SpaceNews.com
• Sandra Erwin
The U.S. Space Force is starting work on a new ground control architecture for the future GPS constellation, using lessons from the $6.27 billion OCX program. The Pentagon canceled OCX earlier this year after 15 years of development, resetting a critical element of GPS modernization.
Defense Industry & Major Contractors
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The U.S. Space Force is starting work on a new ground control architecture for the future GPS constellation, using lessons from the $6.27 billion OCX program. The Pentagon canceled OCX earlier this year after 15 years of development, resetting a critical element of GPS modernization.
The U.S. Air Force is retiring the C-130H-based EC-130H Compass Call electronic warfare fleet after more than four decades of service. Its mission systems are transitioning to modified Gulfstream business jets, with the EA-37B assuming the role as the EC-130H exits operations.
Boeing is repairing hundreds of microscopic cracks in structural reinforcing members on the two 747-8s being converted into the next Air Force One fleet. The manufacturing problem has added extensive structural work to a program already several years late and facing roughly $3 billion in cost overruns.
The average flyaway cost of the F-35A and F-35B increased by more than 11% compared with recent contracts, while the F-35C’s price rose by more than 8%, according to figures provided by the F-35 Joint Program Office. The increases affect the program’s latest production lots.
The U.S. Air Force is accelerating development of an MQ-9A Reaper successor after the loss of dozens of aircraft during Operation Epic Fury. Officials want a drone that can be fielded more quickly, produced in large numbers and cost roughly $10 million each— a fraction of the Reaper’s cost.
The U.S. Army’s desert trial of Starlink is highlighting both the potential and limits of commercial satellite technology for military use. Brig. Gen. Shane Taylor said the service is examining whether commercial options can meet requirements before committing to bespoke systems costing as much as four times more.
A defense startup can develop a capability that precisely meets military requirements and still fail to win Pentagon business. After reviewing more than 1,000 startup pitches, the analysis identifies a recurring pattern that separates companies able to convert strong products into defense contracts from those that cannot.
Sierra Nevada will lead development and analysis of an adaptation kit to convert the C-130J for snow runway operations, creating a ski-equipped LC-130J configuration for the U.S. Air Force. The work is scheduled to conclude in March 2028, establishing the design basis for operations from ice- and snow-covered runways.
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