Raytheon Tests GPS OCX Black Wide Area Network; Bill Sullivan Comments

Raytheon has conducted a “run for record” test on network connectivity technology for the operational control system of the U.S. Air Force’s GPS satellite constellation.

The company said Monday it tested the mission capability and cyber control functions of the Black Wide Area Network that is scheduled to be deployed in 2017 as part of OCX blocks 1 and 2.

“This latest milestone shows that OCX will function securely with external interfaces to GPS, demonstrating the maturity of this critical development program,” said Bill Sullivan, Raytheon’s GPS OCX program manager.

The Air Force aims to update positioning, navigation and timing services for military and civilian users of the service branch’s GPS platform.

Raytheon is developing the GPS OCX infrastructure under a contract with the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center.