Northrop Grumman delivers GPS III antennas
Self-deploying antennas destined for next batch of next-generation navigation satellites.
The next-generation of the Air Force's Global Positioning System continues to come together.
Northrop Grumman Corp. said it has delivered 32 self-deploying antennas to prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. for installation on the third through sixth GPS III satellites. Northrop Grumman's Astro Aerospace unit (Carpinteria, Calif.) won a follow-on contract in April 2013 to supply Lockheed Martin with an additional 48 GPS II antennas.
The company said it expects to deliver the remaining 16 antennas later this year.
Eight monopole JIB antennas are used on each GPS III satellite. Once in orbit, the antennas deploy to form an RF antenna array. The antenna can range in length from 12 inches to 25 feet, Northrop Grumman said.
GPS III satellites are designed to provide a three-fold increase in accuracy and up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities.