Lockheed Martin announced Monday that it has provided the bus real time simulator for the Global Positioning System Block III satellite program. This is the first contract deliverable for GPS III, stated the company’s release. Lockheed, which leads the industry team developing GPS III for the Air Force, said it delivered the BRTS from its facility in Newtown, Pa., to industry partner Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, Calif., back in September. BRTS acceptance testing concluded within a week of delivery. BRTS is a specialized piece of test equipment that will allow Aerospace Corporation engineers to independently validate GPS III bus flight software and test and confirm the satellite’s guidance and navigation functions, according to Lockheed. The Air Force and Lockheed’s team recently completed the GPS III critical design review. The first launch of a GPS III satellite is scheduled for 2014.
The Pentagon has concluded a new agreement to buy laser-guidance kits that turn rockets into drone-killing weapons. BAE Systems and the Defense Department announced a framework deal of up to seven years for 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits annually for the U.S. military.