search-and-rescue hosted payload developed jointly with Canada, a new laser retroreflector array hosted payload, and a redesigned nuclear detonation detection system.
