The fourth on-orbit GPS IIF navigation satellite is now operating as part of the Air Force’s GPS constellation, announced Boeing, the satellite’s manufacturer, on Tuesday. Launched into space on May 15, Air Force operators set the spacecraft to healthy status on June 21, states Boeing’s July 9 release. “With each IIF that we add to the network, the Air Force and Boeing give military and civilian users around the world better GPS navigation and timing information,” said Craig Cooning, general manager of the company’s space and intelligence systems. The GPS constellation—including the new IIF spacecraft, which is now designated SVN-66, includes 31 active satellites, according to Boeing. The next GPS IIF spacecraft in the series, the fifth of 12 planned, is slated for launch in October.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.