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 Pentagon has concluded a new agreement to buy laser-guidance kits that turn rockets into drone-killing weapons. BAE Systems and the Defense Department announced a framework deal of up to seven years for 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits annually for the U.S. military.