A national team led by Lockheed Martin has been selected by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide ground stations and broadcast services that will support satellite navigation signals for aviation use in the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The award, with an initial amount of $38 M, has a potential value of $597 M, if contract options for additional satellite services are exercised.
The FAA's two-year Geostationary Communications and Control Segment (GCCS) program also includes options that would lengthen the contract. These include options to lease satellite communications services on 10-year terms. Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management is the large system integrator for the program and will integrate elements of the GCCS system. Lockheed Martin is joined on this program by teammates, the Boeing Co. and Raytheon.
"GCCS will enable WAAS realization and help make satellite-based navigation for aviation a reality," said Don Antonucci, president, Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management. "Our National Team will apply its collective expertise in helping the FAA realize its goal of improved safety and reliability for aviation users."
WAAS is a GPS-based navigation and landing system for aviation use that will provide precision guidance to aircraft at thousands of airports and airstrips where there is currently no precision landing capability. WAAS improves the accuracy and ensures the integrity of navigation information from GPS satellites. The WAAS broadcast message improves GPS signal accuracy from 100 meters to approximately seven meters. GCCS will help provide the initial flight navigation capability for precision approaches to runway through the full operational capability of WAAS that will come later.
Lockheed Martin and its teammates will provide ground uplink stations that collect GPS navigation data that has been corrected and enhanced for accuracy and also the technology to broadcast the data as signals to geostationary communications satellites. The satellites send the augmented GPS navigation signals to in-flight aircraft equipped to receive them. The FAA can exercise options for additional leased satellite communications services. Teammates Boeing and Raytheon provide expertise in areas of up-link communications and navigation services, respectively.