GPS IIF satellite vehicles continue to modernize the GPS constellation while bringing new capabilities to both military and civilian users. GPS IIF SVs will bring into service the dedicated civil signal (L5) as part of the modernization effort that began with GPS IIR-M. GPS IIF also brings improved accuracy, greater security and anti-jam capabilities over previous blocks while maintaining baseline legacy GPS performance.
In 1996, the GPS IIF contract was awarded to The Boeing Company for the development and production of 33 space vehicles. In 2000, the Air Force modified the contract to increase satellite capabilities and reduce the number of SV's delivered to twelve. On May 27, 2010, the first GPS IIF satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
![Perseverance Mars rover collecting a sample from a rock called "Bunsen Peak"](http://images03.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_large/public/2024-04/ApNewsroom_NASA_Mars_40344.jpg?itok=VDgDNyaU "This photo provided by NASA shows the Perseverance Mars rover collecting a sample from a rock called "Bunsen Peak" using a coring bit on the end of its robotic arm on March 11, 2024. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU via AP)")
