Talking about the Air Force’s new “block” strategy for space acquisition, Ronald Sega, Undersecretary of the Air Force and DOD Space Executive Agent, told lawmakers Friday that development of the next generation Global Positioning System satellites—GPS III—already has been through a “comprehensive review process” and received Joint Requirements Oversight Council validation. It’s being developed in three basic blocks—Block A will include the latest GPS IIF capabilities plus 10 times the current military signal power and a civilian signal compatible with the European Union’s Gallileo; Block B incorporates an enhanced crosslinks capability; and Block C introduces a spot beam capability. Sega explained that only when Block A “is mature, we’ll insert and develop the IIIB satellite constellation” and the same for IIIC. He also noted that USAF plans to maintain two contractors—primes Lockheed Martin and Boeing—through key decision point B to “leverage ongoing risk-reduction activities.”
Boeing received a $2.47 billion Air Force contract Nov. 25 for 15 more KC-46s, bringing to 183 the number of Pegasus tankers on contract to all customers, foreign and domestic. The new contract—for Lot 12 of the initially planned KC-46 buy—is to be completed by 2029.
