LM Completes Critical Production Milestone for Next-Gen GPS IIIF Satellites

April 29, 2026

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has successfully completed the “core mate” phase of GPS IIIF Space Vehicle 11 (GPS IIIF SV11), a critical production milestone that marks the satellite’s formal “birth.”  

Why it Matters  
Continued manufacturing and deployment of these next-generation GPS spacecraft is essential to maintaining reliable global coverage, with the GPS IIIF block introducing a suite of new capabilities that further strengthens the constellation’s resilience. GPS IIIF satellites are equipped with Regional Military Protection, improving anti-jamming capability by more than sixty times, giving warfighters a decisive edge against sophisticated electronic warfare threats. 

GPS IIIF SV11 is the third GPS IIIF satellite to complete the core mate phase, after SV13 and SV14 completed core mate last year. GPS IIIF SV11 will be the first IIIF satellite to launch. 

“Core mate of SV11 showcases the production momentum behind the next-generation GPS IIIF satellites as we continue to invest in advanced manufacturing,” said Christina Mancinelli, vice president of Global Communications & Navigation at Lockheed Martin. “With three GPS IIIF satellites past core mate, we’ve taken pivotal steps toward accelerating production, ensuring we’re delivering critical next-generation resiliency capabilities to the GPS constellation at the pace warfighters need to protect our nation.” 

The SV11 satellite is also M-Code-enabled, providing an encrypted, anti-spoofing signal that strengthens positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities for military users globally. Additionally, SV11 is equipped with a new search and rescue payload that will allow first responders to navigate to emergencies in remote locations.  

With an eye on strengthening GPS, all GPS IIIF satellites starting with SV13 will be built on the evolved LM2100 Combat Bus™, which adds additional cyber-hardening and improved spacecraft power, propulsion and electronics. These vehicles are equipped with extra size, weight and power, providing flexibility to integrate additional payloads quickly onto future space vehicles.  

GPS IIIF satellites are manufactured at Lockheed Martin’s Denver, Colorado facility, where the company is accelerating production through the use of augmented reality and digital twins. Lockheed Martin is currently under contract through GPS IIIF SV22 and recently completed all launches of GPS III space vehicles. 

Source : Lockheed Martin Corporation