Officials with the 2nd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo., last week completed an upgrade of the Global Positioning System ground control element. The Architecture Evolution Plan 5.6 software upload is part of the Air Force’s broader efforts to improve and maintain the current GPS ground system. Col. Harold Martin, acting command lead for positioning, navigation, and timing in Air Force Space Command’s air, space, and cyberspace operations directorate, said the Jan. 5 refresh was “a small software update” to incorporate changes to support the upcoming launch of the second GPS Block IIF satellite. He added, “This release does not contain fixes involving any changes to the navigation message, and therefore should be transparent to the end user.” This work built upon the previous upgrade in December. (Peterson release)
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.