An upgraded ground control system for the Air Force’s GPS satellite constellation is fully operational, according to a press release from Lockheed Martin. The Commercial-Off-the-Shelf Upgrade #2 (CUP2) has been managing the 31 satellites that provide data for the GPS system from Schriever AFB, Colo., since Oct. 15. The upgraded system provides enhanced protection from cyber attack. Lockheed Martin designed CUP2 under the GPS III contract, and the system is further upgradable to control the first GPS III satellites, scheduled to be launched in 2017 and 2018. Eventually, the entire GPS III system will transition to a next generation ground control system, OCX, which is currently being developed by Raytheon. OCX has experienced numerous delays and cost overruns, culminating in the Air Force declaring a Nunn-McCurdy breach on the program in July because it reported a greater than 25 percent cost overrun. In February, Lockheed Martin was awarded an “insurance policy” contract to produce the OCX system in the event that Raytheon is unable to deliver.
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
