Lockheed Martin said it delivered the first modernized GPS satellite to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and the spacecraft is undergoing final preparations for its May launch. The satellite, designated GPS IIR-M1, will provide significantly improved navigation performance for U.S. military and civilian users, Lockheed Martin said. It is the first of a series of eight GPS IIR satellites that Lockheed Martin is modernizing for the government fleet.

The enhancements that Lockheed Martin made to the satellite include a modernized antenna panel that will provide increased signal power to GPS receivers on the ground; two new military signals that will allow for improved accuracy, enhanced encryption and anti-jamming performance for the military; and a second civilian signal that will provide users with an open access signal on a different frequency.