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Lockheed Martin said the U.S. Space Force has awarded the company a $514 million contract to build Global Positioning System IIIF Space Vehicles 23 and 24, raising its total GPS IIIF commitment to 14 spacecraft.
The award advances efforts to refresh a constellation with aging satellites and to expand positioning, navigation and timing services for military and civilian users. Planned IIIF features include a 63-fold boost in anti-jam protection through Regional Military Protection, additional M‑Code-enabled spacecraft for secure military access, and a digital navigation payload intended to improve accuracy and reliability.
“Modernizing the constellation with highly resilient, next-generation space vehicles ensures warfighters have access to the GPS capabilities they require for their missions,” said Christina Mancinelli, vice president of global communications and navigation at Lockheed Martin. “We continue to invest in advanced technology, facilities and the people who are the driving force in the production of this spacecraft that help our military secure peace.”
Earlier this year, all Lockheed Martin‑built GPS III satellites reached orbit, and GPS III SV09 and SV10 launched on accelerated timelines to bolster resiliency across the network.
The company highlighted GPS’s role across its defense platforms, noting that fighters such as the F‑35 rely on the system for precise location, synchronized systems, and real‑time data sharing, while UH‑60 Black Hawk helicopters use it for accurate navigation, deconfliction and precise delivery of cargo or weapons.
On the civilian side, GPS underpins functions from banking and telecommunications to emergency response and daily navigation. The IIIF satellites are designed to broadcast all civil signals, including L1C and L5, with higher accuracy and reliability.
Beginning with SV13, GPS IIIF spacecraft are being built on the evolved LM2100 Combat Bus, which the company says brings stronger cyber protections along with upgraded power, propulsion and electronics. The bus also reserves additional size, weight and power for future capability insertions.
Lockheed Martin said it has completed the core mate milestone—the point it describes as the satellite’s “birth”—on three GPS IIIF spacecraft, with the remaining IIIF satellites in various stages of production. It also recently received a $105 million contract to continue modernizing the GPS ground segment, part of a broader effort the company says is aimed at sustaining a resilient, high‑performance constellation supporting billions of users worldwide.
Production is underway at Lockheed Martin’s Denver‑area facilities, where the company is using tools such as augmented reality and digital twins to accelerate assembly and delivery timelines.
