The program to develop the Air Force’s next-generation ground control system for GPS satellites, known as OCX, is “a disaster,” Air Force Space Command boss Gen. John Hyten said Dec. 8 in Washington, D.C. “It’s just a disaster, and it’s embarrassing to have to stand in front of people and try to defend it, so I won’t,” he added, during an AFA Mitchell Institute event on Capitol Hill. The OCX program was recently criticized by Sen. John McCain, who wrote in a report that it will likely be four years late and cost twice as much as 2010 estimates. Hyten said that when “you start down a path” and keep “?pouring money” into a program, “and the contractor does not deliver, you’re in a tough spot.” Because Hyten is not in the acquisition chain of command, he said he cannot offer details, but warned that the Air Force is “going to do some pretty significant things with that contractor.” In October, the contractor, Raytheon, said in a statement emailed to Air Force Magazine that the program is “on a strong foundation” and that “nearly all of the corrective actions” have been completed. Raytheon in May delivered the first operational hardware for OCX to Schriever AFB, Colo.
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.