Global Positioning System III - Operational Control Segment

Abstract

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) distribution system which operates through all weather. GPS supports both civil and military users in air, space, sea and land operations. GPS is a satellite-based radio navigation system that serves military and civil users worldwide. GPS users process satellite signals to determine accurate position, velocity and time. GPS must comply with Title 10 United States Code (USC) Sec 2281 which requires that the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) ensures the continued sustainment and operation of GPS for military and civilian purposes, and 51 USC Sec 50112, which requires that GPS complies with certain standards and facilitates international cooperation. GPS also includes the Nuclear Detonation (NUDET) Detection System (NDS). The Government is responsible for the integration of the GPS Segments such that they provide worldwide GPS capability to support the warfighter and over four billion national security, civil, Allied, and commercial GPS users. Program Element (PE) 1206423SF funds Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) for the Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX), which includes OCX Blocks 0, 1, and 2, and the upgrade to OCX called OCX Block 3F (OCX 3F), which incorporates Regional Military Protection (RMP) and command and control functionality for GPS III Follow-on (GPS IIIF) satellites. GPS Enterprise Integrator (EI) activities are systems engineering and integration activities conducted across the space, user, and ground segments. This activity formerly resided in the OCX PE and was switched to the GPS III Follow-on (GPS IIIF) PE in FY 2023. OCX acquisition was established to 1) provide command and control of legacy and GPS III satellites, 2) incorporate situational awareness to support Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) and signal monitoring, 3) enable mission capability upgrades to support a warfighter effects-based approach to operations, and 4) integrate Department of Defense (DoD) information assurance and cybersecurity controls and capabilities. OCX 3F will upgrade OCX to provide RMP, a high-powered military signal which strengthens U.S. and allied forces' GPS resiliency in contested on tested environments to mitigate future jamming threats. OCX 3F also provides the ability to rapidly reconfigure GPS IIIF satellites to create time-critical warfighter effects. GPS EI is responsible for architecture and system definition (the analysis and definition, management, maintenance, and evolution of the GPS Enterprise requirements and interface technical documents) as well as for the planning, execution, and fielding of the GPS Enterprise. OCX and OCX 3F funds support efforts such as engineering studies and analyses, architectural engineering studies, trade studies, technology needs forecasting, modernization initiatives, systems engineering, system development, resolving obsolescence issues, test and evaluation efforts, pre-operational support activities, and interim contractor support. These activities support upgrades and product improvements for military and civil applications necessary to enable efforts to protect the United States Military and Allies' use of GPS. Additionally, funds ensure OCX and OCX Block 3F efforts meet Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) approved required capabilities. OCX Block 1 and 2 primary development concludes at system acceptance executed via DoD Form DD 250 (planned for late FY 2023). Pre-Operational Support (pre-ops acceptance) and Interim Contractor Support (ICS) (post-ops acceptance) is the final contract phase that completes development, achieves the program's final Acquisition Program Baseline (APB) milestone Ready to Transition to Operations (RTO), supports Operational Acceptance (OA), and transitions OCX to long-term sustainment. Specifically, ICS provides contractor support services to sustain and provide capability insertions; maintain system performance requirements; and participate in government led events, maintenance, integrated supply support, security, and launch activities. RDT&E funded government activities include Development Test and Evaluation (DT&E), GPS Constellation Transfer (CTX), Operational Test and Evaluation OT&E, and OA. Upon completion of those activities, OCX will prepare for, and transition to O&M funded Contractor Logistics Support (CLS). OCX 3F, which achieved Milestone B May 2022, is required to launch and operationally command and control GPS IIIF space vehicles. OCX 3F will upgrade OCX with new capabilities to synchronize with GPS IIIF Space Segment and Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) Increment 2 capabilities. This includes master control station development, GPS system simulator modification, launch and mission planning development, training simulators, integrated logistics support products, test resources, systems engineering required to meet the Government's obligations to the international, military and civil communities, and system requirements verification. OCX 3F will maintain backward compatibility to support the legacy constellation develop solutions necessary to command, control and monitor GPS IIIF, to include integration of RMP high power regional M-code signals, rapid warfighter effects and support to GPS auxiliary payloads. The GPS EI project, transferred from the OCX PE 1206423SF to the GPS IIIF PE 1203269SF in FY23, includes critical efforts associated with the Government's responsibility to accomplish integration of multiple prime contracts across the three GPS enterprise segments, along with the transition to sustainment and operational communities. GPS EI maintains the current GPS architecture and system definition, controls and validates interfaces, ensures compatibility across current Generation II and III systems, and supports ongoing developments within the Space, Ground Control, and User Equipment Segments. GPS EI also develops/manages plans for execution and fielding of new capability like the new Military Code for use at the earliest opportunity. Further, GPS EI provides modeling, simulation, and technical analyses of impacts for Government directed enterprise level trades among the GPS segments leading to definition, management, maintenance, and evolution of the GPS Enterprise requirements and interface technical documents to build and ensure the integrity of the enterprise technical baseline, and perform system requirements verification. GPS EI project funds the technical evolution, risk reduction, enterprise-level testing and delivery of all GPS Enterprise, capabilities. The GPS EI project also assists in the analysis and assessment of futures technology to continue the advancement of the GPS enterprise ensuring GPS capabilities continue to be at the forefront. Examples for Generation II include electronic protection, for Generation III, additional anti-jamming protection and additional civil signals. To accomplish this, GPS EI delivers Test and Verification capabilities, Requirements and Interface Management, and Systems Integration support across the Space, Control, and User Segments. In this capacity, GPS EI is responsible for managing this cross-program work to provide these and other capabilities. GPS EI's analyses guide Government decisions to ensure efficient and effective synchronization and execution across all Generation II and III GPS programs. For Enterprise-wide integration to be successful, the GPS EI: works with the GPS and NDS prime contractor teams to develop plans for early risk reduction System Integration Demonstrations to ensure system interfaces and functionality meet user and system requirements; ensures all equipment and documentation is ready when needed; integrates and analyzes enterprise schedules; and conducts formal test and verification, including Requirement Verification Plans and System Test Plans and Procedures. GPS EI performs all these efforts across all PNT programs in all acquisition phases. The Government owns the GPS Enterprise system requirements and integration, and highly leverages the GPS EI team to eliminate the need to fund a development prime contractor to perform these functions. This enhances Government control, oversight and program accountability. Space acquisition must respond with speed and agility to pacing and emerging adversary threats. Space Systems Command (SSC) has transformed the organization and implementation of space acquisition to an enterprise approach, maximizing innovation and resiliency, leveraging international, commercial, and mission partnerships, and managing program/project priorities according to an integrated unclassified/classified enterprise space architecture. Expanding the appropriate acquisition authorities and contract mechanisms to deliver capability sooner, SSC will strategically execute experimentation, prototyping, risk reduction, and other efforts to develop new or repurpose capabilities. This PE may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver OCX and OCX 3F weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in PEs 1206392SF and 1206398SF. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2024
• Source ID: 1206423SF_7_3620F_PB_2024
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2023: -$82.668M Congressional Directed Reduction FY 2024: +$43.000M to support Blocks 1 and 2 development completion, and transition to pre-operational support/ICS phase. Plus OCX 3F software sustainment, and development costs from new Agile cost model. FY 2024: -$1.806M to realign funding to APPN 3410, PE 1207804SF (SAG 13C), for fiscal policy compliance as Space Systems Command (SSC) establishes Headquarters functions and a Chief Information Office (CIO) for integrated cybersecurity. FY 2024: +$1.228M Inflation adjustment
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Cyber
• Engineered Resilient Systems (Alumni COI)
• Kinetic Weapons
• Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Artificial Satellites
• Command And Control
• Control Systems
• Cost Analysis
• Department Of Defense
• Global Positioning Systems
• Information Assurance
• Logistics
• Logistics Support
• Maintenance
• Navigation
• Satellite Constellations
• Software Development
• Spacecraft
• Systems Engineering
• Test And Evaluation
• United States

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering.
• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Technology.

Technology Areas

• Cyber
• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Microelectronics
• Space