The Space and Missile Systems Center announced Feb. 6 that the two contractors vying for the GPS Next Generation Control Segment, dubbed OCX, had both successfully completed the required system design reviews and modernized capability engineering model demonstrations. Both Northrop Grumman and Raytheon received $160 million, 18-month Phase A contracts in November 2007. Raytheon officials last month noted that the company’s work had “significantly” reduced risk to the OCX program. Northrop officials last week said the Northrop team had “hit all the marks on schedule.” Lt. Col. Janet Grondin, GPS Advanced Control Segment commander and OCX program manager, agreed with both industry team assessments, saying, “We know the architecture in the presentation charts works when it commands [a GPS] IIR-M simulator.” She believes that each contractor is “well positioned to execute the Phase B portion of the contract.” SMC plans to downselect to a single contractor for the $2.7 billion program in late summer. (Includes GPS Wing report by Jim Bullard)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
