[Satellite TODAY Insider 06-14-11] The U.S. House of Representatives is making alterations to the U.S. Air Force budget in a defense spending bill that is expected to reduce the budget for the GPS space and ground segments from $463.1 million to about $413 million.
Congressional appropriators also are expected to slim the Air Force’s $390.9 million request for its GPS OCX by about $50 million. GPS OCX is currently under development by Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems. The Air Force launch vehicle budget is on the chopping block as well, and is expected to be cut by about $170 million.
The sole beneficiary of the Air Force budget is Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, which is building the Air Force’s Wideband Global Satcom spacecraft — a program set to receive an additional $335 million in the bill. The funds were authorized to purchase the ninth WGS satellite.
Congress is making alterations to the U.S. Air Force’s plans for GPS and its Evolutionary Acquisition for Space Efficiency (EASE) strategy after a June 13 U.S. House of Representatives’ defense subcommittee report harshly criticized the Pentagon’s budget management.
The EASE strategy was first announced in January, when the Air Force unveiled plans to implement a new acquisition strategy that relies more on multi-satellite purchases with the intent of eliminating the funding fits and starts that have plagued space programs in recent years.
Speaking at an Air Force Association media briefing, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said that a “more stable research and development funding for space programs and increased use of fixed-price contracts would also be elements of the new EASE effort that begins with the 2012 budget request.”
The Air Force submitted its 2012 budget request in February. The proposal included the purchase of the fifth and sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications satellites from Lockheed Martin through advanced funding. U.S. House authorizers and appropriators denied the request.
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