The Air Force has awarded industry teams led by Northrop Grumman and Raytheon contract extensions for additional risk-reduction work on the next-generation operational ground control segment for GPS satellites, which is called OCX, for short. The service expects to choose one of them sometime around the late summer to develop and build the OCX under the service’s $2.7 billion program. Raytheon announced its $23.5 million contract extension last month. Northrop spokesman George Seffers confirmed to the Daily Report yesterday that his company also received a contract extension, but said he could not disclose the amount. The Air Force will use OCX, which is expected to be operational early next decade, to control current and future constellations of GPS satellites. In November 2007, the service awarded both teams $160 million contracts to commence the risk-reduction work. And, this past February, the Air Force announced that both teams had successfully completed OCX system design reviews and engineering model demonstrations.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.