spacetoday.net: Pentagon cancels troubled OCX program

Posted: Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 10:51 AM ET (1451 GMT)
The Pentagon has officially ended a program to develop a next-generation GPS ground system after extensive overruns. The Defense Department said Monday it has formally terminated the Next Generation Operational Control System, or OCX, ending a 15-year effort to modernize the ground system for GPS. OCX was intended to replace the current GPS ground system, known as the Architecture Evolution Plan, as well as the separate system used for launch, anomaly response and satellite disposal. But officials concluded the system could not deliver the required capabilities on a timeline or at a level of risk acceptable to support the modernization of the GPS constellation. The program, led by RTX, was awarded in 2010 and had accumulated costs of about $6.27 billion as of January 2026, including government testing and program support expenses. The Space Force recently awarded Lockheed Martin a $105 million contract to continue upgrading the existing Architecture Evolution Plan system as an alternative to OCX.