- A $6.27 billion GPS overhaul failed due to persistent technical glitches
- Tests exposed system flaws that put global GPS reliability at risk
- The US Space Force abandoned the project after the schedule became operationally irrelevant.
The United States Space Force terminated the Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) program after discovering significant problems in the system that made timely delivery impossible.
The objective 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.
Article continues below.
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 Raytheon’s OCX in July 2025 after factory testing, then began extensive integrated systems testing.
During this testing phase, officials discovered issues in a wide range of capability areas that would put GPS’s current 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 to protect and enhance GPS capabilities.
The Space Force moved away
In a bid to make the system work, the government and the contracting team took a collaborative approach.
However, it became clear that incorporating OCX within an operationally relevant schedule is virtually impossible.
“Unfortunately, major issues with the system arose during OCX’s integrated testing with the broader GPS enterprise,” said Delta 31 Mission Commander Col. Stephen Hobbs.
“The challenges of incorporating the system within an operationally relevant schedule proved insurmountable.”
Canceling a $6.27 billion program after years of development is a clear admission of failure; However, the Space Force had to decide whether to withdraw or invest more money in an insurmountable schedule, and it chose the former.
In the future, instead of completing OCX, the Space Force will continue to improve the current control system to operate the GPS satellite constellation.
It has made incremental improvements to the existing AEP system over the past ten years due to previous delays at OCX.
Those successful upgrades provide confidence that future enhancements to GPS ground systems will continue to support the company.
“It is important that we refine and update procurement processes to prioritize rapid, incremental delivery of capabilities over complex deliveries of ‘all-or-nothing’ systems,” said interim procurement services executive Tom Ainsworth.
“The War Department has made clear that we need to deliver combat capability at a faster pace. We must continue to work with industry to meet the needs of our warfighters while focusing on delivering the right technology at the right time to enhance our capabilities and maintain space superiority.”
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds.
