The company said its GPS III satellites and upcoming GPS IIIF spacecraft are designed around environmental, operational and signal resilience. These features are intended to help maintain navigation capabilities in difficult physical, military and electronic environments.
Lockheed Martin said GPS III and GPS IIIF satellites are engineered to survive hurricane-force conditions, severe space weather events and high-radiation environments. The satellites are also hardened against cyberattacks, kinetic threats and the extreme effects of nuclear detonations.
For signal resilience, the satellites are equipped with boosted MCode for secure, antijamming and anti-spoofing access by U.S. and allied warfighters. Lockheed Martin said each GPS III and GPS IIIF satellite uses a modular architecture that allows new technologies and capabilities to be integrated as threats evolve.
GPS III delivers up to eight times the antijamming power for operations compared with legacy spacecraft. GPS IIIF is designed to introduce Regional Military Protection, providing up to 63 times antijamming through beam-focusing techniques.
The GPS IIIF system also includes civilian search and rescue functions for specialized emergency signal processing. Another element is a nuclear detection system that monitors unsanctioned nuclear detonations and supports global treaty compliance.
Lockheed Martin said the future of navigation will rely on a suite of technologies that provide robust and resilient positioning. That suite includes field-ready, high-impact quantum sensors, which the company described as a game-changing technology.
The company said quantum sensors are ultra-precise and operate independently of satellite signals. When paired with existing position, navigation and timing solutions such as GPS, they can provide additional capability in contested or degraded environments.
Lockheed Martin said quantum navigation technology remains in beta stages. The company is investing in its development and working with companies including Q-CTRL and AOSense to develop next-generation quantum navigation sensors for advanced defense platforms.
The company is also supporting the transition of quantum technology from laboratories to operational hardware. That work includes participation in Department of Defense-funded programs, including the Defense Innovation Unit’s effort to prototype a quantum-enabled inertial navigation system.
Lockheed Martin used a multi-level parking garage as an example of how GPS and quantum navigation could work together. In that scenario, GPS may provide the initial broad location while a quantum sensor could help refine the position when concrete and steel interfere with satellite signals.
The company said the value would come from a unified position, navigation and timing framework. GPS would establish a reliable baseline, while quantum sensors would continuously improve accuracy for warfighters operating in contested environments.
Lockheed Martin described the combination of GPS and quantum navigation as more than a technological overlay. It said the approach represents a strategic evolution intended to improve the reliability, accuracy and survivability of the GPS system that underpins modern operations.
Together, GPS and quantum navigation are intended to create a robust, multilayered position, navigation and timing solution. Lockheed Martin said that combined capability could form the foundation for next-generation all-domain missions and provide a decisive advantage for warfighters.
