Jane Edwards
Boeing and Lockheed Martin have submitted proposals to the U.S. Air Force to build the next batch of GPS III satellites for the service branch, Aviation Week reported Tuesday.
Jen DiMascio writes Northrop Grumman also submitted a bid to compete for the satellite production contract.
The service branch intends to award up to three GPS III feasibility and readiness assessment contracts worth approximately $5 million each in the third quarter of 2016, DiMascio reports.
According to the report, each contract will run for 26 months and a competition for the production of 22 GPS III satellites is slated for 2018.
Lockheed proposed a satellite with a Harris Corp.-built digital payload, regional military protection component, laser reflector array and a tool for search-and-rescue operations.
Boeing plans to use gallium nitride-based components for its proposed satellite, according to Aviation Week.
