Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles has awarded two contracts, each valued at approximately $160 million, to Northrop Grumman and Raytheon to develop trade studies, requirements definition, and engineering models for the control segment of the next generation Global Positioning System satellites. Northrop VP Steve Bergjans said in a statement that the Northrop-led team would provide “a low-risk solution that will readily evolve to meet the ever-increasing operational demands placed on GPS.” Raytheon’s intelligence and information systems president, Michael Keebaugh, said in a company release that Raytheon’s “more than 40 years’ experience” in the satellite ground command and control business “uniquely” qualifies it to deliver “the right control system.” The potential value to the winning company is more than $1 billion.
The KC-Z4, a blended wing body tanker concept being developed by startup JetZero, could fuel larger groups of aircraft at longer range to hold more targets at risk, company officials say.