Northrop, Raytheon get GPS control systems work

Northrop Grumman Corp. and Raytheon Co. have each won 18-month contracts from the Air Force to upgrade the Global Positioning System's Next Generation Control Segment System.

Northrop Grumman's contract is valued at $160 million, and Raytheon's contract is valued at $159.7 million, the Defense Department said last week.

Northrop Grumman said the modernization effort includes mission enterprise control support for existing and future GPS satellites. The GPS ground control segment includes satellite command and control, mission planning, constellation management, monitoring stations and ground antennas.

The system will include anti-jam capabilities, improved system security, accuracy and reliability. It will be based on a service-oriented architecture to integrate government and industry open-system standards, Raytheon said.

Northrop Grumman's team comprises Harris Corp. of Melbourne, Fla.; Integral Systems Inc. of Lanham, Md.; General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems of Arlington, Va.; Infinity Systems Engineering LLC of Colorado Springs, Colo.; NAVSYS Corp. of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Applied Minds Inc. of Glendale, Calif.

Raytheon's Intelligence and Information Systems unit in Garland, Texas, will perform the work. Raytheon did not include its subcontractors in a news release issued earlier today.

Northrop Grumman, of Los Angeles, ranks No. 3 on Washington Technology's 2007 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors. Raytheon ranks No. 6 on the list.