GPS IIF-1, the Air Force’s first Global Positioning System Block IIF navigation satellite, has entered service. “Now that IIF-1 is operational, military and commercial receivers around the world can begin using the satellite’s improved signals to more accurately determine their position,” stated Col. Bernard Gruber, commander of the GPS Wing at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., in a release issued Monday by Boeing, the satellite’s prime contractor. The company is building 12 Block IIF satellites for the Air Force. IIF-1 was lifted into space in late May, after which it underwent several months of on-orbit tests and checkout activities. Just last week, the 2nd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo., took control of the satellite. IIF-1 joins 30 other operational satellites in the GPS constellation. Block IIFs offer a more jam-resistant military signal, greater accuracy, and a L5 signal for commercial aviation safety.
Seven F-22 Raptor pilots have recently been awarded one of the military’s highest decorations for their actions during operations in the Middle East. Six of the pilots were decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.