Latest Version of GPS Launches: The Air Force launched the first modernized Global Positioning System satellite built by Lockheed Martin aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., at 11:37 pm Sunday night. The satellite, a GPS IIR-M, is the first in a series of eight GPS IIR satellites Lockheed is modernizing. Among the features provided by the new sats, once they reach initial operational capability, are two new military signals and a second civil signal on a different frequency, as well as a new antenna panel for increased signal power to receivers on the ground.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.