Lockheed Martin announced Tuesday that its industry team, together with US government representatives, completed the system design review for the second increment of the Air Force’s Global Positioning System Block III satellite, GPS IIIB. The review established the requirements for the capability that the Air Force wants to incorporate in this satellite variant to improve upon the first increment, GPS IIIA. “Working together with the US Air Force and GPS user communities, this milestone validates that we have developed the most affordable and lowest risk solution to introducing vital new capabilities for the GPS constellation,” said Keoki Jackson, Lockheed’s GPS III program manager. The first of the eight GPS IIIA satellites is projected for launch in 2014. GPS IIIB satellites will follow. GPS IIIB will add features like higher power signals and a payload for relaying distress signals from emergency beacons.
The U.S. Air Force carried out deportation flights to Ecuador and Guatemala earlier this week, U.S. officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine, as the Pentagon continues to fly migrants out of the country at the direction of President Donald Trump. U.S. aircrews participating in the deportation missions have included…