The fourth Lockheed Martin-built GPS III Space Vehicle (GPS III SV04) has been shipped to Cape Canaveral in preparation for a September 2020 launch, US Space Force announced on 6 August.
Once on-orbit, GPS III SV04 will be the 23rd satellite in the 31-satellite GPS constellation to include the GPS Military Code (M-Code) encrypted signal that enhances anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities.
Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin has installed an M-Code Early Use (MCEU) upgrade to the Operational Control Segment (OCS), which is the in-service GPS ground control system. MCEU allows the OCS to task, upload and monitor M-Code within the GPS constellation, as well as support testing and fielding of modernised user equipment, as a gap-filler for M-Code operations until the next-generation control system is delivered.
MCEU is expected to reach operational acceptance in November 2020.
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Clavister CyberArmour, an integrated defence cybersecurity system, will be used on BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90 platform in deployments with a Scandinavian country, as well as in an eastern European nation.
The tactical satellite (TacSat) is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system and will participate in exercises in 2025.
The airborne three-domain, the two ground-based and the ¼ ATR OpenVPX-based cross-domain systems were engineered to provide real-time security across multi-domain operations.
DARPA’s Mission-Integrated Network Control (MINC) programme was set up to develop an autonomous tactical network and enable critical data flow in contested environments.
Why space is an essential part of modern military capabilities
Defence-secure mixed reality headsets can save hours, or even weeks, of travel time to fix defunct equipment or get subject experts effectively “on-site” where they are needed.
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