March 7 (UPI) -- Raytheon is closer to delivering next-generation capabilities for the U.S. Air Force-led Global Positioning System Operational Control System project.
The company recently announced the completion of a major engineering milestone for the project, also referred to as GPS OCX. The work was conducted over a two-year period, and consisted of software development with a focus on cybersecurity.
Raytheon says the effort can bolster satellite protections against hackers, double GPS accuracy and enhance availability.
"The recent milestones achieved for OCX demonstrate our resolve to meet long-term schedule commitments and keep our momentum in 2017," Raytheon's Dave Wajsgras said. "These software development innovations are helping to drive OCX capabilities, the replacement of the legacy GPS ground system and significant enhancements to GPS overall."
Raytheon adds its production team reduced development cycle times to make its software more efficient using a process called DevOps. The approach combines software development processes with commercial cloud technologies. It's use marks the first large-scale application for a U.S. defense acquisition.
GPS OCX is a project aiming to bolster navigation and cybersecurity capabilities for satellites used by military and civilian users alike. According to Raytheon, the effort is necessary to combat evolving cyber threats posted to military, civilian and corporate assets.
