USAF Tries To Bolster Confidence In GPS After Recent Doubt
Reports
Air Force Space Command officials
maintain the Global Positioning System constellation that now has
30 operational satellites, six more than the standard required.
"I have high confidence we will continue to sustain at least the
24 satellites required to maintain our current performance
standard," said Gen. C. Robert "Bob" Kehler, the Air Force Space
Command commander. The current number of satellites being used by
Air Force for global positioning is the most satellites and the
greatest capability to date, since GPS came into fruition in the
1970s.
"We are committed to maintaining our current level of service,
while striving to increase and improve service and capability
through on-going modernization efforts," said Lt. Gen. John T.
"Tom" Sheridan, commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center,
which is the acquisitions arm for Air Force Space Command. "The Air
Force will continue to execute an achievable growth path
maintaining GPS as the premier provider of positioning, navigation
and timing for the military and civilian users around the
world."
Just as it was reported in the Government Accountability
Office's report May 7, Air Force Space Command officials
acknowledged the potential for an availability gap years ago, and
has actively pursued and institutionalized procedures and processes
to mitigate the potential gap or minimize any impact. Command
officials developed key processes within the operational community
as well as the acquisition community to extend the life of on-orbit
assets and to ensure GPS capability is delivered in a timely
manner.
The Air Force launched the seventh of its current block of IIR-M
satellites in April, and will launch another one this fall followed
by the first of 12 Block IIF satellites in early fiscal 2010. The
IIF's sophisticated L-band payload will include new hardware that
serves the civil user community. The next generation of GPS
satellites, the GPS IIIA, with additional navigation signals for
both civilian and military users will improve the accuracy and
availability for all users. GPS IIIA is scheduled for first launch
in 2014.
"New acquisition approaches, including phased acquisition and
prototyping, will reduce risk to constellation sustainment in the
future," General Sheridan said.
"Let me state emphatically; since we declared Full Operational
Capability in 1995, the Air Force has maintained the constellation
above the required 24 GPS satellites on orbit at 95 percent. In
fact, we have achieved sub-three meter accuracy," General Kehler
said. "The Air Force has been a good GPS steward continually
providing 'better than expected' service to our GPS users. At this
point, we foresee no significant loss of service in the future,
near or far."