Technology modernization

Air Force Starts GPS Resiliency Effort Using Quick Start Authority

The U.S. Air Force is using the Department of Defense’s Quick Start rapid acquisition authority to initiate work on a resilient national GPS position, navigation and timing capability and command, control and communications battle management for moving targets.

With the Quick Start authority, the service branch can start any new programs without waiting for Congress to legislate a new budget, but spending must be less than $100 million as mandated under the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, DefenseScoop reported.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker and 2024 Wash100 winner, has been pressing Congress for the new authority since 2023, hoping it would accelerate modernization initiatives in their early stages without waiting for funding approvals.

The service has been focused on enhancing GPS resiliency and PNT capabilities, with six Lockheed Martin-made satellites sent into orbit and four space vehicles expected to join a larger GPS constellation in the coming years.

In 2022, the U.S. Space Force tapped Lockheed Martin to deliver three GPS 3F satellites, providing the U.S. not only with a resilient GPS but also with more advanced anti-jamming capabilities and an improved nuclear detection detonation system.