Lockheed Martin Wins $105 Million Space Force Contract to Modernise GPS Ground Network

Image: Lockheed Martin

The U.S. Space Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $105 million to modernise and sustain the Global Positioning System ground control network. The award extends resilient positioning, navigation, and timing services to military and civilian users worldwide.

Scope of the Contract

Under the agreement, the company will support launch, early orbit, and disposal operations for GPS IIIF space vehicles. The work also strengthens the resilience and overall capability of the GPS enterprise for military users conducting warfighting operations, as well as civilian sectors including transportation, banking, and utilities.

According to Lockheed Martin, the contract will enable more M-Code-enabled GPS IIIF satellites to reach orbit, directly improving signal resilience for military operators.

Ten Years of Ground Segment Work

The award builds on more than a decade of work under the Space Force’s Architecture Evolution Plan. Christina Mancinelli, vice president of Global Communication and Navigation at Lockheed Martin, said: “For more than ten years, Lockheed Martin has delivered and sustained operational GPS ground capability, evolving the system to provide resilient and mission-proven services that underpin daily warfighter operations.”

She added: “Our continued work on the integrated GPS enterprise reflects an unwavering commitment to delivering reliable capability to the warfighter and to users around the world.”

Next-Generation Satellite Production

Lockheed Martin has already completed production of all GPS III satellites, which deliver eight times greater resilience and three times higher accuracy than legacy spacecraft. The company now produces the follow-on GPS IIIF satellites at its facility in Denver, Colorado. These next-generation vehicles will broadcast an anti-jam signal 63 times more powerful than earlier models, a significant capability uplift for national defence and allied customers.

Strategic Significance

GPS underpins critical infrastructure well beyond military navigation. Financial markets rely on GPS timestamps for transaction synchronisation, while power grids and telecoms networks depend on GPS timing to coordinate operations. Any degradation in service would carry serious consequences across multiple sectors.

Continued investment in ground segment resilience and anti-jam capability reflects growing awareness in Washington of the vulnerability of space-based assets to adversarial interference.

The contract reinforces Lockheed Martin’s position as the primary integrator of the GPS ground segment, a role it has held throughout the Architecture Evolution Plan. The award signals continued confidence in the company as competition in space intensifies.

Source: Lockheed Martin Press Release

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