Boeing recently handed over control of the fifth Global Positioning System IIF satellite to the Air Force, according to an April 8 company release. The GPS IIF, which launched on Feb. 20, joins the rest of the GPS constellation and “increases the precision of position, navigation, and timing data sent to users around the world,” states the release. The Air Force is slated to receive a total of 12 GPS IIFs from Boeing in the coming years. “As each GPS IIF joins the fleet, we are sustaining and modernizing the constellation for years to come,” said Craig Cooning, Boeing’s vice president and general manager of space and intelligence systems. The Air Force, which is operating the satellite, and Boeing have “completed deployment and validation of the spacecraft’s systems, stabilizing the vehicle, and activating its navigation payload,” according to the release. The sixth satellite is slated “for a second-quarter launch,” states the release.
As near-peer adversaries have increased their reach and lethality, the U.S. Air Force is accelerating the tanker fleet recapitalization and aggressively pulling forward the Next Generation Aerial Refueling System (NGAS) to meet the threat. Globally operating the KC-46A has advanced mission...