The Air Force and its industry partners successfully launched a modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR satellite built by Lockheed Martin into space March 15 from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., the company announced. The satellite, designated GPS IIR-19M, is the sixth of eight modernized GPS IIR satellites that Lockheed Martin has built and subsequently upgraded to provide increased signal power for users, along with greater accuracy and resistance to jamming. The mission was the third consecutive successful launch of a GPS IIR-M satellite in less than five months, according to Lockheed Martin. The remaining two Block IIR-M satellites are also scheduled to go into orbit this year.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.