Raytheon [RTN] completed a major systems engineering milestone for the final software iteration in the U.S. Air Force Global Positioning System Next-Generation Operational Control System (GPS OCX) and also developed software more efficiently using commercial best practices, the company said March 7.
The engineering milestone provides extra rigor and accountability around the systems engineering for the rest of the GPS OCX program, Raytheon said. This also enables the more efficient completion of the remaining software development and associated cyber protection capabilities that will harden the GPS OCX system against hackers, double GPS accuracy, enhance its availability, and eventually replace the stop-gap and patching measures currently used on the legacy GPS ground system.
The company highlighted that it used a commercial best practice called DevOps that reduced development cycle times to create more efficient and effective software development. “DevOps combines commercial cloud technologies, new automation and software development processes,” Raytheon said.
This was the first use of DevOps in a large-scale Defense Department acquisition program, the company added.
“The recent milestones achieved for OCX demonstrate our resolve to meet long-term schedule commitments and keep our momentum in 2017. These software development innovations are helping to drive OCX capabilities, the replacement of the legacy GPS ground system, and significant enhancements to GPS overall,” Dave Wajsgras, president of Raytheon’s intelligence, information and services business, said in a statement.
GPS OCX is being developed by Raytheon under contract to the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center to replace the current GPS operations control systems and support the launch of GPS III satellites. The newer system aims to provide better performance, an effective use of modern civil and military signals, and secure information-sharing with cyber protections, Raytheon said.