Overview
- Lockheed Martin won a $105 million Space Force contract to use the upgraded AEP ground system for GPS IIIF launch, early orbit and disposal operations through March 2030.
- RTX received a separate $45 million OCX Block 0 modification to support the final GPS III launch and to assess whether OCX software and tools can be folded into AEP.
- The award returns Lockheed to the lead on the GPS ground segment after the Air Force expanded AEP in 2016 when OCX schedule slips made a stopgap necessary.
- OCX, delivered in mid-2025, remains nonoperational as government testing found software defects, and the program’s price has climbed to roughly $7.6–8 billion after years of delay.
- Space Force leaders are weighing options, including canceling OCX, and relying on AEP is meant to safeguard GPS signals and timing that underpin military navigation and critical civilian systems.