Boeing

The Boeing Global Positioning Satellite System (GPS) IIF program recently earned a 93-percent award fee rating from the U.S. Air Force Space & Missile Command for its satellite development effort.

The GPS IIF program received a $1,128,000 award for its performance during the Jan. 1, 1997 through Jan. 1, 1998 reporting period. The "excellent" rating from the Air Force represented a 2-percent higher rating over the previous period.

The program also received an 85-percent rating, a "very good" rating on its control segment activities, providing an additional $147,000 award fee.

GPS is a satellite-based radio navigation system developed and operated by the U.S. Department of Defense. The space-based system permits land, sea and airborne users to instantaneously determine their three-dimensional position, velocity and time 24 hours a day, under all weather conditions anywhere in the world.

Significant strengths contributing to the award, according to the Air Force, included strong management attention to government concerns, improved quality of cost reporting, and excellent technical support to satellite vehicle development, especially the modernization effort currently under way.

"This is a great example of the Boeing implementation of the government's Acquisition Reform initiative," said Bob Glaysher, Boeing vice president and general manager of Satellite Systems.

"Boeing has adopted commercial standards and practices, and state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques to produce a quality, low-cost GPS IIF satellite system, allowing the government to use savings for other military requirements."

Boeing was selected by the Air Force in 1996 to design, develop and produce the next generation of GPS satellites. Block IIF is a contract with a potential value of approximately $1.3 billion. Under terms of the contract, the Boeing team will initially build six satellites, with options for 27 additional satellites, totaling 33 GPS Block IIF vehicles. Also, Satellite Systems will modify the GPS ground control segment and provide launch processing and on-orbit support.