As a risk reduction effort for the U.S. Air Force’s GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF) satellite program, Frequency Electronics, Inc. (NASDAQ-FEIM) received a contract from Lockheed Martin Space, valued at $5.9 million, for the qualification of FEI’s Digital Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard (DRAFS).

The contract’s intent is to qualify FEI’s DRAFS for potential use on the new GPS IIIF satellites, securing the industrial base for high-accuracy Global Positioning System atomic clocks.

To help the Air Force modernize its GPS satellite constellation with new technology and capabilities, Lockheed Martin Space designed and built the most powerful GPS satellite, GPS III.

With 10 satellites under contract, in 2018, the Air Force selected Lockheed Martin to build up to 22 additional GPS IIIF satellites, adding new features and resiliency to the flexible satellite design. The Air Force began launching GPS III satellites in December 2018. Today, more than 4 billion users rely on GPS.

Stanton Sloane, FEI’s CEO commented, “We are extremely pleased to be awarded this contract and the opportunity to play a significant role in the GPS IIIF program. This award is the culmination of 50+ years of research and development of advanced quartz and atomic clocks based on FEI’s proprietary technologies.

“We are also pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with Lockheed Martin Space on critical national security programs.”

Martin Bloch, FEI’s Executive Chairman added, “I congratulate the FEI team on the development of this digital Rubidium clock for GPS IIIF program. FEI will continue the development of advanced clock technologies for future generations of Satellites and Terrestrial applications.”

Related Links

Frequency Electronics, Inc

GPS Applications, Technology and Suppliers

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ESA joins with business to invent the future of navigation

Paris (ESA) Mar 12, 2019


The only thing more remarkable than how all of us are walking around with space-grade navigation capability and atomic clock timing precision in our pockets is how much we take all of this for granted. Satellite navigation has changed our lives, triggering a quiet revolution in our society and economy.

But it is easy to forget that satellite navigation is only a means to an end – that end being to provide positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services to everyone. Quietly, PNT has evolved into … read more