Lockheed Martin Awarded GPS III

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.'"

Comments

1.4 billion dollars for what ?!

[billcopc]

Disclaimer: I did not RTFA.
Disclaimer II: I'm sharply anti-military.

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 ? Will it realistically provide 1.4bn back in value, either by gaining efficiency in war planning, or enabling new civilian tech to make our lives easier ?

1.4bn might seem small to the average American bureaucrat, but it's a chunk of change that can change hundreds of thousands of lives if spent wisely. A GPS upgrade simply doesn't sound very humanitarian to me.