Lockheed Martin has delivered its eight and final new Global Positioning System satellite in the Block IIR production program. A company release states that there currently are three IIR-M satellites on orbit, along with 12 of the original Block IIR spacecraft. The Air Force plans to launch the fourth Lockheed-built GPS IIR-M, with enhanced operations and navigation signal performance, late this year. Lockheed has designed and built 21 IIR satellites and, working with ITT and General Dynamics, is vying for the next generation GPS program award, slated for late 2007.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. still “believes” in his mantra of “Accelerate Change or Lose”—and indicated the doctrinal changes it produced when he was Air Force Chief of Staff played a role in the service’s recent response to Iran’s aerial assault on Israel, he…