Rockwell Collins Awarded Ground-Based GPS Receiver Application Module Contract Published July 17, 2007 By Maj. Kurt Threat GPS Wing Los Angeles Air Force Base -- The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command and the Global Positioning Systems Wing selected Rockwell Collins Incorporated to supply GPS receivers for its Ground-Based GPS Receiver Application Module (GB-GRAM) program. The new contract awarded June 13 is a five-year base contract with an additional five-year option, representing a total contract value of more than $300 million. The government has already placed an initial $14 million order for GB-GRAM units to 4 military platforms, along with numerous other programs to support testing requirements for future integration. "This win solidifies our position as the U.S. Army standard in the embedded GPS receiver market for the next 10 years," said Ron Hornish, Rockwell Collins vice president and general manager of Sensor Systems The GB-GRAM program was developed in 2003, beginning with two customers. Today, it has become the embeddable GPS engine of choice in the Department of Defense - spanning over 40 military platform integrations from land-based to low dynamic waterborne and airborne systems. In terms of military applications, GB-GRAM benefits the warfighter with enhanced situational awareness, mapping, search and rescue, rendezvous operations and geodetic surveying. In Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, GPS-aided unmanned air vehicles using GB-GRAM demonstrated extremely accurate reconnaissance and surveillance, resulting in improved military capability, while providing efficient navigation in hostile environments. Additional features include the ability to reprogram the unit in the field, dual frequencies, 12 channels, direct-Y acquisition and extended jamming protection. It incorporates the Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) security device, fulfilling a Department of Defense mandate to migrate a SAASM-based architecture for ground-based embedded military applications. Under the contract, Rockwell Collins will provide a low-cost, 12-channel, GB-GRAM, in the small serial interface form factor. This form facture is based upon Rockwell Collins' Miniature Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver Engine-SAASM as a lightweight, low power consuming small sized third-generation GPS receiver. A post-award conference was held June 26 at the Rockwell Collins facility, where members were briefed on changes to the Statement of Work, engineering modifications, source selection debrief, new delivery orders, and forecasts for upcoming buys. A signing ceremony for the follow-on contract was held at the Rockwell Collins' Coralville Operations Manufacturing plant, June 27.