- A $6.27 billion GPS overhaul collapsed under persistent technical failures
- Testing exposed system flaws that risked global GPS reliability
- US Space Force abandoned the project after the timeline became operationally irrelevant
The United States Space Force has terminated the Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) program after it discovered extensive system issues which made timely delivery impossible.
The target of this program was to modernize the command and control of the GPS satellite constellation.
However after multiple attempts and collaborations, the Defense Acquisition Executive could no longer ignore its inefficiencies and had to let it go.
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What went wrong with the $6.27 billion program?
As of January 2026, the OCX program had cost approximately $6.27 billion, including Raytheon funding and government testing costs.
The Space Force contractually accepted OCX from Raytheon in July 2025 after factory testing, then began extensive integrated systems testing.
During this testing phase, officials discovered problems across a broad range of capability areas that would put current GPS military and civilian capabilities at risk.
The system was intended to replace the current Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP) and the Launch, Anomaly, and Disposal Operations system.
Instead, the Space Force determined that additional investment in OCX was no longer the best solution for protecting and advancing GPS capabilities.
Space Force walked away
In an attempt to make the system work, the government and contractor team adopted a collaborative approach.
However, it became evident that onboarding OCX within an operationally relevant timeline is practically impossible.
“Regrettably, extensive system issues arose during the integrated testing of OCX with the broader GPS enterprise,” said Mission Delta 31 Commander Col. Stephen Hobbs.
“The challenges of onboarding the system within an operationally relevant timeline proved insurmountable.”
The cancellation of a $6.27 billion program after years of development is a clear admission of failure, however, the Space Force had to decide whether to walk away or sink more money into an insurmountable timeline, and it chose the former.
Going forward, instead of completing OCX, the Space Force will continue enhancing the current control system to operate the GPS satellite constellation.
It has made incremental improvements to the existing AEP system over the last ten years due to past OCX delays.
Those successful upgrades provide confidence that further enhancements to GPS ground systems will continue to support the enterprise.
“It’s important we refine and update acquisition processes to prioritize rapid, incremental capability delivery versus complex ‘all or nothing’ system deliveries,” said Acting Service Acquisition Executive Tom Ainsworth.
“The Department of War has made it clear that we need to deliver warfighting capability at a faster rate. We must continue to work with industry to meet the needs of our warfighters as we focus on delivering the right technology on the right timeline to enhance our capabilities and maintain space superiority.”
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