Core mate joins the primary structural and electronic assemblies of the satellite into an integrated unit, after which integration of payloads and subsystems proceeds toward launch readiness. All GPS IIIF vehicles are built at Lockheed Martin's facility in Denver, Colorado.
The GPS IIIF block introduces Regional Military Protection, which the company says improves anti-jamming capability by more than sixty times compared with earlier generations, strengthening the constellation's resilience against electronic warfare threats. SV11 is also M-Code-enabled, providing an encrypted, anti-spoofing positioning, navigation and timing signal for military users worldwide.
SV11 additionally carries a new search and rescue payload designed to help first responders locate emergencies in remote areas.
Beginning with SV13, all GPS IIIF satellites will be built on Lockheed Martin's evolved LM2100 Combat Bus, which adds cyber-hardening and improvements to spacecraft power, propulsion, and electronics. The bus provides additional size, weight and power margins intended to allow integration of future payloads without major structural redesign.
Production at the Denver facility is being accelerated through the use of augmented reality tools and digital twin modeling. Lockheed Martin is currently under contract through GPS IIIF SV22. The company recently completed all launches in the preceding GPS III block.
Christina Mancinelli, vice president of Global Communications and Navigation at Lockheed Martin, said core mate of SV11 demonstrates "production momentum" and that three satellites past that threshold represents "pivotal steps toward accelerating production" to deliver next-generation resiliency capabilities at the pace required by warfighters.
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