Boeing announced yesterday that it will add improved operational capabilities to its technology for the US Air Force’s operational control segment (OCS) satellite ground-control system.

The new technology upgrades will allow the system to operate the new Boeing-built global positioning system (GPS) IIF satellites as well as the on-orbit GPS fleet, which is currently in orbit.

The new technology will also provide advanced encryption and data-protection capabilities, to the new GPS IIF satellites, the first of which is expected to be launched in the third quarter of 2009.

Air Force Col. David Madden said that the additional technology would help enhance the performance of the new GPS IIF satellites and the current GPS constellation.

“Boeing and the US Air Force GPS Wing’s seamless deployment of the OCS in September 2007 introduced the beginning of a new era of GPS operational capabilities to support our war fighters and civilian users around the world,” Madden said.

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Vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, Craig Cooning, said that the improvement was the first step in enabling the advancements that the GPS IIF satellite brings to the GPS constellation.

“The flexible design of the OCS system enables it to accommodate technology improvements as they become available,” Cooning said.

The OCS system, also known as the Architecture Evolution Plan, is a distributed-server-based system that is designed to improve operations, increase efficiency and provide a foundation for new capabilities.

By Daniel Garrun.