GPS III Satellite

GPS III is Lockheed Martin’s next-generation Global Positioning System satellite, providing the space segment of the US Air Force / Space Force’s modernized GPS constellation. The GPS III program represents the most significant upgrade to the GPS satellite fleet since the system’s inception, delivering major improvements in accuracy, signal strength, and anti-jamming resilience over legacy GPS IIF satellites.

Each GPS III satellite delivers three times better positioning accuracy and eight times improved anti-jamming capability compared to previous generation satellites, critical for both military operations in contested electromagnetic environments and civilian users requiring precision positioning. The satellites carry the new L1C civil signal, designed for interoperability with other global satellite navigation systems including Europe’s Galileo, improving GPS receiver performance for billions of civilian users worldwide.

GPS III satellites are built on Lockheed Martin’s modernized A2100 satellite bus and are designed for a 15-year operational life, longer than earlier GPS generations. The program includes both GPS III and the follow-on GPS IIIF (GPS III Follow-on) satellites, which add a regional military protection capability and a laser retroreflector array for enhanced ground tracking precision. Lockheed Martin has delivered multiple GPS III satellites to orbit as part of the ongoing US GPS constellation modernization.