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Lockheed Martin Awarded GPS III

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the turn-off-gp3-get-a-galileo dept.

D Ninja writes "Yesterday, Lockheed Martin was awarded the $1.4 billion Air Force contract to build the next-generation global positioning satellite system. This occurred after a series of delays as the Air Force decided between Lockheed and the competing bidding contractor, Boeing Co. 'GPS III, will give new navigation warfare (NAVWAR) capabilities to shut off GPS service to a limited geographical location while providing GPS to US and allied forces. GPS III will offer significant improvements in navigation capabilities by improving interoperability and jam resistance. The procurement of the GPS III system is planned for multiple blocks, with the GPS IIIA portion currently underway. GPS IIIA includes all of the GPS IIF capability plus up to a ten-fold increase in signal power, a new civil signal compatible with the European Union's Galileo system, and a new spacecraft bus that will allow a growth path to future blocks.'"

9 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What is up with Boeing lately? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Seriously - lost the in air refueler contract to Airbus (or NVS or whoever)- lost this contract to Lockhead - What is the deal? Pretty simple actually... About two years ago, Boeing awarded all its print services to Lexmark.
  2. Spacecraft Bus! by boristdog · · Score: 3, Funny

    I remember that from "The Harlem Globetrotters in Outer Space"!!!!

  3. Re:GPS Shutoff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes, because lord knows there was no way for ships to navigate before GPS came along....

  4. Re:1.4 billion dollars for what ?! by c6gunner · · Score: 3, Funny

    Perhaps I've been in the computer industry for far too long, but how could it possibly cost 1.4bn to essentially add access control and a bigger amplifier to existing tech ?


    The same way it coses $400 million to drive a remote-controlled car across a red desert?
  5. Re:GPS Shutoff by JustOK · · Score: 3, Funny

    Always thought it was pretty obvious that Chris Columbus was using MapQuest since he ended up so far off course.

    --
    rewriting history since 2109
  6. Don't Tailgate Me... by Kentamanos · · Score: 2, Funny

    Will this affect my driving in the future? If I'm in my car using my car's GPSIII nav and suddenly get zero signal, should I pull over immediately to 'duck and cover'? :)

    1. Re:Don't Tailgate Me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      It will already be to late. Check your radio and if you get static drive as quick as you can to Jericho Kansas.

  7. Re:GPS Shutoff by Fear+the+Clam · · Score: 3, Funny

    US weapons are guided by INS with GPS augumenting that. Turn of GPS and you've still got a pretty accurate INS system to rely on.

    Unless the INS is too busy arresting Mexicans.

  8. Re:Quick translation... by Rui+del-Negro · · Score: 3, Funny

    there's a reason US ships still stock astrolabes.

    They're afraid someone will jam their sextants?