Raytheon Company announced Jan. 8 that it had “successfully completed two significant milestones” for the Air Force’s next-generation GPS control segment, known as GPS OCX. The Raytheon-led team, which is vying against a Northrop Grumman-led team to build OCX, completed the segment design review and modernized capability engineering model demonstration last month. “These mark major accomplishments for our entire team and significantly burn-down the execution risk on the program,” said Bob Canty, Raytheon GPS OCX vice president and program manager. He added that completion of both milestones shows that “our back-to-basics approach to developing our GPS control segment demonstrates our understanding and alignment with the needs of our US Air Force customer.” Both Raytheon and Northrop received a $160 million, 18-month Phase A system design and risk reduction contracts in November 2007. Last year, after completing an earlier set of reviews, a Northrop official noted that the Air Force is being very thorough and “asking hundreds of detailed questions.”
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
