Officials with the 2nd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo., last week completed an upgrade of the Global Positioning System ground control element. The Architecture Evolution Plan 5.6 software upload is part of the Air Force’s broader efforts to improve and maintain the current GPS ground system. Col. Harold Martin, acting command lead for positioning, navigation, and timing in Air Force Space Command’s air, space, and cyberspace operations directorate, said the Jan. 5 refresh was “a small software update” to incorporate changes to support the upcoming launch of the second GPS Block IIF satellite. He added, “This release does not contain fixes involving any changes to the navigation message, and therefore should be transparent to the end user.” This work built upon the previous upgrade in December. (Peterson release)
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.