 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Gulf Coast aerospace |
MAY 2012
Guard F-35 pilots ready to fly
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Two Florida National Guard pilots are now assigned to the
33rd Operations Group at Eglin and will be the first Guard aviators to fly the F-35. Lt. Col.
Randal Efferson and Maj. Jay Spohn will be among the first to learn how to fly the stealth
fighter. Once trained, they’ll help develop the training and standards for other F-35 pilots.
Spohn will be the fifth member of the 33rd to fly the F-35, and the second to train at Eglin;
about three months later Efferson will be the 10th military cadre pilot to fly. (Source: Florida
National Guard Public Affairs Office, 05/23/12)
Medic joins “Hunters” on tour
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- An 81st Aerospace Medicine Squadron flight surgeon
recently participated in the annual 403rd Wing Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour. Maj.
(Dr.) Rhodora Beckinger joined the "Hurricane Hunters" of the Air Force Reserve
Command's Keesler-based 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron during their travel to
six locations in Mexico, Costa Rica, St. Maarten and Puerto Rico to perform hurricane
awareness and coordinate with local emergency managers and weather services in the host
countries. (Source: 81st Medical Group Public Affairs, 05/23/12)
Silver Airways to serve airports
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport will have a new commercial
carrier and a new destination as its hub. Silver Airways of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will take
over routes currently served by Delta Air Lines connecting to Memphis through three
Mississippi regional airports. Delta had notified the United States Department of
Transpiration in July that it intended to drop 24 routes in smaller markets across the nation,
including Hattiesburg-Laurel, Greenville and Tupelo. Now, all three will connect to Atlanta-
Hartsfield International Airport.
Hattiesburg-Laurel Executive Director Thomas Heanue said he expected Silver Airways to
begin service sometime in August. (Source: Hattiesburg American, 05/22/12)
F-35B notches first Eglin flight
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- An F-35B made its first flight at Eglin Air Force Base
Tuesday, two months after 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing officially introduced the Marine Corps'
variant at the 33rd Fighter Wing. The goal for Marines was to start local area operations and
conventional flights, beginning the process of gradually expanding the envelope to short
takeoffs and vertical landings and more complex aerial training. Maintainers have been
preparing for the flight with engine runs and taxi operations for about eight months since F-
35 aircraft began arriving at Eglin last summer. (Source: Eglin Public Affairs, 05/22/12)
APKWS successfully tested
NASHUA, N.H. -- BAE Systems announced that the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System
scored its first-ever penetrating guided-rocket shots with the M282 warhead during recent
tests at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The tests, deemed successful by Army and Navy
representatives, illustrate the product's ability to engage targets at close range and
penetrate complex targets. Using inert M282 warheads with unmodified flight software,
APKWS engaged six targets from airborne helicopters at ranges of 1.5 to 4 kilometers. All
six shots hit the target less than two meters from the laser spot. During two live warhead
ground shots, APKWS rockets with the M282 warheads penetrated a triple brick wall and an
M114 armored personnel carrier. (Source: Business Wire, 05/22/12)
SpaceX launches rocket
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The SpaceX rocket launched Tuesday from a pad at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station for a cargo mission to the International Space Station. Falcon 9
lifted the Dragon capsule at 3:44 a.m. Eastern Time. Before docking with the ISS, the
capsule will undergo a series of tests to determine if the vehicle is ready to berth with the
station. (Sources: multiple, 05/22/12) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests
rocket engines for other private companies involved in space flight.
Michoud holds networking
NEW ORLEANS -- Michoud Assembly Facility on Thursday will hold a free networking
conference for government agencies, prime contractors and small businesses. It will be held
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Michoud Assembly Facility to showcase the facility's
manufacturing community and to help small businesses find opportunities to grow. (Source:
New Orleans Times Picayune, 05/21/12)
NATO getting 5 Global Hawks
Northrop Grumman and NATO signed a $1.7 billion contract Sunday for a new surveillance
and intelligence system that will include five unmanned Global Hawk Block 40s. Called the
Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system, it's designed to support a broad range of
missions for the alliance. The deal was signed during the meeting of NATO members in
Chicago. Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United States are expected to participate in
the system's acquisition, but all 28 alliance nations are to participate in long-term support.
The first aircraft will arrive at Sigonella air base in Sicily in 2015 with full operational
capability in 2017. It will be co-located with U.S. Air Force Global Hawks and U.S. Navy Broad
Area Maritime Surveillance aircraft. (Source: multiple, including Reuters, Northrop Grumman
via PRNewswire, 05/20/12) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawk center fuselages are built in Moss
Point, Miss.
Contract: Raytheon, $85M
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded an $85,500,000 firm-fixed-price/cost-plus-
fixed-fee contract to procure of Griffin missiles. First delivery order is for the procurement of
22 all-up-rounds and 43 telemetry rounds. The location of the performance is Tucson, Ariz.
Work is to be completed by July 31, 2013. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/18/12)
NASA eyes Delta IV stage
NASA plans to use a modified Delta IV second stage atop an early version of the Space
Launch System for the unmanned Orion test flight in 2017, and for a manned flight four
years later. In a May 3 procurement notice, NASA said the Boeing-designed Delta IV second
stage is the only means available to support the immediate propulsion needs, and it’s the
only one that requires relatively minor modifications to launch astronauts by 2021. (Source:
Florida Today, 05/16/12; NASA procurement notice, 05/03/12) Gulf Coast note: The Orion
crew vehicle is built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans; the SLS first stage will use
four RD-25 engines, tested at Stennis Space Center; Delta IV is built in Decatur, Ala., by
Boeing and Lockheed Martin's United Launch Alliance. The first stage is powered by RS-68
engines, tested at SSC, and the second by a Pratt & Whitney RL-10; NASA and the Air
Force are studying a replacement for the RL-10 class.
Hurlburt losing civilian workers
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. – Eighteen civilian workers at Hurlburt Field will be let go as a result
of cutbacks announced in November 2011. Most of the positions were vacant when the cuts
were first announced, but voluntary retirements and separation incentives did not reach the
goal of 100, leaving 18 people without jobs at the end of September 2012. Before then,
however, they may be placed in other positions. The cuts are designed to return Hurlburt
Field to 2010 employment levels. (Sources: WEAR-TV, WTVY-TV, Northwest Florida Daily
News, 05/17/12)
Keesler to get new commander
BILOXI, Miss. -- Brig. Gen. Bradley Spacy will assume command of the 81st Training Wing
during a ceremony at Keesler Air Force Base on Friday. Spacy will replace Brig. Gen.
Andrew Mueller, who has been selected for a new command assignment at the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization Air Base Geilenkirchen in Germany. Spacy comes to Keesler from the
Office of the Secretary of the Air Force in Washington, D.C., where he served as chief of the
Senate Liaison Office and was responsible for communicating Air Force priorities and
programs to the U.S. Senate. (Source: Sun Herald, 05/16/12)
J-2X tested seven second
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A Rocketdyne J-2X had a seven-second test firing
Wednesday that focused on a modified nozzle extension that dissipates heat generated by
the engine. The Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne J-2X is being developed for use in the
second stage of NASA's Space Launch System. Another J-2X test, this one a powerpack, is
expected next week. The powerpack sits on top of the engine and feeds the thrust chamber
system, which produces engine thrust. (Source: GCAC, 05/16/12) Previous
RS-68A tested at SSC
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68A engine was
tested Tuesday at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The engine, an upgrade of the RS-68
engine, is a liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen booster engine designed to provide increased
thrust and improved fuel efficiency for the Delta IV family of launch vehicles. Each RS-68A
provides 702,000 pounds of lift-off thrust, or 39,000 more pounds of thrust than a basic RS-
68 engine. After testing at Stennis Space Center, the engines are shipped to Decatur for
integration into a United Launch Alliance Delta IV to lift government payloads. (Source:
GCAC, 05/16/12)
12th F-35 arrives
The 12th Lockheed Martin F-35 that will be used for the training fleet at Eglin Air Force
Base, Fla., arrived Tuesday after a 90-minute flight from Fort Worth, Texas. The pilot of BF-
11 was U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Fred Schenk. The F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing
production jet is now assigned to the Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron 501 residing
with the host 33d Fighter Wing, where it will be used for pilot and maintainer training. Eglin
now has 12 F-35s. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 05/15/12)
Keesler in running for school
Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, are candidate bases for
the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) and Air Liaison Officer (ALO) School. Recent and
current operations have created an increase in demand for TACPs to support Army units.
The current TACP/ALO School at Hurlburt Field, Fla., lacks adequate facilities and ranges to
train the required number of TACP Airmen. Both bases will be evaluated and officials expect
to announce the preferred location this summer. The final decision will be made after
environmental impacts are analyzed. (Source: AFNS, 05/15/12)
F-22s get short leash
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered the Air Force to take additional steps to mitigate
risks to F-22 pilots in light of an unresolved problem related to the oxygen system. Some
pilots of experienced hypoxia-like symptoms, and some have refused to fly the Lockheed
Martin built aircraft. Beginning immediately, F-22 flights will remain near potential landing
locations, and the Air Force will expedite installation of an automatic backup oxygen system.
(Sources: multiple, including American Forces Press Service, MSNBC, Los Angeles Times,
05/15/12) Gulf Coast note: Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., is among the six bases were F-22s
are based, and also trains F-22 pilots.
Gulf Coast bases valued at $20.3B
Military facilities along the Gulf Coast Interstate 10 corridor have a combined replacement
value of $20.3 billion, with three bases accounting for nearly $8.2 billion of that amount.
According to the fiscal year 2012 Department of Defense Base Structure Report, the region
between Southeast Louisiana and Northwest Florida has 47 DoD sites with a combined
723,297 acres – more than 1,130 square miles. Many of the sites, notably in South Alabama
and Northwest Florida, are outlying fields used by aviators for training. (Source: Gulf Coast
Aerospace Corridor, 05/15/12)
Study eyes mission, local development
Final recommendations are expected in June from a study about the impact on local
communities from the expected increase in military training at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The
Tri-County Small Area Studies is a joint project of Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton
counties, along with Eglin. The expected increase in air traffic at Eglin prompted the look at
future planning and development to ensure it doesn't conflict with Eglin's mission. Eglin's
2009 Joint Land Use Study projected the number of flights in the base's air space will
increase to 427,000 a year by 2014, more than doubling the 192,000 in 2009. (Source:
Northwest Florida Daily News, 05/13/12)
NG’s environmental stewardship
MOSS POINT, Miss. -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality selected
Northrop Grumman's Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point for membership in enHance,
the department's voluntary stewardship program. Northrop Grumman earned the enHance
designation of "Leader" by voluntarily implementing two environmental enhancement
projects and a community service project. The 101,000-square-foot facility, part of Northrop
Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector, opened in 2006 and does assembly work on the
Fire Scout unmanned helicopter and ground control stations for the Navy. It also builds
center fuselages for the Global Hawk for the Air Force, the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance
system for the Navy and the Euro Hawk for Germany. (Source: Northrop Grumman,
05/14/12)
Tyndall mission statement changed
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Brig. Gen. John McMullen, the 325th Fighter Wing
commander, has announced the wing mission statement has changed to “Train and Project
Unrivaled Combat Power.” The change better reflects the current and future missions at
Tyndall, the general said. “On any given day, Tyndall has more than 100 of its members
deployed to a variety of combat arenas. With the transition to Air Combat Command in
October, Tyndall will also be tasked to provide a full combat F-22 Raptor squadron when
called on by the combatant commanders," said McMullen. (Source: 325th Public Affairs,
05/10/12)
Contract: Enterprise Ventures, $12.5M
Enterprise Ventures Corp., Johnstown, Pa., is being awarded a $12,529,511 firm-fixed-price
contract for the production of 12 carriage, stream, tow, and recovery system kits in support
of the Naval Air Systems Command, MH-60S Airborne Mine Countermeasures Program. The
objectives of the program are to design, fabricate, test, and integrate a system for the
carriage, stream, tow and recovery of all five airborne mine countermeasures sensors to
support the mission of the MH-60S helicopter. The contract includes an option that would
bring the cumulative value to $31,969,022. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pa., and is
expected to complete by November 2014. Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City
Division, Fla., is the Contracting Activity. (Source: DoD, 05/11/12)
Flight academy launches
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The National Flight Academy at Naval Air Station Pensacola welcomed
its first class Thursday afternoon. The $45 million academy near the National Naval Aviation
Museum creates a science, technology, engineering and math learning environment within a
center that replicates the feel of an aircraft carrier. The first class has students from
Escambia and Milton High schools. Astronaut Mark Kelly gave the keynote speech Friday
morning. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 05/11/12) Previous
Exploreum gets Airbus grant
MOBILE, Ala. -- The Airbus Corporate Foundation awarded a second $50,000 grant to the
Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center in keeping with its goal to "inspire disadvantaged
children and young adults through aviation." The Exploreum will use the funds to expand its
first year pilot youth mentoring and aeronautics program. Dubbed ExploreAIR, the
Exploreum's expanded program will focus on students, grade 6-12, and support the science
center's ongoing Workforce Development initiatives. (Source: Mobile Press-Register,
05/10/12)
Eglin gets two F-35Bs
Two F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing production aircraft arrived at Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., Thursday after a 90-minute flight from Fort Worth, Texas. It brings to 25 the number of
production F-35 deliveries to the Department of Defense. The Marine Corps F-35s,
designated BF-9 and BF-10, are now assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's Marine
Fighter/Attack Squadron 501 residing with the host 33d Fighter Wing. Eglin now has 11 F-
35s. Both jets will be used for pilot and maintainer training at the F-35 Integrated Training
Center. Another F-35B, BF-11, is also slated to arrive soon at Eglin. (Source: PRNewswire,
05/10/12)
J-2X powerpack tested
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA conducted a 340-second test of the J-2X
powerpack Thursday as part of the development of the next-generation rocket engine for
the Space Launch System. Thursday's test is part of a series of firings on the J-2X
powerpack, a system of components on the top of the J-2X, including the gas generator,
oxygen and fuel turbopumps, and related ducts and valves. On the full J-2X engine, the
powerpack feeds the thrust chamber system, which produces engine thrust. The test was to
operate the turbopumps over a range of speeds by varying the gas generator valve
positions. (Source: NASA/SSC, 05/10/12) Previous
Contract: Raytheon, $11.4M
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded an $11,435,796 cost-plus-fixed-
fee contract for central processing unit, circuit card assembly spike extension on the Lot 24
advanced medium-range air-to-air missile production lot. The location of the performance is
Tucson, Ariz. Work is to be completed by Jul. 31, 2013. AAC/EBAC, Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/10/12)
Contract: McDonnell Douglas, $24M
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $23,999,000 cost-plus-fixed-
fee and firm-fixed-price contract for indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity for technical
support for the Joint Direct Attack Munition weapon system to include non-warranty induction
and repair, annual software updates, mission planning support and studies/analysis. The
location of the performance is St. Louis, Mo. Work is to be completed by Dec. 31, 2013.
AAC/EBDK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/10/12)
Senate panel gets F-35 update
Senior leaders from the Air Force and Navy told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s
airpower panel that the F-35 remains the centerpiece of the services’ modernization
program. Navy Vice Adm. David J. Venlet, F-35 program executive officer, said technical and
cost issues remain, but the F-35 is an impressive marriage of engine and airframe, and
carrier test pilots have lauded its handling characteristics. (Source: American Forces Press
Service, 05/09/12) Venlet told the panel the next contracts for F-35s will be tied more closely
than previous ones to testing, assembly and software progress. Six of the 31 aircraft in the
next round won't be awarded until Lockheed Martin meets at least five criteria, including
successful review this year of the latest software release. (Source: Bloomberg, 05/08/12)
Venlet later touted a fix for the jet’s troubled, high-tech helmet, which officials hope will solve
jitter picture and lag time issues. A “micro-inertial measurement unit” is expected to fix the
jitter, while “signal processing changes in the software and the architecture” could fix the lag.
Program officials also plan to improve a camera installed on the helmet which they believe
will fix “the acuity and night vision,” he said. (Source: Navy Times, 05/09/12) Meanwhile,
Lockheed Martin issued a press release about the milestones in the F-35 flight test
program, noting progress in the first four months of 2012 ranging from a record number of
flight hours in March to the 30 local area orientation flights at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
(Source: Lockheed Martin, 05/08/12)
MSU hosting UAS symposium
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Some of the nation's leading experts in unmanned aerial systems will
be at Mississippi State University May 14-16 for the 2012 UAS Symposium. The symposium
will focus on the impact of unmanned aircraft technology on research, defense, homeland
security, law, and public policy. The university and the Association of Unmanned Aerial
Systems International-Mississippi are co-hosts. The program features a lineup of speakers,
panel discussions, flight demonstrations, and tours. Maj. Gen. James O. Poss, U.S. Air
Force assistant deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, will
deliver the keynote address Tuesday. (Source: MSU, 05/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scout
and Global Hawk UAVs are built in part in Moss Point, Miss., and bases in the region are
involved in UAV activities.
NG gets NETC contract
HERNDON, Va. -- The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman a three-year, $84 million
indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to support the Naval Education Training
Command at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. Northrop Grumman will provide planning and
assessment, curriculum development, and computer-based modeling and simulation training
solutions. The team will also be responsible for providing program management and staff
support. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 05/07/12) Previous
The election and Airbus
The political columnist of the Mobile Press-Register takes on the question of whether the
election of Francois Hollande as president of France might have an impact on "The Project,"
shorthand for the effort to get an aircraft assembly plant in Mobile. He concludes the change
in leadership at Airbus parent EADS is more relevant. (Source: Mobile Press-Register,
05/09/12)
Chamber unveils economic plan
DAPHNE, Ala. -- The Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce has unveiled its new Blueprint
for a Better Tomorrow economic development strategy. At a news conference Tuesday,
Bradley Byrne, the chamber board's vice chairman for economic development, outlined four
areas of concentration, including aerospace. The chamber also wants to leverage the
higher educational attainment level of Baldwin County residents. (Source: Mobile Press-
Register, 05/08/12)
Contract: Northrop Grumman, $25.7M
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems Sector, San Diego, Calif., is being
awarded a $25,709,758 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract to
purchase three Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicles Lot
5 low rate initial production and one ground control station. Work will be performed in Moss
Point, Miss. (55 percent), and San Diego, Calif. (45 percent), and is expected to be
completed in December 2013. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 05/08/09)
Report puts new focus on F-22
A report on television’s 60 minutes about pilots who refuse to fly the F-22 because of
hypoxia-related safety issues has pulled attention back to the advanced aircraft. Air Combat
Command in Langley, Va., said it was inundated with requests for response regarding the
Sunday report. Investigators have yet to pin down what’s wrong with the planes oxygen
system that grounded the aircraft, including those at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., for
months. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., issued a statement Monday vowing to work to help to
solve the problems. He also wants the entire training mission at Tyndall. (Source: Panama
City News Herald, 05/07/12)
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $237.7M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being
awarded a $237,740,000 modification to the previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee F-
35 Low Rate Initial Production IV contract for changes to the configuration baseline
hardware or software resulting from the JSF development effort. This modification increases
the concurrency cap for the U.S. Marine Corps and United Kingdom short take-off vertical
landing aircraft; Air Force and Netherlands conventional take-off and landing aircraft; and
Navy carrier variant aircraft. The concurrency cap establishes the threshold at or under
which the contractor is obligated to incorporate government-authorized changes. Work will
be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to span multiple years. This contract
modification combines purchases for the Navy (64.5 percent); Air Force (29 percent); the
United Kingdom (3.5 percent); and the Netherlands (3 percent). The Naval Air Systems
Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/07/12) Gulf
Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
Contact: Lockheed Martin, $14.2M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Ft. Worth, Texas, is being
awarded a $14,165,940 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract
to implement required design changes that allow coalition training operations for the F-35.
Work will be performed at Orlando, Fla. (55 percent), Fort Worth, Texas (34 percent), and El
Segundo, Calif. (11 percent). Work is expected to be completed in December 2016. Naval
Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD,
05/07/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
2nd AEHF launched
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. -- The 45th Space Wing on Friday
successfully launched the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite onboard a
United Launch Alliance Atlas V vehicle. AEHF-1 was launched from here in August of 2010.
AEHF is a joint service satellite communications system that will provide communications for
high-priority military ground, sea and air assets. The AEHF system is the follow-on to the
Milstar system. (Source: 45th Space Wing Public Affairs, 05/04/12) United Launch Alliance is
a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Previous on AEHF. Gulf Coast note: Core
propulsion work for the AEHF is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
GD gets NETC contract
FAIRFAX, Va. -- General Dynamics Information Technology has been awarded a contract by
the Navy to deliver education and training support services to the Naval Education and
Training Command and the Naval Education and Training Professional Development and
Technology Center. The three-year, multiple-award contract has a potential value of $97.4
million to all nine awardees, if all options are exercised. General Dynamics will provide
personnel to support training services including instructional designers, computer
programmers, computer graphics specialists, military analysts and senior training analysts.
Work will primarily be performed in Pensacola, Fla., Gulfport, Miss., Hampton Roads, Va.,
and Port Hueneme, Calif. (Source: General Dynamics, 05/07/12)
AJ26 has acceptance test
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Engineers at NASA's Stennis Space Center conducted a
55-second hot-fire engine acceptance test of the Aerojet AJ26 engine E9 on Thursday. The
test on the E-1 test stand, and involved engineers from NASA, Orbital Science Corp. and
Aerojet. After test data is reviewed and the engine inspected, it will be shipped to the
Wallops Flight Facility launch site in Virginia for installation on Orbital's Antares rocket. A
pair of Aerojet engines will provide first-stage power for the rockets on missions to the
International Space Station. Orbital is a partner in NASA's Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services joint research and development program. (Source: NASA/SSC,
05/03/12)
TRSS changes command
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Lieutenant Col. Jason Costello assumed command of
the 325th Training Support Squadron from Lt. Col. Douglas Kugler during a change of
command ceremony Friday. Prior to the change of command, Costello was the 325th Fighter
Wing Chief of Safety. Kugler is now the 325th Operations Group Action Officer. (Source:
325th Public Affairs, 05/04/12)
Contract: L-3, $29.8M
L-3 Communications Aerospace LLC., Madison, Miss., was awarded a $29,787,008 labor-
hour contract. The award will provide for the labor and administration services in support of
aircraft production at the Corpus Christi Army Depot. Work will be performed in Corpus
Christi, Texas, with an estimated completion date of April 28, 2014. Eighteen bids were
solicited, with eight bids received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal,
Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/04/12)
Contract: L-3, $48.2M
L-3 Communications Aerospace, LLC, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $48,219,927 labor-
hour contract. The award will provide for the labor services in support of aircraft production
at the Corpus Christi Army Depot. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas, with an
estimated completion date of April 28, 2014. Sixteen bids were solicited, with five bids
received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting
activity. (Source: DoD, 05/04/12)
State funds base support programs
The state of Florida will have $4.6 million to spend on programs supporting its defense
installations in the fiscal year starting July 1. Funding includes money for three grant
programs and the Florida Defense Support Task Force, The task force was created last
year by the legislature to help the state prepare for a future BRAC round and attract more
R&D and other defense activities. The state last year allocated $5 million for the task force,
and the FY 2012-2013 budget adds $2 million more. The grant programs will get $2.6
million. Florida is home to 21 military bases and missions, making defense Florida's third-
largest job producer. The state's military presence brings $58 billion into its economy
annually. (Source: Defense Communities, 05/04/12) Northwest Florida is home to Naval Air
Station Pensacola, Corry Station, Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Hurlburt Field, Duke Field,
Eglin Air Force Base, Tyndall Air Force Base and Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama
City.
Hawker Beechcraft files Ch 11
Hawker Beechcraft, the company Louisiana tried 17 months ago to lure to Baton Rouge,
filed for bankruptcy protection Thursday. The company said it reached an agreement with
many creditors on a plan to restructure its debt. Hawker Beechcraft, based in Wichita, filed
for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in federal bankruptcy court in New York. It secured
funding to continue to pay workers, vendors and others. The company employs some 7,400
people, with 4,700 working in Wichita. It also has factories in Little Rock, Ark., Britain and
Mexico, as well as more than 100 service centers worldwide. (Source: Baton Rouge
Advocate, 05/04/12, Wichita Eagle, PRNewswire, 05/03/12)
Kelly to address academy class
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Retired astronaut Mark Kelly will be the keynote speaker during the
May 11 grand opening for the first class of students attending the National Flight Academy.
Kelly is the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, wounded in a shooting during an
outdoor event last year. Kelly, a former combat pilot, will be joined by retired astronauts Neil
Armstrong and Gene Cernan. The flight academy, a replica of the inside of an aircraft
carrier, is designed to interest students in careers in science, technology, engineering and
math. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 05/03/12)
Science center has first harvest
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Infinity Science Center on May 7 will show off its
first major aeroponically-grown lettuce harvest from the Controlled Environment
Agriculture exhibit. The exhibit demonstrates methods astronauts on long-
duration space missions can use to grow food, in this case lettuce grown without
the use of soil. The prototype exhibit was developed and built by Innovative
Imaging and Research with funding from the Chief Technologist’s Office and the
University of Southern Mississippi’s Business and Innovation Assistance Center,
in partnership with the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology. (Source: NASA/SSC,
05/03/12)
Airport gets improvements grant
KILN, Miss. -- Stennis International Airport, just outside NASA's Stennis Space
Center, is receiving a federal grant of $855,000 for several improvement projects
associated with a new terminal. The projects include construction of a new aircraft
parking apron, rehabilitation of part of another apron and repainting taxiway
markings. Some of the funds also will be used to improve a runway safety area,
according to the Federal Aviation Administration. (Sources: Sun Herald, 05/02/12,
FAA, 05/03/12)
UT eyes one Rocketdyne buyer
United Technologies' talks to sell its Rocketdyne space unit are focused on one
possible buyer, the head of the company's Pratt & Whitney engine unit told
Reuters. UT in March put up for sale Rocketdyne, which makes engines for space
programs. It's part of an effort to avoid selling new common shares to fund its
$16.5 billion pending takeover of aerospace components maker Goodrich Corp.
(Source: Reuters, 05/02/12) Gulf Coast note: Rocketdyne has an operation at
Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Goodrich has an operation in Foley, Ala.; UT unit
Sikorsky has an operation in Pensacola, Fla.
Rubio touts Eglin’s importance
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – It would be foolish to move any of Eglin Air Force
Base’s mission elsewhere, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told a crowd at the Air Force
Armament Museum Wednesday. He said investments have been made at Eglin for
decades, and affirmed his support of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Bill
marker requiring the Air Armament Center to stay at Eglin unless a future Base
Realignment and Closure Act declares otherwise. An Air Force reorganization
proposes eliminating AAC, merging the 46th Test Wing and 96th Air Base Wing and
having it report to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Many fear that’s a first step
towards moving more Eglin operations to Edwards. (Source: Northwest Florida
Daily News, 05/02/12)
SpaceX launch delayed again
The launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is being delayed again while software issues are
worked out. The rocket, carrying the Dragon capsule, is the first attempt by a private
company to send cargo to the International Space Station. It was originally scheduled for
April 30, delayed until May 7 and now delayed again. SpaceX in December 2010 launched a
Dragon into orbit and back, a first for a commercial outfit. SpaceX has a $1.6 billion NASA
contract to fly 12 cargo missions to the ISS. Orbital Sciences has a similar contract and is
developing a rocket for a test flight this summer from Wallops Islands, Va. (Sources:
multiple, including AFP via Space Travel, Washington Post, Huntsville Times, 05/02/12) Gulf
Coast note: NASA’s Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests rocket engines for Orbital Sciences.
L3 unveils military tribute
CRESTVIEW, Fla. -- L3 Crestview Aerospace on Wednesday unveiled the Armed Forces
Tribute Memorial, designed and built by its workers. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said it’s an
outstanding thing for the company to have at its gate. He said the products of L3 go to the
warfighter, and the memorial will serve as a reminder of this important work. L3 Crestview
Aerospace employs about 900 people at its facility at the Bob Sikes Airport. (Source: WEAR-
TV, 05/02/12)
NAS Whiting eyes utility savings
MILTON, Fla. -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast Public Works Department
Pensacola awarded a $3.6 million Utility Energy Services Contract to Gulf Power of
Pensacola for an energy conservation project aboard Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Milton,
Fla. The project, designed to reduce energy consumption and upgrade energy management
infrastructure of 12 facilities, will start in July and is expected to be completed by April 2013.
(Source: NNS, 05/02/12)
NASA picks 10 STTR projects
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA selected 10 proposals, one involving technology
for Stennis Space Center, from small business and research institution teams to continue
work on innovative technologies that could advance future missions. The Phase II winners in
the agency's Small Business Technology Transfer Program now can enter negotiations for
possible contract awards, with a total for all projects of about $7.49 million. The Stennis-
related project is for technology being developed for the Office of the Chief Technologist by
Combustion Research and Flow Technology of Pipersville, Pa., and the University of
Alabama in Huntsville, Ala. (Source: NASA/SSC, 05/02/12)
PW delivers 50th F135
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Pratt & Whitney has delivered the 50th production F135 engine
for the Lockheed Martin's F-35. The engine is scheduled to be installed in a F-35C carrier
variant for the Navy. The F-35C will be delivered to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., this summer
for Navy pilot training. To date, the F135 propulsion system has powered more than 330
vertical landings, 2,000 test flights producing more than 3,000 flight hours. Pratt & Whitney
is a United Technologies Corp. company. (Source: PRNewswire, 05/02/12)
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $7.5M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being
awarded a $7,516,372 modification to the previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm
target F-35 Low Rate Initial Production IV Sustainment contract. This modification provides
for the procurement of 1,198 active matrix liquid crystal displays, a diminishing
manufacturing source part, for all low rate initial production variants. Work will be performed
in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in May 2012. This contract combines
purchases for the Air Force (29.8 percent); the Marine Corps (14.4 percent); the Navy (12.1
percent); and the Cooperative Program Participant (43.7 percent). The Naval Air Systems
Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/30/12) Gulf
Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
Contract: Qualis, Spectrum, $77M
Qualis Corp., Madison County, Ala., and Spectrum Comm. Inc., Newport News, Va., are
being awarded a $77,000,000 cost indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity with cost-plus-fixed-
fee and cost reimbursement task orders contract to procure operational test and evaluation
services to support Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center in accomplishment of
operational test and evaluation activities. The locations of performance are Kirtland Air
Force Base, N.M., Eglin, Air Force Base, Fla., Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., and Edwards,
Air Force Base, Calif. Work is to be completed by Oct. 31, 2017. AFOTEC/A-7K, Kirtland Air
Force Base, N.M., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/30/12)
Blue Angels next leader named
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Navy announced Tuesday that the new commander of the Blue
Angels flight demonstration team for the 2013-2014 season will be Cmdr. Thomas Frosch,
who succeeds Capt. Greg McWherter. Frosch, a native of Michigan, joins the Blue Angles
after serving as commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 146 at Naval Air Station
Lemoore, Calif. The change of command will be Nov. 4, 2012. The Blue Angels flight
demonstration team is based at Naval Air Station Pensacola. (Sources: multiple, including
WALA-TV, WKRG-TV, WEAR-TV, 05/01/12)
APRIL 2012
Afghan kills Eglin soldier
A soldier assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., died April 25 in Afghanistan when
he was shot by a rogue Afghan soldier. The Department of Defense said Staff Sgt.
Andrew T. Britton-Mihalo, 25, of Simi Valley, Calif., died in Kandahar province. He
was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group at Eglin. The Ventura
County Star in California reported that Britton-Mihalo is the soldier that was killed
when an Afghan soldier turned his weapon on mentors. Several others were
injured. (Source: DoD, 04/28/12, Shadow Spear, Ventura County Star, 04/29/12)
Marine F-35 to start local fights
The Marine Corps will start local area flights on the F-35B this week at Eglin Air
Force Base, Fla. Local area flights at Eglin are on-going with the F-35A
conventional take-off and landing version, and the Marine’s F-35B will be joining
the F-35A in the air once Naval Air Systems Command gives its consent. "[We]
expect to be flying on or about 1 May," a senior USMC official told Flightglobal.
(Source: Flightglobal, 04/27/12)
SpaceX to launch May 7
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to take off May 7
from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in a demonstration project for NASA's
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. During the flight, SpaceX's Dragon
capsule will conduct a series of check-out procedures to test and prove its
systems, including the capability to rendezvous and berth with the International
Space Station. (Source: NASA, 04/27/12)
Boeing marks 50 years in Alabama
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Boeing today celebrates 50 years in Alabama. It's the largest
aerospace company in the state, where it maintains its Strategic Missile and
Defense Systems headquarters in Huntsville, as well as its largest program,
Ground-based Midcourse Defense. Huntsville also hosts Boeing Exploration
Launch Systems, which oversees NASA's Space Launch System and support to the
International Space Station. (Source: Boeing, 04/30/12) Gulf Coast note: Michoud
Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center, Miss., are involved in
NASA's SLS program.
Contract: Sikorsky, $63.3M
Sikorsky Support Services Inc., Pensacola, Fla., is being awarded a $63,331,119
modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery requirements contract for
logistics services and materials for organizational, intermediate, and depot-level
maintenance on 179 T-34, 54 T-44, and 192 T-6 aircraft based primarily at Naval Air
Station Corpus Christi, Texas; NAS Whiting Field, Fla.; and NAS Pensacola. Work will
be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas (50 percent), Whiting Field, Fla. (39
percent), Pensacola, Fla. (8 percent), and various sites within the continental
United States (3 percent). Work is expected to be completed in September 2012.
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 04/27/12)
Language added to keep AAC
Under a provision in the draft version of the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill,
the Air Force would have to keep a key research, development, test and
evaluation facility at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Local officials say a reorganization
announced in November jeopardizes the base. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., sponsored
the language requiring the Air Force to retain the Air Armament Center at Eglin
unless a future base closure action rules otherwise. The Air Force is consolidating
the Air Force Materiel Command's 12 centers into five, disestablishing the Air
Armament Center and combining the 46th Test Wing and 96th Air Base Wing and
having it report to the Air Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Local
officials fear the reorganization is a precursor to moving the operations of the
46th Test Wing to Edwards. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 04/26/12)
Orion test vehicle arrives
The Orion Ground Test Vehicle is now at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Operations
and Checkout Facility after traveling 1,800 miles from Lockheed Martin's Waterton
Facility near Denver, Colo., where it completed a series of acoustic, modal and
vibration tests. The ground test vehicle will now be used for pathfinding
operations at the O&C in preparation for the Orion spaceflight test vehicle's arrival
this summer. The spaceflight vehicle is being fabricated at NASA's Michoud
Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La., and is slated for NASA's Exploration Flight
Test (EFT-1) in 2014. (Source: NASA, 04/25/12)
Blue Origin tests craft design
KENT, Wash. -- Blue Origin, one of four companies working on technologies for
commercial space transportation, said it successfully tested the design for its
orbital spaceship in a series of wind-tunnel tryouts. More than 180 tests were
done over the past several weeks at Lockheed Martin's High Speed Wind Tunnel
Facility in Dallas. Blue Origin, backed by Amazon.com billionaire Jeff Bezos, soon
will be conducting tests of the thrust chamber assembly for the BE 3 100,000-lbf
liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen rocket engine recently installed on the E 1 complex
test stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center. In addition to Blue Origin, other companies
receiving $320 million from NASA for work on space transportation are Boeing, Sierra
Nevada, and SpaceX. (Source: MSNBC, Blue Origin press release, 04/26/12)
J-2X starts test series
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA kicked off the next round of testing on the Pratt
and Whitney Rocketdyne J-2X rocket engine Thursday, gathering data on the performance
of the newly-installed engine nozzle extension and test stand "clamshell" as well as on the
engine start and shutdown sequences. The test on the A-2 Test Stand begins a second,
more extensive round of testing for the next-generation engine selected as part of the
Space Launch System. The nozzle extension and clamshell equipment allow operators to
test the engine at simulated altitudes up to 50,000 feet. (Source: NASA/SSC, 04/26/12)
Navy demonstrates blimp to relay data
PANAMA CITY, Fla. – An SUV-sized white helium-filled blimp has been catching some
attention in Panama City over the past few days. Suspended 500 feet in the air, the Aerostat
is tethered to a mobile base equipped with technology to operate unmanned vehicles from
shore. The Aerostat acts as a satellite, relaying signals that would otherwise be out of range
of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The primary purpose of the Aerostat tests by the
NSWC is to map the range and area in which an Aerostat can be effectively used to extend
the range for relaying data. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 04/25/12)
United opting for Boeing?
Boeing has the upper hand against rival Airbus in the battle to win an aircraft order from
United Continental Holdings. The potential value is $15 billion. Sources told Reuters that
Boeing is the front-runner for orders for about 180 narrow body jets, and Bloomberg was
told by sources that Airbus has dropped out of the contest. The deal could be concluded
this summer. Talks had been underway for at least six months about a mix of current-
generation Boeing 737s or Airbus A320s. (Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg, 04/23/12) Gulf
Coast note: Airbus has an engineering center in Mobile, Ala.
Global Hawk Block 30 hangs on
The Air Force is proceeding "prudently" on the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 30 program, even
though it's targeted for cancelation in the president's fiscal 2013 budget request. That
request cancels the Block 30 order, originally planned for 42, and puts 18 existing Block 30s
into storage. But Col. Karl Rozelsky, the Air Force's director for the Global Hawk program,
said the service is not going to make any major changes until Congress acts. (Source: Air
Force Times, 04/25/12) And some action is occurring. While the president's budget request
provided no funds to operate the 18 drones, the House Armed Services Committee is
providing money and marching orders. The HASC's mark-up of the National Defense
Authorization Act for 2013 includes $260 million towards keeping the Block 30s operational.
(Source: AOL Defense, 04/25/12) The marked bill adds 560 personnel to the strength of the
Air Force to maintain the 18 UAVs. Another House Armed Services panel would have to add
funds to operation and maintain the aircraft. (Source: Washington Post, 04/25/12) Gulf
Coast note: Global Hawk center fuselages are built in Moss Point, Miss.
Contracts: Lockheed Martin, $114.2M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded
two contracts totaling $114.2 million for the F-35. It was awarded a $68,284,013 modification
to the previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee F-35 Low Rate Initial Production II contract
for changes to the configuration baseline hardware or software resulting from the JSF
development effort. This modification defines the contractor's responsibility to incorporate
government-authorized changes for the U.S. Air Force conventional take-off and landing
and the U.S. Marine Corps short take-off vertical landing aircraft and provides funding for
such efforts. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force (55.2 percent) and the
Navy (44.8). The company also was awarded a $45,900,000 modification to the previously
awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee F-35 Low Rate Initial Production III contract for changes to
the configuration baseline hardware or software resulting from the JSF development effort.
This modification defines the contractor's responsibility to incorporate government-
authorized changes for the U.S. Marine Corps and United Kingdom short take-off vertical
landing aircraft, and provides funding for such efforts. This contract combines purchases for
the Navy (77.8 percent) and the United Kingdom (22.2 percent). Work will be performed in
Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to span multiple years. The Naval Air Systems
Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/24/12) Gulf
Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
J-2X set for next test series
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The J-2X engine that will power the second stage of
NASA’s Space Launch System will undergo a series of tests beginning Wednesday, the first
of 16 tests scheduled for this year. The Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne engine, called E10001,
is at the A-2 Test Stand for an extensive round of tests that will build on the initial round of
sea-level tests on the first developmental engine last year. This second test series will
simulate high-altitude conditions where the atmospheric pressure is low. The SLS will use J-
2X engines on the second stage of flight after the first stage is jettisoned. In its first round of
testing, the J-2X engine reached 100 percent power in just four tests and achieved a full
flight-duration firing of 500 seconds in its eighth test, faster than any other U.S. engine. The
engine was fired a total of 10 times for a cumulative 1,040 seconds of testing various
aspects of performance. (Source: NASA, 04/24/12) Previous
SpaceX delays launch
Next week's launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule will be delayed at least
a week, the company said. The delay will allow for additional testing. Space Exploration
Technologies, better known as SpaceX, planned to launch its demonstration mission
Monday from Cape Canaveral, Fla., to the International Space Station as part of NASA's
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. (Sources: multiple, including Florida
Today, Space, Huntsville Times, 04/24/12) Gulf Coast note: NASA's Stennis Space Center,
Miss., tests rocket engines for some of the companies involved in commercial space
ventures.
Memorial service set
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Department of Defense Explosive Ordnance Disposal
community is hosting the Annual EOD Memorial Ceremony on May 5 at 9 a.m. at the EOD
Memorial, Range D-51 in Niceville, Fla. This year’s keynote speaker is Air Force Chief of
Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. The EOD Memorial Foundation was established in 1969 to
honor the men and women of the EOD community, and the ceremony adding names is held
each year. The memorial currently honors 269 EOD technicians died in the line of duty since
1942, 92 of them since September 11, 2001. Eighteen names will be added. (Source: Eglin
Public Affairs, 04/24/12)
F-35 faces more turbulence: strike
The F-35 program is facing another hurdle. Assembly workers at the Lockheed Martin plant
in Fort Worth, where the F-35s are built, went on strike Monday. Members of the
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 776, which represents
3,600 workers at the plant, voted Sunday to reject Lockheed Martin’s final contract offer and
walk off their jobs. The workers do nearly all the aircraft assembly and manufacturing
functions at the plant that builds the F-16 and F-35. (Sources: multiple, including Fort Worth
Star Telegram, 04/22/12, WFAA-TV, NBC5, 04/23/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force
Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
$262.3M Fire Scout contract won
A $262.3 million contract was awarded to Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego,
Calif., for work on eight Fire Scout unmanned helicopters, the Defense Department
announced Monday. Nearly half the work will be done at the Northrop Grumman Unmanned
Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss. The contract provides for the development,
manufacture, and testing of two Fire Scout MQ-8C, the larger version of the Fire Scout that
uses a Bell 407 airframe, and production of six air vehicles. It also calls for spare parts in
support of the endurance upgrade rapid deployment capability effort. Work on the Fire
Scouts will be performed in Moss Point, Miss. (47 percent); San Diego, Calif. (46 percent);
and Yuma, Ariz. (7 percent). Work is expected to be completed in May 2014. The Naval Air
Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/23/12)
Story by GCAC
New airport chief named
GULFPORT, Miss. -- Clay Williams has been named the new executive director of Gulfport-
Biloxi International Airport, replacing Bruce Frallic, who will retire in August after serving as
executive director for 26 years. Williams currently works as a government relations
representative for Capitol Resources LLC, managing the firm’s Gulf Coast office. (Source:
Sun Herald, 04/23/12)
SSC: Leveraging NASA assets
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – Stennis Space Center is the most capable of four
facilities where NASA tests rocket engines, and much of the growth of the facility has been in
non-propulsion activities. But with commercial companies grabbing a larger piece of the
space flight field, SSC’s assets might prove to be a lure. The latest carrot is the E-4 test
facility. (Source: Sun Herald, 04/22/12)
Harris to head 96th Test Wing
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Brig. Gen. David A. Harris, vice commander of the Air
Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, will be the commander of the 96th Test Wing, Air
Force Materiel Command, at Eglin, the Air Force announced Friday. Harris’ assignment was
one of 11 general officer assignments announced Friday by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.
Norton Schwartz. (Source: DoD, 04/20/12)
Whiting Field ends T-34 training
MILTON, Fla. – Naval Air Station Whiting Field had its final training flight of a T-34 Turbo
Mentor Thursday, marking the transition to the T-6B Texan II. The student pilot was 1st Lt.
Sarah Horn, and her flight instructor was Cmdr. John Hensel. Most of the remaining Whiting
Field T-34s will be sent to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, where the Navy continues
to train with that model. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 04/20/12, WEAR-TV, 04/19/12)
Raiders to return to Eglin
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – The surviving members of the Doolittle Raiders will hold their
71st reunion in Fort Walton Beach next year. The last time Fort Walton Beach hosted the
reunion was 1968. Eglin Field is where the Raiders trained for the daring April 1942 mission
to bomb Japan. They launched their B-25 bombers from the deck of the USS Hornet four
months after the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. (Source: Northwest Florida
Daily News, 04/18/12) The 70th reunion was held this week at the National Museum of the U.
S. Air Force near Dayton, Ohio. Four of the five surviving members of the bomber crews
attended the event. The raid boosted American morale and showed the Japanese populace
the homeland was not invulnerable. (Sources: Reuters, 04/18/12, Washington Times,
04/19/12)
Hearing set in suit
Alabama Aircraft Industries will try to convince a federal judge in Birmingham, Ala., next
month to allow its $100 million lawsuit against Boeing to proceed. The small company filed
suit in September in which it argued that its former business partner, Boeing, stole
proprietary data that let the aerospace giant win $1.3 billion in contracts to maintain KC-135
refueling aircraft. Boeing has filed a motion to dismiss the suit. (Source: Reuters, 04/18/12)
Scandal reaches Eglin
The prostitution scandal in Colombia is now touching Northwest Florida. There are reports
that the U.S. Southern Command is investigating the role of five soldiers from the 7th
Special Forces Group, based at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Eleven members of the Secret
Service that protects the president and other top officials have been linked by the agency to
the scandal. They are accused of bringing prostitutes to a hotel in Colombia ahead of last
week's Summit of the Americas, which was attended by President Barack Obama. (Sources:
multiple, including CNN, Fayetteville Observer, 04/19/12)
Circling plane crashes in Gulf
A twin-engine Cessna on a flight between Slidell, La., and Sarasota, Fla., crashed in the
Gulf of Mexico Thursday. The pilot was unresponsive for several hours and radar tracked
the plane flying in loops over the Gulf of Mexico. Military jets from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.,
and a Coast Guard aircraft from Mobile, Ala., were sent to the scene to monitor the situation.
Officials believe the pilot, the only person in the plane, was incapacitated. (Source: multiple,
including ABC News, CBS News, 04/19/12)
SLS main to sport 4-engine setup
The main stage of NASA's Space Launch System being developed for deep space
exploration will use four RD-25D space shuttle main engines. Engineers also considered
three- and five-engine versions, Boeing officials said at the National Space Symposium in
Colorado. After the RD-25D supply is used up, a throwaway version, the RD-25E, will be
used. The main stage of SLS will be assembled at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New
Orleans using friction-stir welders, and probably will be built of aluminum lithium. The first
unmanned SLS flight is scheduled for 2017, and the first flight carrying the Lockheed Martin
developed Orion crew capsule is slated for 2021. (Source: Aviation Week, 04/18/12) Gulf
Coast note: Michoud also is building the Orion crew capsule; the RD-25 engines will be
tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss., which is also testing the J-2X that will be used in the
second stage.
Airport chief retiring
GULFPORT, Miss. – Longtime Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport executive
director Bruce Frallic is retiring in August. He served in his current position for 26
years. Frallic began his aviation career in 1967 in the Marine Corps. Of his 45 years
in the aviation industry, 40 have been in commercial and airport management. He
also has worked at airports in Pensacola, Fla., and Hattiesburg, Miss. (Source:
Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, 04/18/12)
BRAC discussed at meeting
CRESTVIEW, Fla. – An executive with the Okaloosa County Economic Development
Council told the Crestview City Council that a trip to the nation’s capital last month
included more than 50 area leaders from five counties. Kay Rasmussen, vice
president of community and economic development, said the annual Northwest
Florida Defense Coalition meeting included officials from Okaloosa, Escambia,
Santa Rosa, Walton and Bay counties who met with government and military
officials. “We do this to speak with one voice for our communities,” Rasmussen
said, according to the Crestview Bulletin. Topics discussed with the congressional
delegation included the possibility of another Base Realignment and Closure
round and the Air Force Material Command reorganization affecting the Eglin Air
Force Base Air Armament Center. (Source: Crestview Bulletin, 04/18/12)
Orion parachute testing continues
NASA on Tuesday successfully conducted a drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's entry,
descent and landing parachutes in preparation for the vehicle's orbital flight test, Exploration
Flight Test -1, in 2014. A C-130 dropped a dart-shaped test vehicle with a simulated Orion
parachute compartment from an altitude of 25,000 feet above the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving
Grounds in Arizona. Orion will carry astronauts deeper into space than ever before, provide
emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure a safe re-entry
and landing. (Source: NASA, 04/17/12) Gulf Coast note: The Orion capsule is built in New
Orleans at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility.
Contract: Boeing, $9.4M
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $9,353,862 firm-fixed-price contract to
procure focused lethality munitions Small Diameter Bomb I variant. The location of the
performance is St. Louis, Mo. Work is to be completed by Dec. 31, 2013. AAC/EBMK, Eglin
Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/17/12)
UAVs become college major
Top flight-training school Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and other universities have
created majors for students interested in unmanned aerial vehicles. As the Federal Aviation
Administration prepares to let unmanned aircraft operate in the national airspace,
universities are getting into the act with programs to fly and build drones. They’re catering to
a new generation of pilots who have no interest in getting airborne themselves. The drone
industry worldwide is expected to grow to $11.3 billion annually by 2021. (Source:
Bloomberg, 04/16/12) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scouts and Global Hawks are built in part in
Moss Point, Miss.; military base in the region are involved in using UAVs.
F-35 center begins formal training
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The integrated joint strike fighter training team has opened
the doors for the first Air Force certification courses on the logistical support behind the F-
35 Joint Strike Fighter. The 33rd Fighter Wing has eight basic familiarization courses now in
session at the academic training center with courses currently scheduled through early next
year. About 100 maintenance students from three branches of service began the inaugural
classes March 19. (Source: Team Eglin Public Affairs, 04/11/12)
First UK F-35 takes flight
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The UK's first production F-35, the short take-off and vertical
landing jet, completed its 45-minute inaugural flight April 13. The plane, BK-1, will undergo a
series of tests before being handed over to the UK's Ministry of Defence, which will then
begin training and further testing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., later this year. BK-1 is the
first of three F-35 jets that the UK has committed to buy -- two F-35Bs and one F-35C -- but
the final size and makeup of the F-35 fleet order has yet to be determined. (Source:
Defence Management Journal, Lockheed Martin, 04/16/12)
F-35 draft EIS released
The Air Force has released the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed
operational basing of F-35s. That kicks off a series of public hearings at impacted
communities. Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the preferred alternative for the active duty
operational location and Burlington Air Guard Station, Vt., is the preferred alternative for the
Air National Guard. The other active and Air National Guard alternatives under
consideration are Jacksonville AGS, Fla.; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; and Shaw
AFB/McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C. “The Air Force is analyzing the impacts of
basing three squadrons of 24 aircraft each at the active duty location and one squadron of
24 aircraft at the Air National Guard location,” said Kathleen Ferguson, deputy assistant
secretary of the Air Force for Installations. A final decision is expected in the fall of 2012.
(Source: AFNS, 04/13/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35
training center.
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $258.8M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being
awarded a $258,800,000 not-to-exceed undefinitized modification to the previously awarded
F-35 low rate initial production Lot 5 contract, including one additional conventional take-off
and landing aircraft for the Air Force and one additional carrier variant aircraft for the Navy.
Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas; El Segundo, Calif.; Warton, United Kingdom;
Orlando, Fla.; Nashua, N.H.; and Baltimore, Md. Work is expected to be completed in
February 2014. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting
activity. (Source: DoD, 04/13/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the
F-35 training center.
NASA, AF to study joint engine
NASA and the Air Force will study next-generation upper stage propulsion, formalizing their
interest in a new upper stage engine to replace the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL-10.
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., hopes to find a less expensive RL-10-class
engine for a third stage of the Space Launch System. Two engines have already been
pegged for the SLS: the Space Shuttle Main Engines will power the first stage and the
Rocketdyne J-2X will power the second stage. The Air Force Space and Missile System
Center's Launch Systems Directorate in Los Angeles hopes to replace the RL-10 engines
used on the upper stage of the Atlas V and Delta IV used to launch satellites. Partnering will
help reduce costs and strengthen the nation's rocket propulsion industrial base, NASA said.
"In recent years, it's become apparent that the rocket propulsion industry is in a state of
distress,” said Dale Thomas, Associated Director for Technical Issues at Marshall.
“Collaborating, especially in a time of declining budgets, helps to grow and strengthen the
knowledge base which is important for our nation's technical pre-eminence." (Source:
NASA/Marshall, Flightglobal, AvioNews, 04/12/12) Gulf Coast note: Michoud Assembly
Facility, New Orleans, is building portions of the SLS, including the Orion crew vehicle;
Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests NASA and commercial rocket engine systems, including
the J-2X and SSME.
F-35s have first formation sortie
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Two F-35As from the 33rd Fighter Wing had their first
formation flight over Eglin’s range April 10. Lt. Col. Eric Smith, 58th Fighter Squadron
director of operations, flew the lead aircraft while Marine Maj. Joseph Bachmann, Fighter
Attack Training Squadron 501 aircraft maintenance officer, flew wingman. The pilots, both
first in their service qualified to fly the F-35, were validating pilot syllabus objectives in
preparation for future training. The 33rd FW is responsible for F-35 A/B/C pilot and
maintainer training for the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and in the future, at least eight
coalition partners. (Source: Air Force, 04/13/12)
Airport ponders two carriers
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport is expected to make a
decision within a month on a replacement carrier to take over for Delta Air Lines. Airport
Director Thomas Heanue said the airport is considering bids submitted to the U.S.
Department of Transportation by Silver Airways and Air Choice One Airlines. The airport had
until May 10 to make a decision. Delta notified the transportation department last July that it
intended to drop 24 routes in smaller markets across the nation. The announcement
triggered a 90-day window for DOT to find an alternative carrier. (Source: Hattiesburg
American, 04/12/12)
Airmen to get medals
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Four members of the 96th Explosive Ordnance will get five
medals in a ceremony April 19 at 9 a.m. Tech Sgt. James Fitzgerald and Staff Sgt. Kelly
Badger will be awarded Bronze Stars. Staff Sgts. Kevin Parke and Christopher Lacy will be
awarded the Purple Heart. Parke was injured in two separate incidents in Afghanistan and
will receive two Purple Hearts. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 04/13/12)
Cyber will help Keesler
BILOXI, Miss. -- The heavy emphasis on cyberwarfare and other high-tech subjects taught at
Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., should ensure the installation plays a key role for the U.S.
military into the future, a top Air Force intelligence official said in an interview with the Sun
Herald. "Keesler is one of the most important bases in the Air Force," said Maj. Gen. James
Poss, assistant deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The
Air Force set up its undergraduate cyberspace training unit at Keesler in 2010. Poss said
the Gulf Coast is turning into the "Cyber Coast," noting that the Navy is involved in
cyberwarefare traininge in Pensacola, Fla., two hours away. (Source: Sun Herald, 04/11/12)
Cyber training also is done at Hurlburt Field, Fla., less than an hour from Pensacola.
DRS drops 150 workers
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Defense contractor DRS Technologies laid off about a
quarter of its staff Thursday as a result of the defense spending downturn. Richard
Goldberg, senior vice president of public affairs, said the cut was across the board in every
department, including hourly employees and managers. The company still employs about
450 people in its operation at the Fort Walton Beach Commerce and Technology Park. “We
hope business will improve and we’ll be able to bring some people back,” Goldberg said.
DRS, headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., is a supplier of integrated products, services and
support to military forces. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 04/12/12)
Contract: Boeing, $98.8M
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $98,800,000 not-to-exceed cost-plus-
incentive-fee and firm-fixed-priced contract to procure enhanced threat response redesign
for the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a quick reaction capability program. The location of
performance is St. Louis, Mo. Work is to be completed by March 30, 2014. AAC/EBDK/EDBJ,
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/12/12)
SSC getting new research center
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's Stennis Space Center will be the home of the
National Oceans and Applications Research Center, Gov. Phil Bryant said Wednesday at
the ribbon-cutting for the Infinity Science Center. NOARC will combine the capabilities of
NASA, NOAA and the Navy to analyze and understand the Gulf of Mexico watershed and
other oceans NOAA monitors. Bryant said the center will be the "Woods Hole of the South,"
a reference to the world-renown center in Massachusetts. NOARC data could be used to
develop environmental management best practices, identify optimal sites to build
infrastructure and help guide coastal restoration efforts. NOARC will leverage a partnership
with the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology to help encourage the development of small
businesses that benefit from NOARC data. NOARC will be funded with remaining monies that
BP granted to Mississippi during the response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion.
The center will receive initial funding of $500,000 to provide for basic startup needs.
(Sources: Sun Herald, WLOX-TV, press release, 04/11/12) Stennis Space Center is home to
30 agencies, including NASA and NOAA. It's also the center for the Navy's oceanographic
work.
Drone use up in 30-year plan
Bloomberg reports that the military will increase its fleet of unmanned aerial aircraft at least
45 percent over the next 10 years. That information is contained in the Pentagon’s 30-year
aviation report. The inventory of pilotless aircraft will grow from 445 in fiscal year 2013 to
645 in fiscal year 2022. Bloomberg said the Defense Department plans to spend $770 billion
on aviation assets from 2013 to 2022, a figure that includes drones and all other aviation
assets like fighters, helicopters, tankers and more. (Source: Bloomberg, 04/10/12) Gulf
Coast note: Fire Scout and Global Hawk unmanned aircraft are built in part in Moss Point,
Miss.
Infinity opens this week
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. – The $30 million, 72,000-square-foot Infinity Science Center opens
to the public at 10 a.m. Thursday. Infinity is just west of the Mississippi Welcome Center, off
Interstate 10 at Exit 2, and officials expect it to be a major tourist attraction. The center
showcases the activities of NASA and the 30 agencies at NASA’s nearby Stennis Space
Center. Exhibits include the Science Express, Science on a Sphere and the Space Gallery.
The outdoor exhibits include an F-1 rocket engine, like the ones that powered Saturn V
rockets used in the Apollo program. The ribbon-cutting, not open to the public, is set for
Wednesday. (Sources: Mississippi Press, 04/09/12, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 04/10/12)
Fire Scout mishaps probed
PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- The Navy has temporarily suspended Fire Scout flight operations
while it investigates two unrelated operational mishaps with the MQ-8B unmanned
helicopter. A Fire Scout operating off USS Simpson late last month was ditched at sea after
a mission when it was unable to lock on to the landing system. The crew later recovered the
Fire Scout. Then in an April 6 incident, a Fire Scout crashed in northern Afghanistan while
on a surveillance mission. The Navy has 14 Fire Scouts in inventory. Since 2006 Fire Scouts
have accumulated more than 5,000 flight hours with more than 3,000 in operational
deployments. (Source: NNS, 04/10/12) Gulf Coast note: Northrop Grumman Fire Scouts are
built in part in Moss Point, Miss.
Contract: EADS, $12.8M
EADS - NA, Herndon, Va., was awarded a $12,830,935 firm-fixed-price contract. The award
will provide for the contractor logistic support services. Work will be performed in Columbus,
Miss., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2012. Five bids were solicited, with
three bids received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/09/12)
Contract: Roy Anderson, $26M
Roy Anderson Group, Gulfport, Miss., was awarded a $25,942,000 firm-fixed-price contract.
The award will provide for the construction of a terminal high altitude area defense
instructional facility at Fort Sill, Okla. Work will be performed in Lawton, Okla., with an
estimated completion date of Sept. 1, 2014. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with
12 bids received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Okla., is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 04/09/12)
Contract: L&M Welding, $8.5M
L&M Welding, Mobile, Ala., was issued a fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract
with a maximum $8,500,000 for torch repair kits. There are no other locations of
performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. There was one
response to the Web proposal. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2012 Defense Working
Capital Funds. The date of performance completion is April 8, 2014. The Defense Logistics
Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/09/12)
Airport police officer search narrows
VALPARAISO, Fla. -- Northwest Florida Regional Airport officials are a step closer to
standing up the new in-house police force. Airport Police Chief Melvin Tennyson and Sgt.
Richard Noiseux recently completed interviews with 12 officer candidates. Okaloosa County
plans to hire eight officers. Airport and county officials hope to make offers to candidates in
the next two to three weeks. The county received 548 applications for the officer positions
and narrowed that down to a dozen. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 04/08/12)
NASA appointments
Mississippi native Arthur E. "Gene" Goldman has been named acting director of
the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. He was named to the post last
month after serving as deputy director from March 2010. From 2008 until 2010
Goldman was the director of Stennis Space Center, Miss. In addition, Robert
Champion, a native of Woodstock, Ala., has been appointed deputy director of
Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where he was acting deputy director
and chief operations officer from 2010 until this latest appointment. Earlier, Chris
M. Crumbly, a native of Rome, Ga., was appointed director of Michoud, where he
had been deputy director from March 2011. (Sources: NASA, 04/05/12, 04/06/12,
04/03/12)
Fire Scouts to get smarter
Navy Fire Scout unmanned helicopters will be getting smarter about hunting
pirates thanks to an Office of Naval Research-funded project that will help the
robots autonomously distinguish pirate boats from other vessels. The Navy plans
to upgrade Fire Scouts with the Multi-Mode Sensor Seeker, a mix of cameras,
infrared sensors and LIDAR that will provide 3-D laser images. The MMSS is
designed to reduce the workload of sailors operating Fire Scouts from control
stations aboard Navy ships. Testing begins this summer off the coast of California.
(Source: Office of Naval Research, 04/05/12) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scouts are built
in Moss Point, Miss., by Northrop Grumman; Fire Scouts will eventually serve on
the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships, a version of which is being built in Mobile, Ala.,
by Austal USA; the Office of Naval Research’s Naval Research Laboratory has an
operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
New squadron preps for F-35
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – While Navy personnel are busy preparing to teach
the next generation of sailors how to work with and fly the F-35C, Strike Fighter
Squadron 101 (VFA-101) readies for its stand-up ceremony on Eglin Air Force Base
May 1. The original Fighter Squadron 101 was established May 1, 1952 and flew
various aircraft, including the F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat. It was disestablished
in 2005 with retirement of the F-14. VFA-101 will be re-established May 1 at a new
hangar and training facility on Eglin and will serve as the Fleet Replacement
Squadron, training pilots and maintainers for the fleet. VFA-101 is a part of the 33rd
Fighter Wing, a joint-service graduate flying and maintenance training wing
responsible for F-35 A/B/C pilot and maintenance training for the Navy, Marine
Corps, and the Air Force. Initially, 59 aircraft and three flying squadrons, one for
each service's aircraft variant will be based at Eglin. The F-35 Academic Training
Center serves as the schoolhouse, where wing personnel expect to train more
than 2,000 maintenance students and 100 pilots each year. (Source: NNS, 04/05/12)
Contract: Northrop Grumman, $27M
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Aerospace Systems, Melbourne, Fla., is being
awarded a $27,058,492 modification to previously awarded contract for the
procurement of the AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) low
rate initial production. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Fla. (36.2 percent);
Tucson, Ariz. (34 percent); St. Charles, Mo. (12.5 percent); Irvine, Calif. (8 percent);
San Clarita, Calif. (5 percent); and Edgewood, N.Y. (4.3 percent). Work is expected
to be completed by April 2014. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City
Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/05/12)
First Dutch F-35 rolls out
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The first F-35 for The Netherlands rolled out of the F-35
production facility earlier this month in Texas. This is the latest step in the
production process leading to its eventual assignment this summer to Eglin Air
Force Base, Fla., home of the F-35 training center. The Netherlands will use the
conventional takeoff and landing jet, known as AN-1, for training and operational
tests for pilots and maintainers. AN-1 will undergo functional fuel system checks
before being transported to the flight line for ground and flight tests in the coming
weeks. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 04/04/12)
Contract: ALFAB, $150M
ALFAB Inc., Enterprise, Ala., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $150,000,000
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of AM-2
matting packages: F-71, F-72, F-73, and F-78 for the expeditionary airfield. The AM-
2 matting packages include the end frames, stampings/markings, end sheets, and
locking bars. AM-2 matting is designed to interlock in a brickwork type pattern and
provides for the construction of portable runways and taxiways for aircraft launch
and recovery. Work will be performed in Enterprise, Ala., and is expected to be
completed in April 2017. This contract was competitively procured via electronic
request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set-aside; three offers were
received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/04/12)
BRAC request sent to Congress
The BRAC process would look very similar to the 2005 round under the legislative
proposal the Defense Department sent to Congress for base closure rounds in
2013 and 2015. The process for appointing commissioners, milestones and reports
DOD must meet and more are essentially unchanged from the last round, based on
a preliminary analysis of DoD’s 36-page proposal. Lawmakers have made it clear
that they have no appetite to authorize a BRAC round in 2013. (Source: Defense
Communities 360, 04/04/12) Gulf Coast note: BRAC is of high interest to the Gulf
Coast region, which has multiple military bases.
County eyes new airport road
CRESTVIEW, Fla. -- Okaloosa County airport officials hope to secure $12 million in
federal stimulus money to build a road that would connect Bob Sikes Airport to U.S.
Highway 90. The money is part of $500 million that will be made available through
the U.S. Department of Transportation's Transportation Investments Generating
Economic Recovery program. County Airports Director Greg Donovan said more
than 1,200 people enter and exit the airport daily, and driving along a residential
area is inadequate. He said the road would open the door for other businesses at
the airport. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 04/03/12)
Moss Point site recognized
Northrop Grumman’s Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss., is among
eight sites in the company’s Aerospace Systems sector to earn distinction in
environmental management and employee health and safety. The eight locations
will receive International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 registration.
The other sites are in San Diego, El Segundo and Palmdale, Calif.; Melbourne and
St. Augustine, Fla.; Bethpage, N.Y.; and New Town, N.D. In addition, Moss Point,
San Diego and New Town received the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment
Series (OHSAS) 18001 certification for managing employees' health and safety in
the workplace. Moss Point recorded zero injuries two of the last three years and
reduced hazardous waste generation by 10 percent year over year between 2008
and 2010. The registrations and certifications are renewals from previous years.
(Source: Globe Newswire, 04/03/12)
Alabama eyes spaceport
Alabama lawmakers are looking at the possibility of establishing a commercial
spaceport somewhere in the state. Legislators from Alabama's state Senate and
House of Representatives met in the joint committee room to announce they
would introduce joint resolutions to set up a nine-member panel to look at
creating a spaceport authority and the possibility of bringing commercial
spaceflight to the state. (Source: multiple, including AP via Montgomery
Advertiser, Birmingham News, WHNT-TV, 03/03/12)
New AAS unveiled
EADS North America unveiled its Armed Aerial Scout 72X+ (AAS-72X+) at the annual
Army Aviation Association of America convention in Nashville, Tenn., during a
press conference. The armed derivative of the Army’s UH-72A Lakota Light Utility
Helicopter will be built by the company's American Eurocopter business unit in
Columbus, Miss. Three Armed Aerial Scout Technical Demonstrator Aircraft have
already been developed, tested and flown by EADS. (Source: EADS North America,
04/02/12) EADS is one of several competitors for the program to replace the OH-58
Kiowa Warriors.
Integrated assembly line produces
PALMDALE, Calif. -- Northrop Grumman's first F-35 center fuselage produced by its
auto-industry inspired Integrated Assembly Line was delivered to Lockheed Martin
last month. The company has delivered 69 center fuselages since 2005, but this is
the first from the IAL. It was developed and designed with the help of the Detroit-
based KUKA Robotics Aerospace Division, a commercial automation integrator. As
a principal member of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 industry team, Northrop
Grumman, among other things, produces the center fuselage and designed and
produces the aircraft's radar and other avionics. (Source: Globe Newswire,
04/02/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base is home of the F-35 training center.
Suit blames engine maker
MOBILE, Ala. -- Continental Motors has been accused of making a defective engine
that caused a 2010 plane crash that killed a jogger on the beach in Hilton Head, S.
C. Attorneys for the Mobile-based manufacturer, know as Teledyne Continental
Motors before its sale to China’s AVIC last year, say the engine had nothing to do
with the accident. The pilot of the kit-built plane and several other companies
involved in the manufacturer and maintenance of the plane are also defendants in
the suit filed in South Carolina. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 04/02/12)
MARCH 2012
Passenger counts up
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport Executive
Director John Wheat told Airport Authority board members this week that
Panhandle airports saw a rise in passenger traffic for February after two straight
months of decline. The passenger count at the airport near West Bay rose 1.5
percent last month compared to February 2011, he said. Passenger counts were
also up in Pensacola and Tallahassee, and down at the airport near Fort Walton
Beach. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 03/30/12)
Contract: Raytheon, $497.1M
Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $497,131,017 firm-
fixed-price contract to procure missiles, instrumentation units, test equipment,
guidance sections, hardware, and contractor logistics support. The location of the
performance is Tucson, Ariz. Work is to be completed by Jan. 31, 2015. AAC/EBAC,
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/30/12)
F-22 oxygen issue a mystery
The Air Force Scientific Advisory Board can't explain what caused blackouts and
dizziness among pilots flying F-22 Raptors. A separate investigation of the oxygen
problem by Lockheed Martin is continuing. The F-22 is considered safe and
continues to fly, with pilots using sensors, filters and other safety steps to mitigate
potential problems. The fleet was grounded for four months last year after pilots
complained of lack of oxygen. Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., is the home of the 325th
Fighter Wing, whose primary mission is to provide air training for F-22 pilots, as
well as maintenance personnel and air battle managers. (Sources: multiple,
including AP via Business Week, Military, 03/30/12, ABC News, Panama City News
Herald, 03/29/12)
Eglin’s top civilian retiring
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Bruce Simpson, executive director of the Air
Armament Center, plans to retire April 3 after a 31-year tenure. As head of AAC,
Simpson was the center acquisition chief in charge of buying and developing
weapons systems and the top-ranking civilian on base. His retirement comes on
the eve of a planned reorganization. The Air Force wants to absorb the Air
Armament Center and two other centers into the new Life Cycle Management
Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily
News, 03/29/12)
Historic engines to be recovered?
The five Rocketdyne F-1 engines that in July 1969 powered the first stage of the
Saturn V rocket that launched Apollo 11 for its rendezvous with the moon have
been found in the Atlantic Ocean. They were found by Bezos Expeditions, owned
by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com. He said he hopes to raise one or more of
the engines, which are owned by NASA, to put on display. The five engines, built in
California, were assembled into the first stage at Michoud Assembly Facility in New
Orleans. Michoud was the manufacturing center for the entire Saturn V system.
(Sources: multiple, including MSNBC, Time, New Orleans Times Picayune, 03/29/12)
The F-1 engines were tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. When the five-engine
cluster was test-fired for the first time in March 1967, windows shattered in nearby
communities from the 7.5 million pounds of thrust; Bezos also founded Blue Origin
of Kent, Wash., which soon will test its BE-3 engine thrust chamber assembly at
Stennis Space Center’s E-1 test stand.
New type plastic bleeds, heals
A self-repairing plastic that turns red to show it’s damaged could be important for
big structures like bridges, aircraft and even battlefield weapons systems. Self-
healing plastic isn’t a new concept, but researchers at the University of Southern
Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., developed one that keeps repairing itself.
Professor Marek Urban presented the results of the research at the national
meeting and exposition of the American Chemical Society in San Diego, Calif., this
week. The research is partly funded by the Department of Defense. (Sources:
PCWorld, 03/27/12, CNET, 03/28/12)
F-35 lifetime cost: $1.45 trillion
The government projects that the total cost to develop, buy and operate the
Lockheed Martin F-35 will be $1.45 trillion over 50-plus years, according to a
Pentagon document obtained by Reuters. The estimate is up from about $1 trillion
a year ago, and includes inflation -- a third of the projected F-35 operating costs.
Military officials and industry executives point out that no other weapons
program's costs have been calculated over such a long period. (Source: Reuters,
03/29/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training
center.
EU balks over merger
The European Commission is taking a closer look at the proposed $16.5 billion merger
between United Technologies and Goodrich. One of the concerns is the high market share
of a combined UT/Goodrich in areas such as engine controls and power generators, where
UT's Hamilton Sundstrand unit and Goodrich are competitors. UT unveiled the takeover in
September last year, which would reinforce its presence in the civilian aerospace market.
Goodrich parts are used on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus' A320neo. The probe,
which could last until August, may lead to the sale of assets to get approval for the deal.
Hartford, Conn.-based UT's aviation activities include Sikorsky and Pratt and Whitney. It
makes an array of products, including rocket engines, helicopters and elevators. Charlotte,
N.C.-based Goodrich makes aircraft equipment including landing gears and electrical power
systems. (Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg, 03/27/12) Previous. Gulf Coast note: UT's Pratt
and Whitney Rocketdyne has an operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Goodrich has a
service center in Foley, Ala.
Ribbon-cutting set for expansion
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Aircraft company LSI’s Pensacola branch operation will have a ribbon-
cutting Thursday for its newest expansion. The company retrofits helicopters for the military
to use as training platforms. LSI operates out of a 20,000 square foot building and is
expanding into a recently completed 10,000 square foot adjacent building. The company
has said it expects to add 20 workers over the next year to the 40 now working there. LSI is
based in Jacksonville, Fla. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 03/27/12)
Group tackling space debris
Although the U.S. Air Force tracks space debris swirling around the planet, some of the
world's biggest commercial satellite operators are sharing data to help prevent collisions in
what's considered a growing problem. They've formed the Space Data Association to create
computer tools that help in what's called "space situational awareness." The swirling mass
around Earth includes operational spacecraft and debris, and it's getting harder to track,
much less clean up. (Source: Aviation Week, 03/27/12) Gulf Coast note: The 20th Space
Control Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., tracks some 22,000 orbiting satellites with
the world's most powerful radar. Previous post
CHARTS used in survey
BELIZE CITY, Belize -- The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) has been using
airborne laser and imagery systems since early February to conduct cooperative
hydrographic surveys in the coastal waters of Belize. It's part of a long-term project to survey
the western Caribbean Sea off the coasts of Belize, Honduras and Nicaragua. The surveys
are designed to improve safety of navigation by mapping the seafloor and locating shallow
reefs and other obstructions in the approaches to Belize's major ports, Belize City and Big
Creek, and are being conducted in cooperation with the government of Belize. The airborne
laser system, called Compact Hydrographic Airborne Rapid Total Survey (CHARTS) system,
uses light to map the bottom. U.S. and Belize governments will use the data for new charts.
(Source: NNS, 03/27/12) NAVOCEANO is based at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and the
CHARTS program is run by the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of
Expertise at Stennis International Airport in Kiln, Miss.
Mississippi company showcased
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NVision, a Mississippi company that partnered with
Stennis Space Center to create a disaster information system, is one of seven companies
that will be highlighted in the 2012 NASA Technology Day on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
NVision, located at the Stennis Technology Park adjacent to SSC, teamed with NASA to
create the Real-time Emergency Action Coordination Tool (REACT), which incorporates
maps, reports, Internet-driven data and real-time sensor date into a geographical
information system-based display to provide information during emergency and disaster
situations. NASA Technology Day on Capitol Hill is sponsored annually by the agency's
Office of the Chief Technologist to showcase technologies that improve life, and to inform
Congress and the public about the secondary benefits of NASA partnerships and
technology. (Source: NASA/SSC, 03/27/12)
F-35s continue sorties
F-35 pilots at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., have flown more than a half-dozen local
area orientation flights around the base since flight operations began March 6,
Flightglobal reports. Two pilots, one from the Air Force and the other from the
Marine Corps, are flying the local sorties to gauge the readiness of the 33rd
Fighter Wing's new F-35A, a conventional take-off and landing variant. (Source:
Flightglobal, 03/27/12) Eglin will train pilots and maintainers from all branches of
the services that will use the F-35, as well as pilots and maintainers from foreign
purchasers.
Is BRAC 2013 dead?
Lawmakers are taking issue with the Pentagon over the request for two new BRAC
rounds. One reason lawmakers are balking is the high cost of a BRAC at a time of
belt tightening. Savings won't come for years. Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and
Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate
Armed Services' Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee, both
denounced the Pentagon's request for a base closure round in 2013. McCaskill
said she's willing to allow the closure of bases overseas, but not domestic bases
at this point. Unless the Pentagon can change her mind, her opposition kills a 2013
BRAC round. (Sources: Defense Communities Daily, Navy Times, 03/21/12)
Meanwhile, the Pentagon said the request for two new rounds of BRAC should be
compared to the cost effectiveness of the first four BRAC rounds, not those done
in 2005 to transform installations to match force structure. (Source: American
Forces Press Services, 03/21/12)
Forest threat tool released
A Web tool that tracks threats to the nation's forests has been released by the
USDA Forest Service. Called ForWarn, it's a satellite-based monitoring and
assessment tool that can detect threats from fire, disease or other causes before
the threat increases in severity or extent. It provides information on weekly
changes in forest canopy conditions as they are impacted by insects, diseases,
wildfires or extreme weather events. NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., worked
with the Forest Service to develop the system. The prototype has successfully
operated since January 2010 and uses NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer satellite to track changes in vegetation. ForWarn uses a web-
based map tool, the Forest Change Assessment Viewer, to provide an 8-day coast-
to-coast snapshot of the landscape. The coverage area is immense. According to
the U.S. Forest Service, there are some 747 million acres of forest in the United
States. (Source: Tcp, 03/22/12) Website and release. Background story
SBIRS beats expectations
The first Space Based Infrared System geosynchronous earth orbit satellite is
exceeding performance requirements in a series of tests. SBIRS GEO 1 was
launched by an Atlas V in May 2011 from Florida. Within two months it began
sharing initial data with mission partners to determine performance. Sensors are
detecting targets 25 percent dimmer than requirements, and payload pointing is
nine times more precise than required. SBIRS provides early missile warning
capability and improves other critical mission areas. "We've been extremely
pleased with the performance of this first-of-its-kind spacecraft," said Col. James
Planeaux, director of the Infrared Space Systems Directorate. (Sources:
Spaceflight, 03/19/12, Space War, 03/21/12) Gulf Coast note: SBIRS is an A2100
satellite-based spacecraft, and work on the A2100 core's propulsion system, which
positions the spacecraft in orbit, is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
US Airways to add flight
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- The start of daily direct flights between Northwest
Florida Regional Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is still a
few days away. But it’s popular enough US Airways plans to add a second flight.
The late afternoon flights start next week on a 50-seat regional jet. Starting July 11
the airline will add a second, morning flight. Northwest Florida Regional Airport is
at Eglin Air Force Base. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 03/20/12)
CSG test shows fix needed
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Testing of a vital component for the A-3 test
stand did exactly what it was intended to do: it showed a problem in the chemical
steam generator (CSG) that needs to be fixed. In testing at the E-2 facility, the two-
inch angle-globe valves supplied with the unit were unable to stand up to
operating conditions. Pieces of the seat material were "liberated" from the seat
and valve stem, possibly allowing propellants to leak into the combustion
chambers after minimal operational cycles, according to NASA. The procurement
office is issuing a request for proposal from small businesses for 27 liquid oxygen
(LOX) valves, 27 isopropyl alcohol (IPA) valves and related items. The new A-3 test
stand will use nine three-module CSG units to generate superheated steam
needed to create a vacuum that allows operators to test next-generation rocket
engines at simulated high altitudes up to 100,000 feet. (Source: Tcp, 03/21/12) NASA
solicitation; Previous related post
Blue Angels back home
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team is back in
Pensacola after 12 weeks of training in El Centro, Calif. The team’s practice
sessions are open to the public. Regular practice takes place most Tuesdays and
Wednesday through November. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 03/19/12)
Robot to robot refueling tested
WASHINGTON -- The Naval Research Laboratory successfully demonstrated the
robotic fluids transfer from a stationary platform to an unmanned surface vehicle
in wave heights greater than three feet. The Rapid Autonomous Fuel Transfer
project was able to track the motion of a Sea Fox naval vessel, emplace a magnetic
refueling fitting to an on-board receptacle and complete fluids transfer. The
testing was done at the Army Aberdeen Test Center wave simulator facility. Further
robotic transfer tests may include land-based autonomous vehicles and unmanned
aerial vehicle. (Source: NRL via Business Wire, 03/20/12) Gulf Coast note: This
region is heavily involved in unmanned systems, including aerial and maritime,
and is a major shipbuilding region; the NRL has an operation at Stennis Space
Center, Miss.
NASA: E-4 a “great opportunity”
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A NASA official says an under-utilized test stand
at Stennis Space Center is a "great opportunity" for a company interested in a
partnership with NASA. The federal agency since November has been gauging
industry interest in the E-4 Test Facility, which consists of a high-bay work area,
control room space, personnel offices and concrete test cells. It also has road and
barge canal access and utilities. The E-4 Test Facility can also be expanded to
meet future requirements. "This is a great opportunity for a commercial company
to explore partnership possibilities with NASA," said Stennis Engineering and Test
Directorate Associate Director John Stealey. Projects conducted at the E-4 Test
Facility also will have the ability to access Stennis onsite amenities and support
capabilities, including cafeteria, medical clinic, laboratory, component, information
technology, institutional and other services. (Source: NASA/SSC, 03/19/12) Previous
Contract: L-3, $21.2M
L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a
$21,209,470 modification to a previously awarded an indefinite-delivery
requirements contract for logistics services support of 119 TH-57B/TH-57C aircraft.
Services to be provided include repair and/or overhaul of aircraft, engines,
avionics, and related components. Work will be performed at Naval Air Station
Whiting Field, Milton, Fla., and is expected to be completed in September 2012.
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 03/15/12)
Bases off limits for exercise
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- About 90 percent of workers at Naval Air Station Pensacola will
stay home next week as the base enacts tight security measures as part of a
nationwide naval preparedness exercise. The base's commanding officer said
access to most base facilities will be unavailable from noon Thursday until noon
Saturday of next week due to Exercise Solid Curtain/Citadel Shield. Naval Air
Station Whiting Field in Milton will also be participating. (Source: Pensacola News
Journal, 03/15/12)
NRL opens robotic lab
WASHINGTON -- The Naval Research Laboratory held a ribbon cutting for its
Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research, which will focus on autonomous
systems research for the Navy and Marine Corps. The lab will bring together
scientists and engineers from diverse backgrounds. The one-of-a-kind lab has
specialized facilities to support research in intelligent autonomy, sensor systems,
power and energy systems, human-system interaction, networking and
communications and platforms. It has multiple bays providing environments from
desert to littoral and more. (Source: Business Wire, 03/16/12) Gulf Coast note: The
NRL has a lab at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; unmanned systems are built in Moss
Point, Miss.; there are multiple UAV-related activities in the region; a lab in
Pensacola, Fla., does research on artificial intelligence and human-machine
interaction.
It’s official: Rocketdyne for sale
Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne is officially up for sale by its parent company, United
Technologies. On Thursday, Rocketdyne's parent company, Hartford, Conn.-based
United Technologies, announced it was selling the company to help finance its
$16.5-billion purchase of aerospace supplier Goodrich Corp. Rocketdyne was first
formed by North American Aviation. North American later merged with Rockwell
International, which became part of Boeing. In 2005, Boeing sold Rocketdyne to
United Technologies Corp. (Source: Los Angeles Times, 03/15/12) Previous:
Shareholders OK merger; UT eyeing sale. Gulf Coast note: Pratt and Whitney
Rocketdyne assembles and tests engines at Stennis Space Center; Goodrich has
an operation in Foley, Ala.
Material for booster tested
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- A sub-scale solid rocket motor designed to mimic NASA's Space
Launch System booster design successfully was tested Wednesday at NASA's
Marshall Space Flight Center. The 20-second firing tested new insulation materials
on the 24-inch-diameter, 109-inch-long motor. The motor is a scaled down, low-cost
replica of the solid rocket motors that will boost SLS off the launch pad. ATK of
Brigham City, Utah, is the prime contractor for the booster. (Source: NASA,
03/14/12, Huntsville Times, 03/15/12) Gulf Coast note: Michoud Assembly Facility in
New Orleans builds the Orion crew capsule for the SLS and Stennis Space Center,
Miss., will test the RS-25 and J-2X engines for the SLS.
Contract: Raytheon, $7M
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $6,973,286 firm-fixed-price and
cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for 18 range safety systems with jammer compatibility
for Low Rate Initial Production 3, Reliability Assessment Program and initial
operational flight tests. The location of the performance is Tucson, Ariz. Work is
expected to be completed Feb. 15, 2014. AAC/EBJM, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is
the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/15/12)
Military council re-established
The Mississippi Military Communities Council has been re-established by Gov. Phil
Bryant. The commission will advise Bryant and staff on legislative issues that could
impact Mississippi's bases as well as "promote Mississippi's military missions at
the national level" and develop growth opportunities. The Pentagon is tightening
its belt and two new Base Realignment and Closure rounds are expected. (Source:
Sun Herald, 03/14/12) South Mississippi has military aviation activities at Keesler
Air Force Base in Biloxi, Gulfport International Airport and Camp Shelby near
Hattiesburg. South Mississippi is also home to a Naval Construction Battalion
Center in Gulfport and has a large Navy presence at NASA's Stennis Space Center.
Direct Air suspends flights
GULFPORT, Miss. – Direct Air, which said last month that it will provide three non-
stop flights a week beginning June 15 between Gulfport and Lakeland, Fla.,
suspended operations for two months. The Myrtle Beach, S.C.-based air carrier is
working through contract issues with a fuel provider, officials said. (Source: Sun
Herald, 03/13/12) The sudden suspension caused some problems in other airports
already served by the carrier. (Source: Myrtle Beach online, 03/14/12) Previous
F-35 takes to air again
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – An F-35 jet had a successful second flight Tuesday,
a week after a flight was aborted because of a fuel leak. U.S. Marine Corps Maj.
Joseph Bachmann flew the 93-minute local orientation flight in aircraft AF-13, a
conventional takeoff and landing variant. The F-35 Integrated Training Center at
Eglin is scheduled to train about 100 F-35 pilots and 2,200 maintainers annually.
(Sources: Star-Telegram, BayNet, 03/13/12) Previous
Abort engine hot fired
CANOGA PARK, Calif. -- Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne completed mission-duration
hot-fire tests on a launch abort engine on Friday, March 9. The engine is in
support of Boeing's CST-100 spacecraft being developed for NASA's Commercial
Crew Development Round 2. Boeing's Crew Space Transportation system is a
reusable, capsule-shaped spacecraft designed to take up to seven people or a
combination of people and cargo to low Earth orbit, including the International
Space Station. The abort propulsion system is designed to push the crew capsule
to safety if an abort becomes necessary during launch or ascent. (Source:
PRNewswire, 03/13/12) The CST-100 is compatible with the Atlas V, Delta IV and
Falcon 9 launch vehicles. Gulf Coast note: NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss.,
tests RS-68 engines for United Launch Alliance's Delta IV, and also has a Pratt and
Whitney Rocketdyne operation.
Jacobs awarded contract option
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. announced today that it's been awarded its first
option year by NASA for its Manufacturing Support and Facility Operations Contract
at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The option year has a potential
value of $137 million. MAF, capable of manufacturing large aerospace structures at
a single location, has played a key role in the design, assembly and manufacture of
the Space Shuttle external tank and continues to support the development and
manufacture of hardware for future spaceflight programs. (Source: PRNewswire,
03/13/12)
Building named for Hurlburt pilot
FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- The Air Force's 23rd Flying Training Squadron named its new
consolidated operations center after a Hurlburt Field, Fla., airman. The building
was named after Maj. Randell Voas, a CV-22 Osprey pilot who died April 9, 2010,
near Kandahar, Afghanistan, in a crash during a combat operation. Voas, stationed
at Hurlburt at the time of the crash, had been a pilot instructor for the 23rd at Fort
Rucker, which trains helicopter pilots for special operations, combat search and
rescue and more. All Air Force helicopter pilots start rotary wing training with the
23rd. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 03/12/12)
Shareholders OK merger
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Goodrich Corp. announced that shareholders today approved
the proposed merger with United Technologies Corp. More than 98 percent of
votes were cast in favor of the transaction, or some 75 percent of the outstanding
shares of Goodrich common stock as of February 6, 2012. Upon completion of the
merger, Goodrich will become a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies.
(Source: Goodrich via PRNewswire, 03/13/12) Gulf Coast note: UT owns Pratt &
Whitney Rocketdyne, which has an operation at Stennis Space Center; Goodrich
operates the Alabama Service Center in Foley, Ala.
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $56.3M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is
being awarded a $56,329,396 cost reimbursement modification to previously
awarded contract to provide additional funding for the sustainment effort
necessary to meet the requirements and delivery schedule for the F-35 Low Rate
Initial Production V. Sixty percent of the work will be done at Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., and 15 percent at Fort Worth, Texas. El Segundo, Calif.; Warton, United
Kingdom; Orlando, Fla.; Nashua, N.H.; and Baltimore, Md., each will do 5 percent.
Work is expected to be completed in May 2012. The Naval Air Systems Command,
Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/12/12)
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $38.6M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is
being awarded a $38,599,999 modification to the previously awarded low rate initial
production Lot 6 advance acquisition contract to provide additional funding for the
procurement of long lead items for F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter low rate
initial production conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft for the Air
Force, and the governments of Italy and Australia. Work, which will be performed
in Fort Worth, Texas, is necessary to protect the delivery schedules of CTOL
aircraft planned for delivery through January 2015. The Naval Air Systems
Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/12/12)
Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
Orion EFT-1 nears completion
NEW ORLEANS -- The initial construction of the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1
vehicle being built at Michoud Assembly Facility is nearing completion, NASA said.
The EFT-1 will be launched in 2014 by a United Launch Alliance Delta IV. The test
will be conducted by Lockeed Martin Space Systems for NASA. The unmanned
capsule will be launched to an altitude of more than 3,600 miles above Earth. When
EFT-1 is finished in May, it will be shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,
for final assembly and launch preparations. The capsule is designed to carry
astronauts into deep space. (Source: NASA, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 03/08/12)
Previous. The Orion will eventually be launched by NASA's Space Launch System.
The SLS engines are being tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
Cause of F-35 fuel leak found
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Three loose fasteners caused the fuel leak that
shortened the first flight of an Eglin F-35 earlier this week. The 90-minute flight
was cut to 15 minutes Tuesday when the pilot of an F-16 chase plane saw the leak
from the F-35. Maintainers also found residual water from an earlier wash of the
aircraft. The F-35 is expected to fly next week, with the goal of two flights a week.
(Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, WEAR-TV, 03/09/12) Eglin, in northwest
Florida, is home of the Joint Strike Fighter training center, which will train all
aviators and maintainers from all three branches of service that will use the F-35.
Previous
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $24.1M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is
being awarded a $24,138,848 modification to a previously awarded cost-
reimbursement contract for the development of a data farm for the Joint Strike
Fighter U.S. Reprogramming Laboratory to be located at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
The data farm will interface with lab's prime mission equipment and is used to
store software and data from the F-35 mission data testing. The ability to store and
retrieve data is critical for mission data production which is vital to program
execution. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas (95 percent), and Orlando,
Fla. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2014. The Naval Air
Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD,
03/09/12)
Bunker buster against Iran?
The huge 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb designed to penetrate deep in the
ground before exploding is one of the weapons in an arsenal that could be used in
a clash with Iran over its nuclear program. That’s what Lt. Gen. Herbert Carlisle, Air
Force deputy chief of staff for operations, told a conference on U.S. defense
programs. The Pentagon is working on options if sanctions and diplomacy fail to
prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. (Sources: multiple, including Reuters,
Bloomberg, The Hill, 03/08/12) Gulf Coast note: The bomb, called the Massive
Ordnance Penetrator, were developed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Previous post
J-2X returned to A-2
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- J-2X engine 10001 is returned to the A-2 Test
Stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center for its second round of tests. The
developmental engine underwent an initial series of tests last year. Both the
engine and test stand have been modified to begin simulated altitude testing in
the coming months. The J-2X engine is designed and built by Pratt & Whitney
Rocketdyne. The J-2X will provide upper-stage power for NASA's Space Launch
System, a new heavy-lift vehicle capable of missions beyond low-Earth orbit.
(Source: NASA/SSC, 03/08/12)
Test site selection starts
The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking public comments on the agency's
selection process for picking six unmanned aircraft system test sites around the
United States. Comments are due by May 9. The FAA is required to create the sites
based on language in both a defense spending bill and the FAA reauthorization
bill. The test sites will help the FAA develop the regulatory framework to govern
the widespread use of UAVs in the national airspace. Congress called for full
integration of unmanned systems into the national airspace by 2015. (Sources: Los
Angeles Times, 03/08/12 Space War, 03/09/12) Previous related posts: Shelby
picked for Guard UAV center; Mississippi player in growth field; Drones in national
airspace?
Fourth crewmember recovered
MOBILE, Ala. – The body of the fourth crewmember of a Coast Guard helicopter
that crashed last week in Mobile Bay has been recovered. Flight mechanic Petty
Officer 3rd Class Andrew Knight’s body was recovered more than two miles
southwest of the crash site. Four crewmen were aboard the MH-65C that was on a
training mission out of the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center in Mobile.
(Source: Mobile Press-Register, 03/08/12)
728th ACS faces decommissioning
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 728th Air Control Squadron at Eglin Air Force
Base will be decommissioned as a result of force structure changes. About 375
airmen are assigned to the squadron, which falls under the 552d Air Control Group
at Tinker Air Force Base, Fla. Air Combat Command determined divesting the 728th
is the most feasible option because it's not co-located with operational aircraft and
live, air-to-air training opportunities are limited. The changes will take place Sept.
1. (Source: 96th Air Base Wing, 03/07/12)
F-35 has short first flight
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The first sortie of an F-35 from Eglin Air Force base
today was short-lived when the pilot bought the jet back after 15 minutes because
of an in flight emergency. Pilots and maintainers are meeting today to discuss the
potential fuel leak that shortened the planned 90-minute flight. "Our first sortie is
truly a milestone for the program," said Col. Andrew Toth, 33rd Fighter Wing
commander. "Unfortunately things happen. We didn't want it to happen today but
we were prepared. Our pilot did the exact right thing in returning the jet back to
Eglin. Although there were issues we are doing whatever we can to move the
program forward safely and effectively." Eglin is home of the Joint Strike Fighter
training center, which will train all branches of the military to fly the stealth fighter.
The F-35A received an airworthiness certification from the Air Force Aeronautical
Systems Center Feb. 27, allowing the advanced fighter aircraft to begin flights at
Eglin. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 03/06/12)
Rotary wing testing moves to Duke
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 46th Test Wing's UH-1N Hueys have left Eglin
main to join the 413th Flight Test Squadron's operating location eight miles north
at Eglin's Duke Field. While still under the 46th Test Wing, the helicopters will
operate from Duke Field rather than from Eglin to allow the test wing to support a
250 percent increase in helicopter developmental test programs beginning in
June. The move will centralize all Air Force helicopter developmental test and
evaluation in one squadron, according to Capt. Garrett Knowlan, a flight
commander and major architect of the helicopter bed-down. (Source: 46th Test
Wing, 03/02/12)
Shelby picked for UAV center
CAMP SHELBY, Miss. -- Add another piece to Mississippi's unmanned aerial
vehicle footprint. Camp Shelby, the nation's largest, state-owned military training
site, was selected as the site of a new $48 million regional flight center for the
Army National Guard's Unmanned Aircraft System. Shelby, picked from 19 sites
nationally, has been used by many tactical unmanned air system units for training
prior to overseas deployment. It's also home to a company of the 155th Heavy
Brigade Combat Team, which has one of the Army's 30 TUAS units. But the training
center won't be tied to mobilization but instead will train soldiers nationwide in the
operation of UAVs. (Source: Hattiesburg American, 03/02/12)
Magazine notes Baldwin successes
Site Selection magazine ranked Baldwin County as the eighth most successful
micropolitan area in the United States in 2011. The March online edition listed the
county for expanding or attracting corporate entities. Among the projects that led
to the listing was Aero-Mark MRO, a maintenance and repair aerospace company
that located in the existing Fokker Airinc facility. (Source: Mobile Press-Register,
03/01/12) A micropolitan area is a county whose largest city does not exceed a
population of 50,000. The U.S. has 576 micropolitan areas.
SSC future looks bright
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's Stennis Space Center hosted a breakfast
Thursday for community leaders from Mississippi and Louisiana to talk about the
future, and it looks bright. Patrick Scheuermann, director SSC, said the center,
where rocket engines are tested, has a $1 billion impact on the region. Work is
booked on every test stand, he said. But the NASA center also hosts activities
from other federal and state agencies and commercial companies. Martin Flinders,
facilities engineering manager for the Rolls-Royce North America Outdoor Test
Facility, said it was the 125,000-acre acoustical buffer zone surrounding Stennis
Space Center that prompted the company to pick South Mississippi to test airliner
engines. The first stand opened in 2007 and work will begin soon on a second
stand. (Sources: Sun Herald, Times-Picayune, 03/01/12)
Two more bodies recovered
MOBILE, Ala. -- The bodies of two crewmembers of a Coast Guard helicopter that
crashed Tuesday into Mobile Bay have been recovered. Pilot Lt. Cmdr. Dale Taylor
and co-pilot Lt. j.g. Thomas Cameron were found 100 yards from the crash site. Still
missing is the flight mechanic, Petty Officer 3rd Class Drew Knight. Rescue
swimmer Fernando Jorge was found Tuesday but was unresponsive and declared
dead. (Source: multiple, including Mobile Press-Register, 03/01/12) Previous post
Leader picked for new center
An Air Force Materiel Command general has been nominated by President Obama
to lead a new center that will be created in October as part of the AFMC
restructuring. Lt. Gen. C.D. Moore II will serve as commander of the Air Force Life
Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The center
will manage Air Force weapon systems and foreign military sales, consolidating the
Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson, Electronic Systems Center at
Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.,
and functions at other AFMC bases. (Sources: Dayton Daily News, 02/29/12, Dayton
Business Journal, 03/01/12) Previous related post
200th Lakota delivered
COLUMBUS, Miss. -- EADS North America delivered the 200th UH-72A Lakota Light
Utility Helicopter to the U.S. Army during a ceremony at the American Eurocopter
production facility in Columbus. It's the first production aircraft to be delivered
with the new Security and Support Battalion Mission Equipment Package. The plant
in Columbus, in addition to building Lakotas, is also where the initial S&S Battalion
Lakotas were retrofitted. The Lakotas equipped with the S&S Battalion MEP will be
operated by Army National Guard units across the country. (Source: EADS, 03/01/12)
Gulf Coast note: EADS also has operations in Mobile, Ala.
More flights announced
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- American Airlines soon will more than double flights
between Northwest Florida Regional Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International
Airport. American Airlines, through its American Eagle affiliate, now flies to and
from Dallas/Fort Worth three times a day during the week and twice a day on the
weekend. Starting April 3, the airline will add four round-trip flights a day. (Source:
Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/29/12)
Bentley: No active project yet
Alabama's governor said Wednesday that his administration is in constant contact
with Airbus about establishing an assembly plant Mobile, but Gov. Robert Bentley
said no active project exists and no formal negotiations have been conducted.
Airbus parent, EADS, had hoped to build an aerial tanker assembly plant in Mobile,
but those plans vanished when Boeing won the Air Force contract last year. Airbus
has an engineering center and a service center for military aircraft in Mobile.
(Source: Mobile Press-Register, 03/01/12)
Boeing gets AC-130U contract
Boeing received an $11.4 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract
from the Air Force. The first delivery order under is worth $4.6 million and will
provide parts to be used to complete installation of 25mm Ammunition Storage and
Handling Systems on four AC-130U gunships. The Boeing Fort Walton Beach facility
will build the components for delivery to Robins Air Force Base, Ga. (Source:
Boeing, 02/29/12)
FEBRUARY 2012
F/A-18s practicing in region
PENSACOLA, Fla. - F/A-18 Hornets from Carrier Air Wing Seven are temporarily
calling Naval Air Station Pensacola home while repairs are made to a landing field
at Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. The Hornets will do field carrier landing practice at
the Navy's Outlying Field Choctaw in nearby Santa Rosa County through March 10.
Several carrier air wings are expected to use NAS Pensacola until repairs to Navy
Auxiliary Landing Field Fentress are finished later this year. The initial group is
from Fighter/Attack Squadrons 143, 103, 83 and 131. (Sources: WEAR-TV, Pensacola
News Journal, WKRG-TV, Navarre Press, various dates, including 02/29/12)
Schwartz: Eglin losing nothing
The Air Force is not migrating anything from Eglin Air Force Base, according to Air
Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. Plans to merge Eglin's 96th Wing and
46th Test Wing and put the new super wing under the command of a general at
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., has caused concerns that the wing will eventually
be moved to California, bringing with it millions of dollars worth of research,
development, test and evaluation work. But Schwartz told the House Armed
Services Committee on Tuesday, in response to a question by Rep. Jeff Miller, that
"Nothing is migrating from Eglin with respect to the proposal for the Air Force
Materiel Command reorganization," Schwartz said. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily
News, 02/28/12)
Search continues for crew
MOBILE, Ala. -- The search continues today for three crewmembers missing in the
Tuesday crash of a U.S. Coast Guard MH-65C helicopter in Mobile Bay. A fourth
crewmember's body has been recovered from the crash site about three miles
from Point Clear. The Coast Guard initially said one person was rescued, but later
said the crewmember was unresponsive and pronounced dead. (Source: Mobile
Press-Register, 02/29/12)
CG helicopter crashes in bay
MOBILE, Ala. -- A Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter with four people aboard crashed in
Mobile Bay Tuesday evening. One person was being taken to shore and three are
missing, spokesman Lt. J.G. Timothy Williams told the Mobile Press-Register. The
helicopter was on a training mission out of the Aviation Training Center at Mobile
Regional Airport. The crash, about three miles southwest of Point Clear, was
reported about 8:30 p.m. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 02/28/12)
A-29 contract canceled
The Air Force is canceling a $355 million contract to Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks,
Nev., and Brazil's Embraer to build 20 Super Tucano A-29 light support aircraft,
citing problems with documentation. The Air Force said it will investigate the
December award for the planes to be used in Afghanistan. A stop-work order was
issued in January after Hawker Beechcraft of Wichita, Kansas, filed suit when its
AT-6 was kept out of the competition. (Sources: multiple, including Reuters,
02/28/12) Sierra Nevada and Embraer planned to assemble the planes in
Jacksonville, Fla. Previous post
Eglin F-35A OKd to fly
The F-35As at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., have been cleared to fly. Officials at the
Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, issued a
Military Flight Release Tuesday to allow the F-35A to begin initial operations at
Eglin, home of the Joint Strike Fighter training center. The decision was made
after an airworthiness board conducted an assessment that evaluated potential
risks and the mitigation actions for unmonitored flights. Flying the Air Force
variant of the F-35 will increase pilot and maintainer familiarity with the aircraft,
exercise the logistics infrastructure and continue to develop aircraft maturity.
These initial F-35A flights will be limited, scripted, conducted within the
restrictions and stipulations of the MFR and flown by qualified pilots, officials said.
Eglin also has three F-35B aircraft, the Marine Corps variant. (Source: AFNS,
02/28/12)
Termination fee still unsettled
Four years after Northrop Grumman and EADS won a contract to build tankers for
the Air Force – a contract canceled 11 days later – a termination fee is still in the
works, according to Air Force Times. Under the 2008 award, EADS planned to
assemble the planes in Mobile, Ala. Work began on the airframes. But the contract
was overturned and Boeing won the new competition. The Air Force still partly
owns two Airbus A330 airframes built as part of the original contract. One is in
storage in Spain and the other in France. Air Force officials said they expect the
contract termination issues to be settled soon. (Source: Air Force Times, 02/29/12)
Airport plans facelift
MOBILE, Ala. -- Mobile Regional Airport is getting a $2.9 million facelift. The Airport
Authority plans to install canopies along the front of the building made from the
same pipe-and-plastic-covering material used in front of the Renaissance
Riverview Plaza Hotel in downtown Mobile. The canopies will have LED lights so
they can be highlighted with different colors, as is the case with the downtown
RSA Tower and RSA-BankTrust Building. The facelift should take about seven
months to complete. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 02/27/12)
BAMS hits milestones
Flight tests have begun for the first developmental multifunction active sensor
(MFAS) radar destined for the Navy's MQ-4C Broad Area Maritime Surveillance
Unmanned Aircraft System -- BAMS. The sensor has been integrated a Gulfstream II
testbed aircraft at the Northrop Grumman facility in Palmdale, Calif. The system
finished ground station testing in late November. In addition, the wings and
landing gear were installed on the first BAMS at the company's Palmdale
Manufacturing Center. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 02/27/12) Gulf Coast note:
BAMS central fuselage work is done in Moss Point, Miss.
Second AEHF delivered
Lockheed Martin delivered the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency
(AEHF) military communications satellite to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.,
where it will be readied for an April 2012 liftoff aboard an Atlas V. The AEHF system
will replace the five-satellite Milstar constellation. One AEHF satellite will provide
greater total capacity than the entire Milstar system. Individual user data rates will
be five times improved, providing transmission of tactical military communications,
such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data. (Source: Lockheed
Martin via PR Newswire, 02/27/12) Gulf Coast note: Core propulsion work for the
AEHF is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
Contract: Industria Paschen, $48M
Industria Paschen Group J.V., Chicago, Ill., is being awarded a $48,000,000 firm-
fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity with economic price adjustment
contract for simplified acquisition of base engineering requirements, such as
minor, noncomplex construction projects, maintenance, alternation, or repair of
real property at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and its associated sites. Work is
expected to be completed by Feb. 26, 2017. The 325th CONS/LGCC, Tyndall Air
Force Base is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/27/12)
Orion drop test Wednesday
The Orion Parachute Test Vehicle is slated for a drop test Wednesday in Yuma,
Ariz., at the Army proving grounds. The vehicle will be dropped from a C-17 aircraft
for the test of the parachute system. Elsewhere, the Exploration Flight Test Orion
is continuing construction in New Orleans, while the Ground Test Article is
undergoing vibration testing in Denver. (Source: Spaceflight, 02/26/12)
Hurlburt officer one of two shot
One of the two U.S. officers shot in the head at a ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan,
has been identified as an officer with the Air Force Special Operations Command
at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Lt. Col. John Darin Loftis, 866th Air Expeditionary Squadron,
died Saturday. Loftis, 44, of Paducah, Ky., and a major were found shot inside the
heavily guarded Afghan Ministry of the Interior building. The Taliban claimed
responsibility and said the killings were in retaliation for the burning of Korans.
Loftis was the chief plans advisor and part of a cadre of specially trained U.S.
service members skilled in Afghan and Pakistani culture and language. (Sources:
from combined reports, including AFNS, 02/26/12)
F-35B rollout marked
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Marine Corps on Friday hosted a rollout
ceremony to celebrate the arrival of the F-35B, the short takeoff-vertical landing
variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. Hundreds attended the event at Eglin Air Force
Base. Officials said military training flights could be approved by late March or
early April. There are three F-35Bs at Eglin, along with six Air Force F-35A versions
of the fighter. The first Marine Corps versions arrived in early January. The F-35B
is slated to replace the Marine Corps’ F/A-18 Hornet, AV-8B Harrier and EA-6B
Prowler. Eglin is home of the JSF training center, which will train pilots and
maintainers for all branches of the military and foreign allies. (Sources: Reuters,
Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/24/12)
Contract: Composite Engineering, $32.7M
Composite Engineering Inc., Sacramento, Calif., is being awarded a $32,701,017
firm-fixed-price contract to procure a quantity of 35 BQM-167As, also known as the
Air Force Subscale Aerial Target. The location of the performances is Sacramento,
Calif. Work is expected to be completed by April 30, 2014. AAC/EBYK, Eglin Air
Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/24/12)
Eglin F-35s to fly soon
The F-35s at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., could begin flying in a matter of weeks, the
Air Force’s top training officer said. Gen. Edward Rice, commander of Air Education
and Training Command, made the comment during a news conference at the Air
Force Association’s winter conference in Orlando, Fla. But it could be much longer
before student pilots begin flying. (Source: DoD Buzz, 02/23/12) Turkey still plans to
buy 100 F-35 fighter jets for $16 billion, with an initial order of two planes for
delivery in 2015, according to Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz. (Source: Reuters,
02/23/12) Lockheed Martin opened a new 57,000 square-foot facility in Pinellas
Park, Fla., to produce canopy components for the F-35. The facility is an annex to
Lockheed Martin’s existing 197,000 square-foot building that’s been making
structural components for more than 10 aircraft since 1997. (Source: SpaceWar,
02/24/12)
Dempsey visits NAS Pensacola
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, saw
joint training in action and spoke with students, staff and family members during a
Feb. 22 visit to several commands at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Dempsey visited
the Naval Education and Training Command, Training Air Wing 6, the Air Force
479th Flying Training Group and the National Museum of Naval Aviation. Dempsey
also held a town hall meeting in the museum atrium. Topics included military
transition, the defense budget, leadership, training and building the force of the
future. (Source: NNS, 02/22/12)
RAF marks first with F-35
PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- A Royal Air Force squadron leader became United
Kingdom's first military test pilot to fly the F-35C, the carrier variant of the Joint
Strike Fighter. Jim Schofield, RAF squadron leader, said the F-35 is the best
handling of any jet he's flown. Schofield's Feb. 21 flight is the latest in a series of
milestones for the UK's program, which included the first F-35C launch on the test
electromagnetic aircraft launch system Nov. 18 and the rollout of the first UK F-35
from the production line four days later. EMALS is the launching system of record
for the future HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, currently under construction.
(Source: Naval Air Systems Command, 02/22/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force
Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
Garver visits SSC
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver was at
Stennis Space Center today, and said the proposed NASA budget "will keep us on
the cutting edge of the space program, the very best space program in the world."
She said the $17.7 billion budget, $70 million less than the previous year, allows
NASA to continue to utilize the International Space Station and develop the space
vehicles -- the Space Launch System and Orion crew vehicle -- that will allow NASA
to explore further into space than ever before. Stennis Space Center tests the
rocket engines for the Space Launch System and Michoud Assembly Facility in
New Orleans is involved in building both Orion and the SLS. (Source: Tcp, 02/23/12)
New Orleans’ VAW-77 targeted
NEW ORLEANS -- The Navy proposes to decommission a squadron at Naval Air
Station Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse, eliminating a flying unit that focuses
on stemming the flow of drugs to the United States. Under the 2013 spending plan
released this week, the Navy Reserve’s Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron
77 would cease to exist Sept. 30. VAW-77 has about 100 active duty and reserve
Navy personnel and about 55 civilian contractors. (Source: New Orleans Times-
Picayune, 02/20/12)
RR XWB takes to skies
The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine took to the skies for the first time, powering an
Airbus A380 test aircraft in Toulouse, France. The aircraft flew with one of its four
Trent 900 engines replaced by a Trent XWB. The Trent XWB will power the new
Airbus A350 XWB. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 02/18/12, Aviation Week, 02/21/12) Gulf
Coast note: The Trent XWB engine type has been tested at Stennis Space Center.
F-35 has external weapons test
The first external weapons test mission was flown by an F-35A last week during a
mission at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The Feb. 16 test involved the Air Force
version of the F-35 carrying two air-to-air AIM-9X missiles on the outboard wings
stations, as well as two GBU-31 guided bombs and two AIM-120 air-to-air missiles
carried inside the weapons bays. The jet also had mounted four external pylons
that can carry 2,000-pound air-to-ground weapons. No weapons were fired in the
test. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 02/20/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
Unmanned A-10 in the works
Raytheon picked Aurora Flight Sciences to join the team that will create an
unmanned version of the battle-tested A-10. The Persistent Close Air Support
program is funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. Other
members of the team include Rockwell Collins and GE Aviation. (Source: Aurora
Flight Sciences, 02/16/12) Gulf Coast note: Aurora Flight Sciences has a UAV
manufacturing center in Columbus, Miss.; Raytheon has multiple activities along
the Gulf Coast; GE Aviation is building engine parts plants near Hattiesburg, Miss.,
and Auburn, Ala., and also operates a parts plant in Batesville, Miss.
Four Hurlburt airmen die
Four airmen from Hurlburt Field, Fla., died Saturday in an accident near Camp
Lemonnier, Djibouti involving their U-28. Killed were Capt. Ryan P. Hall, 30, of
Colorado Springs, Colo., assigned to the 319th Special Operations Squadron at
Hurlburt; Capt. Nicholas S. Whitlock, 29, of Newnan, Ga., assigned to the 34th
Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt; 1st Lt. Justin J. Wilkens, 26, of Bend, Ore.,
also with the 34th; and Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten, 26, of Upper Marlboro,
Md., assigned to the 25th Intelligence Squadron. The U-28 is a single engine
aircraft that provides intelligence and surveillance for special operations forces.
The cause of the accident is under investigation. Hurlburt Field is home of the Air
Force Special Operations. (Sources: DoD, Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/20/12)
Two states team on megasite
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- Four economic development groups in two states are
working together on a megasite along the Interstate 10 corridor on a road linking
Dothan, Ala., to Panama City, Fla. The organizations are the Bay County Economic
Development Alliance, Alabama Development Office, Enterprise Florida and the
Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce. Neal Wade, executive director of the Bay EDA,
told the Panama City News Herald that representatives have been meeting for
more than six months to prepare for the project along State 77 and I-10. Wade
described the megasite as an industrial manufacturing center. (Source: Panama
City News Herald, 02/16/12)
ET-1 tested at Eglin
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Army Space and Missile Defense
Command/Army Forces Strategic Command successfully completed a test flight of
the new Economical Target-1, Feb. 15 at Eglin Air Force Base. The Economical
Target-1 missile was launched from the Santa Rosa Test Site with the support of
the 46th Test Wing on Eglin into the ocean area within the test range. The target
missile's flight was tracked by several range sensors and preliminary indications
are that all data collection objectives were met. (Source: Army, 02/15/12)
NASA tests J-2X powerpack
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Engineers conducted an initial test of the J-2X
engine powerpack Feb. 15, launching a series of tests in development of the
rocket engine that will help power the Space Launch System. This test is the first
of about a dozen that will be conducted throughout the year at SSC. The first test
was the first time cryogenic fuels were introduced into the powerpack to ensure
the integrity of the facility and the test article in preparation for full power, longer
duration testing. The powerpack is on the top portion of the J-2X and includes the
gas generator, oxygen and fuel turbopumpts along with related ducts and valves.
(Source: NASA, 02/16/12)
Marines roll out F-35B
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will
host the Marine Corps' official F-35B Lightning II rollout ceremony Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.
at its Eglin hangar. Gen. James Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, is
scheduled to be the presiding officer. U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller and Robert Stevens,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin, will also be speaking.
The F-35B is slated to replace the Marine Corps’ F/A-18 Hornet, AV-8B Harrier and
EA-6B Prowler. Eglin Air Force Base is home to the F-35 training center for all
branches of the military and allied nations that will be using the F-35. (Source:
Eglin Air Force Base, 02/16/12)
Eglin needs to prep for inflow
DESTIN, Fla. -- The commander of the 96th Air Base Wing said Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., isn't worried about hits Eglin might take in any Base Realignment and Closure
round. Instead, Col. Sal Nodjomian wants to base to take steps to ensure it can
take in new missions. Nodjomian, speaking at Tuesday's Leaders in Business
Lunch organized by the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce, played down the Air
Force Material Command's decision announced in November to close the Air
Armament Center and merge the 96th mission into the 46th Test Wing. He said the
only impact for Eglin was the elimination of management positions. He said the
46th and 96th will be combined into a "super wing" that would now report to the Air
Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (Source: Destin Log, 02/14/12)
Previous related post
New flight added
GULFPORT, Miss. – A new direct flight will be offered between the Gulfport-Biloxi
International Airport and the Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Fla., beginning in
June. The 90-minute flight will be offered three times a week on Wednesdays,
Fridays and Sundays. A special promotional fare of $99 is being offered through
Feb. 22. (Source: Sun Herald, 02/15/12)
Airbus, ST Aerospace team up
SINGAPORE – Airbus, ST Aerospace and EADS EFW will work together on a program
to convert A330 passenger jets into cargo freighters, officials said. A memorandum
of understanding was signed at the Singapore Airshow. The P2F program will
cover the conversion of A330-200 and A330-300 jets. ST Aerospace will lead the
engineering development and Germany’s EADS EFW will carry out “most” of the
conversions in Dresden. The first converted aircraft could enter service in 2016.
About 2,700 freighters will be required over the next 20 years, officials said. About
half of these will be in the mid-sized freighter segment, including 900 conversions.
EADS-EFW chief executive Andreas Sperl said that once the program is up and
running, Dresden would be capable of converting 15-18 A330s a year. EADS EFW
will become the European center for ST Aerospace’s global maintenance, repair
and overhaul operations. (Source: Wall Street Journal, ChannelNewsAsia, ST
Aerospace, Flightglobal, 02/16/12) Gulf Coast note: EADS, Airbus and ST Aerospace
have operations in Mobile, Ala.
Contract: Boeing, $111.4M
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $111,397,676 predominantly
firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of 4,844 joint direct attack munitions. The
location of the performance is St. Charles, Mo. Work is expected to be completed
by May 2014. AAC/EBDK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 02/14/12)
AT-6 has a first at Eglin
Hawker Beechcraft said its AT-6 light attack aircraft successfully fired laser-guided
rockets during tests last month at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., making the AT-6 the
first fixed-wing aircraft to launch a laser-guided rocket. The 2.75” laser-guided
rocket testing included BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System and
Raytheon’s TALON. The weapons were fired from about three nautical miles and
guided to their targets using either an airborne laser from the AT-6 or a ground
laser from the Eglin range. Both rockets were scored as hits on their respective
targets. Hawker is fighting a decision by the Air Force to award a contract for light
attach aircraft to Sierra Nevada and Embraer. A stop work order on the contract as
issued after Hawker took the matter to federal court. (Source: Wichita Business
Journal, Hawker Beechcraft, 02/13/12)
Eglin gets new lab
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The new High Pressure Particulate Physics Facility
officially opened this month at Eglin Air Force Base. The facility was built to
enhance the role of science and technology in smart munitions development, and
contains a 60-mm smooth bore gun, complemented with high-resolution, high-
precision, time-resolved diagnostics for use with various imaging technologies.
The gun will be able to launch a few kilogram mass at high speed and will address
basic questions on material behavior, as it relates to munition weapon systems
and weapon effects. (Source: Air Force Materiel Command, 02/14/12)
Contract: Jacobs, $36M
Jacobs Technology, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was awarded a $36,097,935 firm-fixed-
price and level-of-effort contract. The award will provide for the technical and
administrative services in support of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protection
vehicle. Work will be performed in Kuwait; Warren, Mich.; Stafford, Va.; Aberdeen,
Md.; Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Benning, Ga.; Afghanistan; Camp Atterbury,
Ind.; and Red River Army Depot, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Feb.
6, 2013. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting
activity. (Source: DoD, 02/13/12)
Contract: Jacobs, $157.2M
Jacobs Technology, Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was awarded a $157,209,880 cost-
plus-fixed-fee contract to provide for the systems engineering and technical
assistance support services. Work will be performed in Fort Belvoir, Va.; Natick,
Mass.; Eatontown, N.J.; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; Springfield, Va.; Fort
Lewis, Wash.; Fort Knox, Ky.; and Fort Benning, Ga., with an estimated completion
date of Jan. 31, 2015. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving
Ground, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/13/12)
Budget wants two BRAC rounds
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon's 2013 budget calls for two rounds of base closings,
according to documents released Monday. The last Base Realignment and Closure
round was in 2005. All BRACS have pit communities and states against each other
because bases are major employers. The budget asks for BRAC rounds in 2013 and
2015. (Source: USA Today, 02/13/12) Gulf Coast note: This region is home to a heavy
concentration of military bases, as well as military activities at non-DoD facilities.
Previous on BRAC
GE Aviation growth
GE Aviation's production rates are expected to grow from about 3,000 commercial
and military engine deliveries in 2011 to 3,400 in 2012 and 3,800 in 2013, according
to the company. "We're firing on all cylinders," said David Joyce, president and
CEO of GE Aviation. The company, which has about 25,000 workers in the U.S., is
investing some $580 million in plant, equipment, and tooling across 55 U.S.
operations. It will add more than 400 employees over the next three years. By the
end of the year GE Aviation will complete construction of a 300,000-square-foot
factory in Ellisville, Miss., to make composite components for jet engines, and
another 300,000 square-foot facility in Auburn, Ala., that will make machined parts
for commercial and military engines. Construction is also under way on GE's new
electric power integrated systems R&D center in Dayton, Ohio. (Source: GE
Aviation via Business Wire, 02/13/12)
Mississippi player in growth field
Mississippi is a key player in the growing unmanned aerial systems field. In
addition to the Global Hawks and Fire Scouts built in Moss Point, Mississippi has
two other companies building four types of UAVs, as well as airspace where UAV
flights are permitted and companies that work on sensors and advanced materials,
both important to the industry. (Source: Sun Herald, 02/12/12)
Airbus to build in Mobile?
SEATTLE -- There was speculation at the aerospace suppliers' conference this past
week that Airbus could announce this summer that it will build commercial jets in
the United States. The heavy favorite is Mobile, Ala., where Airbus parent EADS
had planned to build aerial tankers until it lost the competition to Boeing. Two
people who have contact with Airbus and its suppliers said they believe Mobile
will build up to 10 A320 jets a month. Last month, the chief financial officer of EADS
raised the possibility that Airbus will soon resurrect the idea of building jets in the
U.S. (Source: Seattle Times, 02/11/12) Previous related post
Carroll: Committed to Eglin
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll told fellow task force members she's
committed to work with them to help preserve the Air Armament Center and 46th
Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base. State Sen. Don Gaetz, who sponsored the bill to
create and fund the task force, had been critical of Carroll, saying he thought she
was hesitant to engage in effective lobbying in Washington. He said he welcomed
her "change of view" on the Eglin issue. The task force is hoping to prevent the
Air Force from placing Eglin's 46th Test Wing under the command of a two-star
general at California's Edwards Air Force Base. They fear it's a first step toward
moving the wing's research, development, test and evaluation function to
California. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/11/12) Previous post
Bill has NATO Global Hawk funds
Bloomberg reports that the Pentagon proposes in its new budget spending $1.2
billion for the first three NATO variant Global Hawk unmanned aircraft and three
more Navy variants, according to an official. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization
said this month it planned to buy five Alliance Ground System through 2017. The
Navy already has two demonstration versions of the Broad Area Maritime
Surveillance System. Congress will get the budget Feb. 13. (Source: Bloomberg,
02/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Northrop Grumman builds the Global Hawk fuselages in
Moss Point, Miss. Previous related posts: NATO getting Global Hawks; Global Hawk
variant to be cut; NATO to ink AGS deal in May
Drone foreign sales discussed
Navy leaders are considering selling Scan Eagle unmanned drones to Kuwait,
Pakistan and the Netherlands, according to a presentation by Marine Corp. Col.
James Rector of the Naval Air Systems Command. He made the comment during
the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International's annual program in
Washington. There are also informal talks involving Australia and Japan to buy
Global Hawk fixed-wing reconnaissance drones built by Northrop Grumman.
(Source: AOL Defense, 02/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawks are built in part in
Moss Point, Miss. Correction note: AOL Defense initially reported the drone being
considered for sale was Fire Scout, rather than Scan Eagle.
UT eyeing sales
United Technologies is studying the sale of a pump- and compressor-making
division to raise cash for the planned purchase of aerospace supplier Goodrich
Corp., according to Bloomberg, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Also
under way is an effort to find a buyer for Pratt and Whiteny Rocketdyne, which
makes engines for civilian and military rockets, the same sources said. (Source:
Bloomberg, 02/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne has an
operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Goodrich owns the Alabama Service
Center in Foley, Ala.
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $14.8M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is
being awarded a $14,800,000 modification to a previously awarded advance
acquisition contract to procure long lead items for F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike
Fighter low rate initial production Lot 6 short take-off vertical landing aircraft for
the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is necessary
to protect the delivery schedules of STOVL aircraft planned for delivery through
December 2014. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
Contracts: 2020, Oasis, COLSA
2020 Co. LLC., Falls Church, Va.; Oasis Systems LLC., Lexington, Mass.; and COLSA
Corp., Huntsville, Ala. are each being awarded a $53,511,834 firm-fixed price, labor-
hour, cost-reimbursement contract for the Technical and Acquisition Management
Support Program. This program provides a wide range of diverse non-
engineering, technical, and acquisition management support required in the
acquisition, development, production, and support of various equipment and
weapon systems within the Air Armament Center and other organizations at Eglin
Air Force Base, Fla. The location of the performance is Eglin. Work is expected to
be completed by Feb. 28, 2013. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/08/12)
Gaetz wants more base advocacy
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- State Sen. Don Gaetz is critical of how Lt. Gov.
Jennifer Carroll is handling her role as the state's advocate for the Defense
Support Task Force. "I think the lieutenant governor has been hesitant to engage
in effective lobbying in Washington on Eglin issues," Gaetz told the Northwest
Florida Daily News. The task force was created to preserve Florida's military bases
and missions in an age of Pentagon cuts. Members decided the first priority
should be lobbying to prevent the Air Force from placing Eglin’s 46th Test Wing
under the command of a two-star general at California's Edwards Air Force Base.
They fear it's a first step toward moving the wing's research, development, test
and evaluation function to California. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News,
02/06/12)
Contract: Boeing, $18.3M
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $18,300,000 cost-plus-
incentive-fee and firm-fixed-priced items contract for an acceleration effort,
regression testing, and a fuze risk reduction effort. The location of the
performance is Saint Louis, Mo. Work is expected to be completed by Feb. 28,
2013. AAC/EDBK/EDBJ, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 02/07/12)
Old airport to transfer this week
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- The final transfer of the old airport in Panama City to its new
owners will take place Wednesday or Thursday, officials said. The sale will help the
airport pay off a number of debts and eliminate some $120,000 per month in costs
at the old site. St. Andrew Bay Land Co. plans a village-type development at the
700-acre site. Air operations transferred to the Northwest Florida Beaches
International Airport near West Bay on May 23, 2010. (Source: Panama City News
Herald, 02/06/12)
Group to take base fight to D.C.
MILTON, Fla. – The Santa Rosa County Commission was given an update Monday
on local plans to protect area bases from a possible Base Realignment and
Closure round and other military cuts. Pete Gandy, a consultant with TEAM Santa
Rosa, praised the work that Santa Rosa County commissioners have done for
nearly 10 years to purchase and preserve the land around Naval Air Station
Whiting Field, which trains military aviators. He said a five-county delegation
supporting the military bases will go to Washington at the end of February to meet
with congressional leaders to discuss issues facing Northwest Florida military
bases. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/06/12)
Drones in national airspace?
The House passed a bill Monday that starts the clock on safely integrating
unmanned aerial vehicles into the national airspace, with full integration by the
Sept. 30, 2015. The bill, previously passed by the Senate and now awaiting
President Obama's signature, provides a number of deadlines for the Federal
Aviation Administration. One is to establish six UAV test sites within six months.
(Source: Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, USA Today,
02/06/12) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawk and Fire Scout UAVs are built in part in
Moss Point, Miss.; several companies at Stennis Space Center, Miss., work with
UAV sensors; the Coast Guard Aviation Center is involved in UAV training in
Mobile, Ala.; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is involved in UAV navigation systems.
Contract: Sikorsky, $26M
Sikorsky Support Services, Inc., Pensacola, Fla., was awarded a $26,063,162
modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery requirements contract to
exercise an option for logistics services and materials for organizational,
intermediate, and depot-level maintenance to support 161 T-34, 54 T-44, and 172 T-
6 aircraft based primarily at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas; NAS Whiting
Field, Fla.; and NAS Pensacola, Fla. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi (50
percent); Whiting Field (39 percent); Pensacola (8 percent); and various sites
within the continental United States. Work is expected to be completed in April
2012. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting
activity. (Source: DoD, 02/06/12)
Tyndall to get new F-22 squadron
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- A new combat F-22 squadron will be coming to Tyndall Air
Force Base in Northwest Florida beginning this summer, bringing up to 1,000
additional personnel. That's according to Brig. Gen. John K. “Jack” McMullen,
commander of the 325th Fighter Wing. He provided an assessment of Tyndall
during the Bay County Chamber First Friday meeting. McMullen said the first
personnel will begin arriving in July and aircraft in January 2013. McMullen also
said 20 T-38s will be coming to the base over the next year. (Source: Panama City
News Herald, 02/03/12)
NATO getting Global Hawks
NATO broke a nearly 20-year logjam and agreed to jointly fund operations of an
airborne ground- surveillance system, including five Northrop Grumman Global
Hawks. The 28-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization approved a plan this
week for all members to pay for support and operations, according to a statement
Friday. The Alliance Ground Surveillance project, which is scheduled to come into
use from 2015, will have its main base at Sigonella, Italy, and several associated
command-and-control base stations. Virginia-based Northrop is the prime
contractor. The drone is powered by Rolls-Royce engines. (Sources: Bloomberg,
Reuters, 02/03/12) Previous
Cuts hit Keesler AFB
The proposed 2013 military budget designed to save the Air Force $8.7 billion over
five years will eliminate hundreds of fighters, cargo planes, surveillance drones
and surveillance planes from bases nationwide, according to details released
Friday. Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., best known for its electronics training and
home of the 403rd Reserve Wing, will lose 10 C-130Js in fiscal year 2014. The wing
transports personnel and equipment and was a major player in combat operations
in Southwest Asia. Another Mississippi base, Key Field Air National Guard in
Meridian, will lose six C-27J in FY13 and one RC-26 in FY14. They'll be replaced by
between nine and 11 MC-12s in FY14. Also of interest to the Gulf Coast region is
the FY13 retirement of 18 Block 30 Global Hawks stationed at Beale Air Force Base,
Calif. Fuselage work on Global Hawks is done in Moss Point, Miss. The force
structure changes also affirms the Air Force's commitment to the F-35. Eglin Air
Force Base, Fla., is home of the joint training center. (Source: Tcp, 02/03/12) Details
Becoming astronaut still popular
More than 6,300 people applied between Nov. 15, 2011 and Jan. 27 to become a
NASA astronaut, the second highest number of applications ever received by the
agency. The highest response occurred in 1978 with 8,000 applicants. After a
thorough selection process, which includes interviews and medical examinations,
nine to 15 people will be selected to become part of the 21st astronaut class. NASA
expects to announce a final selection in the spring of 2013. The new astronauts
will be the first to launch aboard a commercial rocket to the space station, said
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. (Source: NASA, 02/03/12) Gulf Coast note: This
region is involved in space programs through NASA’s John C. Stennis Space
Center in South Mississippi and Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
Contract: SRI, $13.2M
International, Menlo Park, Calif., is being awarded a $13,200,000 cost-plus-award-
fee, firm-fixed-price contract for the acquisition of a five-year research and
development program. The Digital Video Laboratory (DVL) provides highly
specialized hardware/software for data /video transmission, video compression,
video data manipulation, image sensors, data/video storage, data/video retrieval
and data/video searches. This contract will be used to acquire hardware, software,
prototype systems, spiral software enhancements, installation and training support
to support the 46 Test Wing's requirement to improve and modernize potential
capabilities using digital data. The location of the performance is on an as required
basis by delivery order. Work is expected to be completed by March 12, 2014.
AAC/PKET, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD,
02/02/12)
Training squadron changes command
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will
have a change of command ceremony Friday. Lt. Col. David R. Berke will take
command from Lt. Col. James B. Wellons in a ceremony at the Department of Navy
and Marine Corps Hangar at Eglin Air Force Base. Marine Fighter Attack Training
Squadron 501, is the first Marine Corps squadron to receive F-35B aircraft for pilot
and maintainer training at the 33rd Fighter Wing F-35 Integrated Training Center.
(Source: Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., 02/02/12)
Eglin to get 17 F-35s this year
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Eglin Air Force Base is scheduled to get another 17 F-
35 jets this year, according to a Lockheed Martin official. Stephen O’Bryan, vice
president of Lockheed’s F-35 program integration, provided the local media with
an update Wednesday. Eglin, where pilots and maintainers from all branches of the
military will be trained, already has nine of the jets, three of them the Marine Corps
variant F-35B and the other six Air Force F-35A. The jets to arrive this year will
include the first Navy version, the F-35C. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News,
02/01/12)
Contract: EADS, $10.1M
EADS - NA, Herndon, Va., was awarded a $10,128,500 firm-fixed-price contract. The
award will provide for the modification of an existing contract for contract logistic
support services. Work will be performed in Columbus, Miss., with an estimated
completion date of Nov. 30, 2013. Five bids were solicited, with three bids
received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/01/12)
Tyndall to test ceramic coatings
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Air Force engineers and researchers are hoping
to find out whether a ceramic coating can help the military reach energy savings
goals. Engineers at the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency will test the
coating in April using two nearly identical buildings. The ceramic coating product,
which is flexible, has been around for 20 years, but was never mass marketed. It
performs well in a lab setting, and if it does the same in the field it could have
multiple applications in warm climates, possibly even in an expeditionary setting.
(Source: AFCESA, 01/31/12)
JANUARY 2012
Contract: Textron, $13.6M
Textron Defense Systems, Wilmington, Maine, is being awarded a
$13,600,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 143 monition control
units; 5 MCU test sets; 15 munitions application program cards;
one wind corrected munitions dispenser dual system support
simulator; one WCMD telemetry ground station; 10 WCMD
telemetry kits; two instrumented measurement kits; and 1552
lanyard connectors. The locations of the performance are
Wilmington, Maine, and Tucson, Ariz. Work is expected to be
completed by February 2014. AAC/EBJK, Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/31/12)
Contract: Kaman, $24.2M
Kaman Precision Products Inc., Orlando, Fla., is being awarded a
$24,171,717 firm-fixed-price contract action, which tasks the
contractor to provide the Air Force with a quantity of 6,067 of the
Joint Programmable Fuze Systems to meet munitions
requirements. The location of the performance is Orlando, Fla.
Work is expected to be completed by December 2013. AAC/EBDK,
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source:
DoD, 01/31/12)
Contract: CSC, $26.9M
CSC Applied Technologies LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is being
awarded a $26,870,070 cost-plus-award-fee contract for the
exercise of option for the base operating support service contract
at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. The location of the performance
is Keesler. Work is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2012. 81
CONS, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 01/31/12)
GD gets gun system contract
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- General Dynamics Armament and Technical
Products was awarded a $23.6 million contract by Lockheed Martin
for production of more than two dozen GAU-22/A gun systems for
the F-35. The GAU-22/A is based on the GAU-12/U 25mm Gatling
gun, which the company has made for more than 40 years. The
GAU-22/A is a lighter-weight, four-barrel version mounted
internally on the F-35A variant and externally on the B and C
models. General Dynamics has been manufacturing GAU-22/A
guns for F-35s since 2009. (Source: General Dynamics via
PRNewswire, 01/31/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin is home of the F-35
training center.
Parachute grounds F35
Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters have been grounded due to
improper loading of parachutes in their ejection seats. The
suspension of flight and high-speed ground testing began Jan. 26
and affects six aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., nine at
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and three nearly completed planes at
Lockheed's production facility in Fort Worth, Texas. It does not
affect eight F-35 aircraft at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.,
which have older ejection seats. (Sources: Aviation Week,
Reuters, 01/30/12)
Contract: L-3, $23.9M
L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, LLC, Madison, Miss., is
being awarded a $23,959,388 modification to a previously awarded
firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract to
exercise an option for contractor logistics support and Aircraft
Intermediate Maintenance Department support for the T-39
Undergraduate Military Flight Officer Training Program. This effort
includes support of the UMFO government-owned T-39N and T-
39G aircraft and associated equipment, including organizational
and depot level repair. In addition, this provides intermediate level
maintenance and support for Chief of Naval Air Training aircraft,
transient aircraft, tenant, and other services activities at the Naval
Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and
surrounding areas through the AIMD. Work will be performed in
Pensacola, Fla. (75 percent), and Corpus Christi, Texas (25
percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2012. The
Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/30/12)
More powerful MOP sought
A huge bomb is not capable of destroying the most fortified
underground facilities, so the military wants to make the Massive
Ordnance Penetrator even more powerful, according to the Wall
Street Journal. The 13.6-ton bunker buster is the nation’s largest
conventional bomb. The Pentagon wants funding to enhance the
bomb's ability to penetrate deeper into rock, concrete and steel
before exploding, The Journal reported. The Defense Department
has spent about $330 million so far to develop about 20 of the
bombs built by Boeing Co. The Pentagon wants about $82 million
more. (Source: Wall Street Journal, 01/28/12) Gulf Coast note:
Eglin Air Force Base is involved in developing MOP. Previous post
StenniSphere closing
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- StenniSphere, the museum and
visitor center at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, is closing
Feb. 15. The closure of the facility within the gates of SSC comes
as the Infinity science center moves forward. Various exhibits
from StenniSphere are being moved into Infinity to prepare for an
opening this spring. Infinity is outside SSC, just south of Interstate
10. StenniSphere opened to the public in May 2000 and has hosted
tens of thousands of visitors each year. The facility housed 14,000
square feet of interactive and informational exhibits highlighting
NASA’s space missions and the work of other key resident
agencies at Stennis. (Source: NASA, 01/30/12)
GE Aviation plant update
ELLISVILLE, Miss. -- The ground work for the new GE Aviation in
Ellisville is nearly complete and company officials will soon make
a decision on a general contractor for the 300,000-square-foot
plant. "We hope to have the building complete by the end of the
year and move our equipment in by early 2013," said Rick
Kennedy, GE Aviation's media relations manager. The $56 million
project is in the Howard Technology Park, not far from
Hattiesburg, and is the second GE Aviation plant in the state. The
other, in Batesville, produces composite components for aircraft
engines. (Source: Laurel Leader-Call, 01/29/12)
Wade: Bay County next hotspot
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- The new executive director of the Bay
County Economic Development Alliance said one of the reasons
he took the job was his belief that Bay County is in a good position
to be the next growth area in Northwest Florida. Neal Wade, during
an interview with the Panama City News Herald, said he hopes to
snag a major aerospace company for a spot by the new airport in
West Bay. He said with assets like the Air Force and Navy bases
nearby and major defense contractors in the area, the West Bay
area is ideal for an aerospace company to open up a new facility.
"We believe this will be a breakout year especially in aerospace,
aviation and defense," said Wade, the former senior vice
president of economic development for the St. Joe Co. (Source:
Panama City News Herald, 01/29/12) When he worked in economic
development in Alabama, Wade played a role in that state landing
Mercedes-Benz.
Aircraft company finds niche
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Aircraft company LSI, operating out of a
20,000 square-foot building, is weeks away from expanding into an
adjacent 12,000 square-foot facility. Plant manager Steve McNair
said the operation has 40 employees and he expects it will add 20
or more over the next year. The company was launched as
Aviation Systems of Northwest Florida in 1994 and was sold to LSI
of Jacksonville, Fla., in 2010. The operation converts Army
helicopters that are no longer flight-worthy into ground-based
platforms to train aviation technicians. (Source: Pensacola News
Journal, 01/29/12)
Asking the right questions
When the Air Force explains to Congress in February its rationale
for a mission consolidation announced in November, the Florida
delegation will have some hard questions supplied by two
members of the Defense Support Initiative task force. Jim
Breitenfeld and retired Lt. Gen. Gordie Fornell have worked for
years with Okaloosa County Economic Development Council and
were there in the past when attempts were made to move the
46th Test Wing from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to Edwards Air
Force Base, Calif. They see a plan to keep the wing at Eglin but
place it under a two-star at Edwards as an effort to move valuable
research, development, test and evaluation functions to Edwards.
They want the consolidation reversed. (Source: Northwest Florida
Daily News, 01/28/12) Previous post about task force; previous
post about consolidation
Academy slates first class
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The National Flight Academy, 25 years in the
making, will have a test class in March followed by its first full
class in May. The academy at Naval Air Station Pensacola’s is
designed to pique the interest of students in science, technology,
engineering and math. The 102,000 square-foot academy is
designed to look like the inside of an aircraft carrier. The Naval
Aviation Museum Foundation raised $18.5 million for construction
of the academy and $15 million to outfit it. A feature story (Source:
Pensacola News Journal, 01/29/12)
ABM students get new building
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – There was a grand opening
Thursday for the new 325th Air Control Squadron building. Brig.
Gen. John K. “Jack” McMullen cut the ribbon, which officially
opened the 36,000 square-foot building to train air battle
managers. The students will provide critical information about
enemy activities to both air and ground forces. It’s the only
schoolhouse that will teach air battle managers in the country.
Tyndall is near Panama City. (Source: Panama City News Herald,
01/26/12)
Enders picked to head EADS
EADS has named Tom Enders to take over as chief executive
officer when Louis Gallois retires in May. Enders, nominated to a
five-year term, was a strong advocate for Mobile, Ala., during the
competition between EADS and Boeing to build Air Force tankers.
EADS planned to build a 1,500-worker assembly plant at Brookley
Aeroplex to build tankers and freighters if it won the competition.
Although EADS lost, it has continued to express interest in
establishing an assembly facility in the United States because of a
backlog of orders from airlines. Enders was expected to be named
to the post. Enders, of Germany, and Gallois, of France, served as
co-CEOs until opting for an American-style structure with one
chief executive officer. (Sources: Mobile Press-Register, 01/26/12,
Bloomberg, 01/27/12)
Block 30 cut disappoints NG
Northrop Grumman said it’s disappointed with the Pentagon’s
plans to cancel the Global Hawk Block 30 program and perform its
missions with the U-2. But the company said it will work with the
Pentagon to assess alternatives to the program’s termination. The
company said that just a few months ago the Pentagon published
an acquisition decision memorandum that said continuation of the
program is essential to national security. Northrop, however, also
said it’s pleased with the continued support for the Global Hawk
Block 40 and the Navy’s Broad Area Maritime Surveillance
system. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 01/26/12) Gulf Coast note:
Central fuselage work on the Global Hawk is done in Moss Point,
Miss.
Pentagon budget plans released
The Pentagon will ask Congress for $525 billion for the military in
2013, $6 billion less than the current budget. Congress will also be
asked to approve a new round of base closures. The request
announced Thursday would eliminate some 100,000 ground
troops, mothball ships and trim squadrons, but increase special
forces, improve cyber defense and put more emphasis on drone
aircraft. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, previewing plans that
will be revealed in more detail next month, said the proposal "will
impact all 50 states and many … congressional districts across
America." The proposed budget has the Navy keeping 11 carriers,
but retires seven cruisers earlier than planned and delays
purchases of subs, amphibious assault ships and other vessels. It
also slows the purchase of F-35s. Congress controls the Pentagon
budget, which is 20 percent of total federal spending, and
regularly intervenes. (Sources: multiple, including AP, Reuters,
01/26/12) Gulf Coast note: The Gulf Coast region builds military
vessels and portions of drone aircraft, and has several special
operations bases and activities. It's also involved in cyber security
training at several locations.
Contract: Raytheon, $17.4M
Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a
$17,424,398 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide test integration
of software to enhance the system performance of the AIM 120D
missile. The location of the performance is Tucson, Ariz. Work is
expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2013. AAC/EBAK, Eglin Air
Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/26/12)
Embry-Riddle to open new campus
CRESTVIEW, Fla. -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is
opening a Crestview campus to meet a growing need for students
in the north end of Okaloosa County. “ERAU is the front runner in
knowing the needs of the workplace when it comes to aviation
related jobs, and we have seen the growth around the Crestview
Airport and in aviation related contracts that make up this area of
Florida," said Ron Garriga, director of academic support of Embry-
Riddle Fort Walton Beach campus. The new campus is on the
second floor of a building at the corner of South Ferdon Boulevard
and Southview Drive. (Source: Crestview News Bulletin, 01/26/12)
Two BRAC rounds possible
The Pentagon is planning to request two new base closure
rounds, one in 2013 and another in 2015, to help cut almost a half a
trillion dollars in spending over the next decade. That’s according
to Air Force Times. The spending cuts imposed on the military are
expected to result in the elimination of tens of thousands of
troops and cuts in aircraft orders, further reducing the need for
military infrastructure. (Source: Air Force Times, 01/25/12) Gulf
Coast note: This region is home to a heavy concentration of
military bases and military activities at non-DoD locations.
SSC starts powerpack tests
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A new series of tests on the J-
2X engine that will power the upper stage of NASA's Space
Launch System will begin next week. The tests will be on the J-2X
powerpack, which is on the top portion of the J-2X. It includes the
gas generator, oxygen and fuel turbopumps and related ducts and
valves that bring the propellants together to create combustion
and generate thrust. About a dozen powerpack tests of varying
lengths are slated through summer at Stennis' A-1 Test Stand. The
J-2X is being developed by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne.
(Source: NASA, 01/25/12)
Vision suspends local service
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- Vision Airline’s flights to and from
Northwest Florida Regional Airport will end Feb. 29, and it’s not
known when or if those flights will resume. Vision started service
at Northwest Florida Regional in December 2010 with direct flights
to and from Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Miami. Service was expanded
in January 2011, then in the summer some destinations were
dropped, others were added. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily
News, 01/24/12)
Fire Scouts on 3rd deployment
MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopters departed last week
aboard the USS Simpson on a third operational deployment. The
frigate is scheduled to spend six months off the coast of West
Africa and in the Mediterranean. Two airframes are deployed and
provide the ship's sole aviation capability. On previous
deployments the Fire Scouts were accompanied by MH-60
Seahawk. (Source: Flightglobal, 01/23/12) Gulf Coast note: Fire
Scouts are built in part in Moss Point, Miss., by Northrop Grumman.
Global Hawk variant to be cut
The Air Force's Block 30 variant of the Global Hawk unmanned
surveillance plane is being terminated in the budget request that
will be sent to Congress in February, according to reports. But one
report says the proposed fiscal 2013 budget also includes $1.2
billion for three additional Block 40 variants. The Air Force already
has 11 of the latest models delivered or on contract. In addition,
the Pentagon wants to continue an $11 billion Navy Global Hawk
program. (Sources: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg, 01/24/12). Gulf Coast
note: Global Hawks are built in part in Moss Point, Miss. Previous
Global Hawk post
Contract: L-3, $69.2M
L-3 Communications Corp., Systems Field Support, Madison,
Miss., was awarded a $69,277,000 firm-fixed-price contract to
provide for the support of the worldwide fleet of C12/RC12/UC35
aircraft. Work will be performed in Madison, Miss., with an
estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2013. The U.S. Army
Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting
activity. (Source: DoD, 01/24/12)
NATO to ink AGS deal by May
NATO's long process to order an Alliance Ground Surveillance
capability could achieve a contract signature within the next few
months. A 13-nation deal should be signed before the next NATO
summit in Chicago in May. U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Steve Schmidt,
commander of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control
Force, valued the pending acquisition at about $1.3 billion for five
Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40 unmanned air
vehicles, each equipped with a Northrop/Raytheon surveillance
payload. (Source: Flightglobal, 01/20/12) Gulf Coast note: Global
Hawks are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.
Operation leaving Destin
DESTIN, Fla. -- Emerald Coast Aviation has closed its operations at
Destin Airport. It subleased services for Miracle Strip Aviation, one
of two fixed-base operators at the airport. Emerald Coast Aviation,
which opened the branch at Destin Airport in April, handled
aircraft maintenance and repairs and flight instructions for Miracle
Strip Aviation. The company also is a full fixed-base operator at
Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview and provides fueling services at
Northwest Florida Regional Airport. (Source: Northwest Florida
Daily News, 01/20/12)
Pensacola getting Southwest
PENSACOLA, Fla. - Pensacola International Airport’s Air Tran will
be converting to Southwest Airlines. The change will occur over
the next several months. Southwest bought AirTran in May, and
there has been a lot of anticipation about what will happen in
markets served by AirTran. Pensacola's airport is among 22 non-
Southwest destinations that the company will keep. A half dozen
other cities will see service end. Pensacola had been trying to get
Southwest for years, including several years ago when the airliner
chose Panama City over Pensacola. (Sources: Pensacola News
Journal, WEAR-TV, 01/20/12) Southwest also serves New Orleans.
F-35B probation ends
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Friday lifted the probation on
the Marine Corps version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,
according to the AP. The probation was put in place last year by
then-Secretary Robert Gates because of technical issues of the
most complex version of the F-35. The program has been plagued
with cost overruns and development delays. (Source: AP,
01/20/12) Gulf Coast note: Lockheed Martin is building three
versions of the plane, the F-35A for the Air Force, the F-35C for the Navy
and the F-35B for the Marines. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the JSF
training center. It currently has three F-35B and six F-35A jets.
SSC to show off J-2X
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's Stennis Space Center has invited the
media to take a look next week at the facilities used to test the J-2X engines that
will be used with the Space Launch System. On Wednesday they'll see the test
control center, the A-1 Test Stand where the J-2X powerpack will be tested soon,
as well as the facility where the final assembly is done on the J-2X. The SLS will
launch the Orion crew capsule that will take astronauts into deep space. NASA
officials will provide a briefing on the SLS and J-2X and what goes into testing the
engine. (Source: NASA, 01/20/12)
Eglin now has largest F-35 fleet
A ninth F-35, this one a Marine Corps version, has arrived at Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., after a 90-minute flight from Fort Worth, Texas. BF-7 was piloted by U.S.
Marine Corps Maj. Joseph Bachmann. Eglin, home of the F-35 Integrated Training
Center, now has the largest F-35 fleet in the Department of Defense. BF-7 is
assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Marine Fighter/Attach Training
Squadron 501 with the host 33rd Fighter Wing. The Marine Corps variant, F-35B, is
a short takeoff/vertical landing version of the plane. (Source: AP, 01/19/12)
F-35 EIS to be released
The Air Force will file a draft Environmental Impact Statement Jan. 20 for the
proposed establishment of a second F-35 pilot training center. The Air Force and
Air National Guard bases under consideration are Boise Air Terminal Airport Air
Guard Station, Idaho; Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.; Luke AFB, Ariz.; and Tucson
International Airport Air Guard Station, Ariz. Luke is the Air Force's preferred
alternative, but no final decision has been made. The draft statement opens a 45-
day public comment period ending March 14. There will be 13 public hearings near
the bases. (Source: AFNS, 01/19/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is
the initial training site.
New career field pilots graduate
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Two members of Beale Air Force Base were
recognized as the first RQ-4 Global Hawk pilots in the new 18X career field during
a winging Jan. 13. They began training in October 2011 after a decision to establish
undergraduate training for remotely piloted aircraft pilots across the service. The
new career field is designated for RPA pilots coming from non-rated career fields
as well as newly commissioned officers. The pilots will begin flying operational and
humanitarian missions immediately in support of combatant commanders
worldwide. (Source: AFNS, 01/19/12) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawks are built in part
in Moss Point, Miss.; military aviators are trained in Northwest Florida; the Coast
Guard trains unmanned systems pilots at the Aviation Training Center in Mobile,
Ala.
Controller blamed for close call
GULFPORT, Miss. -- The National Transportation Safety Board found a near-midair
collision at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in June was likely caused by errors
made by an air-traffic controller. He cleared a Cessna for takeoff and 16 seconds
later cleared a Continental Express jet to take off on a different runway. While both
aircraft were about 300 feet above the airfield the jet passed in front of the
Cessna, coming as close as about 300 feet. (Source: Sun Herald, 01/18/12)
F-35 has tailhook issue
Lockheed Martin is working on a solution to a problem with the tailhook on the F-
35C, officials said. According to published reports, the carrier variant of the F-35
can't land on a carrier because the tailhook is too short, too close to the landing
gear and can't grab arresting cables. Leaked Pentagon documents claim the
design flaw has caused eight simulated landings to fail. (Source: Daily Telegraph,
01/16/12) Lockheed Martin has traced the problem to the tailhook design and
efforts to fix the problem under way. Tom Burbage, Lockheed program manager,
said the problem is limited to the hook design itself. The hook system is being
modified and tests will be done in the second quarter of the year. (Source: Navy
Times, 01/17/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the site of the F-35
training center.
Airbus thinking of U.S. plant?
Airbus may add a final assembly line in the United States to increase visibility in
the largest market for single-aisle planes, according to one executive. Airbus
parent, EADS, would have had an assembly line in the U.S. in Mobile, Ala., had it not
lost the aerial refueling tanker competition to Boeing. Airbus currently has final
assembly lines in France, Germany and China. The comment about a possible U.S.
assembly line came from Hans Peter Ring, chief financial officer of EADS, in an
interview with Bloomberg. (Source: Bloomberg, 01/17/12) Meanwhile, Airbus is
adding fuselage work in Wichita, Kan. Airbus North American Engineering Inc. said
it’s looking to hire 30 new engineers to work at its Wichita headquarters. The
Wichita site, which has primarily done wing engineering since it opened in 2002,
will now have some fuselage design work on the A350-1000 program. (Source:
Wichita Business Journal, 01/17/12) Previous posts of interest: Airbus, Boeing see
demand increase; Shelby: Airbus still eyeing Mobile; Boeing leaving Wichita
Eglin accomplishments noted
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The commander of the Air Armament Center at Eglin
Air Force Base issued a commentary Tuesday about the base's accomplishments in
2011. Maj. Gen. Kenneth Merchant listed the arrival of the first F-35 fighter and
bed down of the Army's 7th Special Forces Group. He also cited the base's rating
of excellent in an operational readiness inspection along with several other
excellence awards. Merchant said the 46th Test Wing verified the performance of
multiple Air Force and Joint weapon systems, aircraft avionics, aircraft
survivability, and command, control, communication and computer systems. It
oversaw about 15,000 ground, flight test, and training missions supporting 689
programs. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 01/17/12) Note: Previous post on changes
at Eglin
Florida targets UAVs
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Two speakers at the Okaloosa County Economic
Development Council’s symposium Friday said the field of unmanned aerial
systems is a target area for the state and Northwest Florida. Gray Swoope,
president and CEO of Enterprise Florida, the agency responsible for attracting
new businesses, said the development and operation of unmanned vehicles is
one of the fastest growing fields in the country. Mark Bontrager, vice president of
Space Florida, said the federal government soon will designate six areas around
the country for unmanned air flights, and he hopes one or more will be in Florida.
The EDC already has made unmanned vehicles a priority and created a group last
year focused on bringing more development to the area. (Source: Northwest
Florida Daily News, 01/13/12)
Two agencies push STEM training
For NASA and the Navy, ensuring there's a pool of talent versed in science,
technology, engineering and math is crucial, and both agencies have programs in
place to pique the interest of the next generation of workers. The National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, with a center at Stennis Space Center,
Miss., and the Navy, a tenant at SSC, are reaching Mississippi students through
several programs. Between January and November 2011, nearly 1,000 educators
and 10,000 students have been served through SSC programs. And this year the
Navy will launch "Mission Ocean," a year-long submarine-related program.
(Source: Alliance Insight, "NASA, Navy push STEM training," January 2012)
Interest in SSC increasing
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The announcement in early December that Blue
Origin of Kent, Wash., would test its engines at NASA's Stennis Space Center,
Miss., was the latest in a series of stories over the past few months that point to
an intriguing future for the rocket propulsion test center. Stennis Space Center
Director Patrick Scheuermann said word is getting out about the test stands, the
land available for development and the expertise at SSC, and commercial
companies are showing interest. "We had been hearing on sort of an infrequent
basis,” Scheuermann said about companies interested in working with SSC, "but in
the last couple of years the frequency has picked up quite a bit." SSC is home not
only to NASA, but a host of other federal and state science and technology
operations. (Source: Alliance Insight, Companies looking at SSC, January 2012)
Would-be astronauts sign up
Applications close at the end of the month for a new group of astronauts to fly
NASA's Orion capsule to points still to be decided. So far more than 1,300 people
have applied, comparable to the response NASA received from its calls for space
shuttle crews, according to Aviation Week. The capsule, along with the heavy-lift
Space Launch System, is envisioned as being able to support missions to a variety
of destination. The first Orion flight on an SLS, tentatively set for 2017, probably
will go around the Moon, and the first flight with a crew, in 2021, may follow suit.
It's also possible that the capsule will dock with the International Space Station, as
a backup crew-transport vehicle to the private spacecraft under development.
(Source: Aviation Week, 01/13/12) Gulf Coast note: Orion and portions of the SLS
are being built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans; the propulsion systems
for SLS are being tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
Two rivals have record year
Boeing and Airbus had a record year for aircraft deliveries in 2011, with combined
deliveries totaling more than 1,000 jets for the first time. The latest orders
included confirmation of a 44-plane Airbus deal from Mexican low-cost carrier
Volaris and an order for 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliners from an unidentified buyer. The
two rivals increased deliveries to airlines by around 3 percent versus 2010, and
have set out plans for record production of short-haul passenger jets to meet
demand from emerging markets. (Source: Reuters, 01/12/12) Previous post on
expected growth. Gulf Coast note: Boeing and Airbus both have operations in the
region.
Engine moves under way
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - The relocation of the RS-25D space shuttle main
engine inventory from Kennedy Space Center's Engine Shop in Cape Canaveral,
Fla., to Stennis Space Center, Miss., is under way. The RS-25D flight engines will
be used in NASA's Space Launch System, the new heavy-lift launch vehicle that will
expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and enable new missions of
exploration across the solar system. SLS will carry the Orion spacecraft, its crew,
cargo, equipment and scientific experiments to destinations in deep space. "The
relocation of RS-25D engine assets represents a significant cost savings to the
SLS Program by consolidating SLS engine assembly and test operations at a single
facility," said William Gerstenmaier, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Human
Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The 15 RS-25D engines at
Kennedy are being transported on the 700-mile journey using existing
transportation and processing procedures that were used to move engines
between Kennedy and Stennis during the Space Shuttle Program. (Source: NASA,
01/12/12)
SAIC gets NASA contract
Science Applications International Corp. was awarded a prime contract to build out
the Facilities Management Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, Ala. The award is for construction phase services, value engineering
and total building commissioning services. The follow-on contract has a one-year
base period of performance, four one-year options, and a contract value of more
than $11 million if all options are exercised. Work will be done at MSFC and NASA's
Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La. SAIC is based in McLean, Va.
(Source: PRNewswire, Washington Technology, 01/11/12)
39 Lakotas ordered
The Army has awarded EADS North America a $212.7 million contract for 39 UH-72A
Lakota Light Utility Helicopters. Thirty-two of them will be produced in the Army's
Security and Support Battalion configuration and will be used by the National
Guard nationwide. EADS North America has already delivered 198 UH-72A Lakotas
to the Army along with five H-72A versions to the Navy for test pilot training. The
Lakotas are built at EADS North America's American Eurocopter facility in
Columbus, Miss. The S&S Battalion MEP was integrated and tested at American
Eurocopter's Grand Prairie, Texas facility. The program of record calls for 345 UH-
72A Lakotas to be delivered to the Army and Army National Guard through 2015,
along with five already delivered to the Navy. (Source: EADS, 01/10/12) Gulf Coast
note: EADS also has operations in Mobile, Ala.
Marine F-35s now at Eglin
The first two Lockheed Martin production model F-35B short takeoff/vertical
landing (STOVL) aircraft were delivered to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Wednesday.
The two jets are assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's Marine Fighter/Attack
Training Squadron 501 residing with the host 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin. The
aircraft, BF-6 and BF-8, made a 90-minute flight from Fort Worth, Texas. Both
fighters will be used for pilot and maintainer training at the new F-35 Integrated
Training Center. Eglin now has eight F-35s. (Source: PRNewswire, 01/11/12)
Keesler announces more cuts
BILOXI, Miss. – Keesler Air Force Base is eliminating another 38 civilian positions,
base officials said Wednesday. In November the base announced the elimination
of 68 positions from the 1,607 civilian authorizations in the 81st Training Wing and
403rd Wing. The Air Force is offering another round of voluntary separation
incentive pay and voluntary early retirement authority programs. Keesler is a major
technical training center for the Air Force, including cyber security. (Sources: Sun
Herald, WLOX-TV, 01/11/12)
Task force meets
A task force formed to protect Florida's military bases, in particular its role in
research, development, test and evaluation, met for the first time Monday in
Tallahassee. Northwest Florida's David Goetsch was named to chair the 12-
member Florida Defense Support Task Force when Gov. Rick Scott isn't available.
The group decided it needs to move quickly in light of the announced
consolidation of the Air Force Material Command. Among other things, the
consolidation eliminates Eglin Air Force Base's Air Armament Center and places
the base's 46th Test Wing under the command of a two-star general at Edwards Air
Force Base, Calif. The overriding concern is these are steps towards moving the
wing to Edwards. The task force wants to ensure Eglin maintains its valuable
RDT&E mission. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 01/09/12)
Engine prepped for SSC
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Kennedy Space Center has invited the media to be on
hand Thursday, Jan. 12, for a photo opportunity as one of the space shuttle man
engines is prepared for shipment to Stennis Space Center, Miss. Each engine,
built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, is 14 feet long and more than 7 feet in
diameter at the end of the nozzle. All 15 of the SSMEs will be sent to SSC, where
they’ll be stored for use on NASA's new heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch
System. (Source: Kennedy Space Center, 01/09/12)
KSC takes on new role
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Work is ramping up at the Orion spacecraft facility at
Kennedy Space Center, Fla., expanding the spaceport's role beyond launch
operations to include final assembly. Tooling to assemble the spacecraft is being
put in place in the renovated high bay, first erected for the Apollo project. About
260 people already work on Orion at KSC. The number will increase to about 400 by
June in preparations for the first flight test in early 2014. (Source: Florida Today,
01/07/12) Gulf Coast note: Technicians at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans,
are putting the finishing touches on the second Orion capsule, and will also be
doing work on portions of the Space Launch System. “Orion will use MAF for
construction of the crew module and other portions. KSC will be used for final
assembly of the entire spacecraft,” said Jennifer Morcone Stanfield, public affairs
officer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
RR to add new test stand
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Rolls-Royce North America is adding a second jet
engine test stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center, a company investment of at
least $50 million. The announcement was made Monday by Gov. Haley Barbour.
Rolls-Royce currently employs 45 workers at the initial test stand operation, and
the new stand will add 35 additional jobs. James M. Guyette, chairman, president
and chief executive officer of Rolls-Royce North America, said this type of public-
private partnership "make it possible for us to invest in America and compete in a
global economy." Headquartered in Reston, Va., Rolls-Royce North America
opened its Outdoor Jet Engine Testing Facility at SSC in 2007, the first outside the
United Kingdom. Testing at SSC includes noise, crosswind, thrust reverse, cyclic
and endurance testing on all current Rolls-Royce engine types. (Source:
Mississippi Development Authority, 01/09/12)
Contract: Raytheon, $11M
Raytheon Co., El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded an $11,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-
fee contract for robust navigation technology. This contract supports anti-jam
Global Positioning System development for the High Velocity Penetrating Weapon
Program. The objective of this program is to study, investigate, simulate, develop,
design, build, and demonstrate technologies capable of operating in a GPS
degraded environment. This effort shall provide enough design flexibility to allow
for integration with other advanced technologies to help maintain position,
navigation, and timing when GPS is denied. The location of the performance is El
Segundo, Calif., and is expected to be completed during December 2013.
AFRL/RWK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD,
01/06/12)
Contract: UT, $194M
United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn.,
is being awarded a $194,097,296 advance acquisition contract with fixed-price line
items for long lead components, parts, and materials required for the delivery of
37 propulsion systems for the Lot VI F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program (18
conventional take-off and landing for the Air Force; six short take-off and vertical
landing for the Marine Corps; seven carrier variant for the Navy; four CTOL for the
Italian Air Force; two CTOL for the Royal Australian Air Force; and associated
spares). Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn.; Bristol, United Kingdom;
and Indianapolis, Ind., and is expected to be completed in September 2012. This
contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy (19.1 percent), the U.S. Marine
Corps (43.6 percent), the U.S. Air Force (28.3 percent), and the governments of
Italy (6 percent) and Australia (3 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command,
Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/06/12)
F-35 runway decision delayed
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Air Force has postponed until 2013 where at the
Eglin reservation the F-35 training will take place and which runways will be used.
The reassessment of the impact of flight training is due to changes in operational
tables, or how aircraft will be used, including the number and types of takeoffs,
landing and sorties. The reassessment will include a second Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement and another round of public hearings. The first
SEIS in 2010 listed Duke Field, Choctaw Field and Eglin main as possible locations
for the bed-down. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 01/05/12)
New defense strategy released
The new U.S. military strategy calls for a leaner military, reducing lower-priority
forces and duplicative operations and ending the practice of maintaining a force
that can fight and win in two theaters. The report, released at a press conference
Thursday, calls for investments in special forces and technological innovation,
including cyber defense. The new strategy streamlines the military in an era of
tighter budgets and reassesses defense priorities in light of China's rise and
other global changes. Some leaders on Capitol Hill were critical. Rep. Randy
Forbes, R-Va., said it's not the strategy for a superpower but "more a menu for
mediocrity." Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said the announcement sends a signal to
friend and foe alike about "America's diminished ability to project power on a
global scale." (Sources: multiple, including CBS/AP, USA Today, Palm Beach Post,
01/05/12) Gulf Coast note: The Gulf Coast region has multiple military bases,
including those involved in cyber security and special operations.
F-35 program set for restructure
The Pentagon is set to restructure F-35 program for a third time in three years,
sources told Reuters, with production of more than 120 planes delayed to save
money and allow more time for development. The Pentagon had planned for 423
planes from 2013 through 2017, excluding international orders. Those foreign
orders could offset the impact of the restructuring on Lockheed. Japan plans to
buy 42 F-35s and Turkey said Thursday it will buy two, according to Bloomberg.
Israel also said it would buy F-35s. Lockheed is building the F-35 for the United
States and eight international partners: Britain, Australia, Norway, Denmark,
Turkey, the Netherlands, Italy and Canada. Lockheed estimates it could sell 800 to
1,500 F-35s internationally. (Sources: Reuters, 01/04/12, Bloomberg, 01/05/12) Gulf
Coast note: A spokesman for the Pentagon's F-35 program office said an F-35B, the
first short-takeoff production plane, is scheduled to arrive Friday at Eglin Air Force
Base, Fla. It had been expected to arrive last month. Previous post
F-15 deal brings in Saudi students
Saudi Arabia's $29.4 billion deal to buy 84 F-15SA fighters and upgrade a fleet of 70
F-15S aircraft will bring additional students to three bases in the Gulf Coast:
Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and Naval Air Station
Pensacola, Fla. The Saudi students also will train at Sheppard Air Force Base,
Texas, and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., and will receive English
language training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. In 2012, the service expects
to train more than 300 Saudi airmen under the agreement. The Air Force has been
training members of the Royal Saudi Air Force on U.S. soil for more than 25 years.
(Source: AFNS and 81st Training Wing, 01/04/12)
35 years of accreditation
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training at Naval Air
Station Pensacola is celebrating 35 years of accreditation by the Council on
Occupational Education. The council is a nonprofit serving post-secondary
education and training institutions to provide quality assurance reviews of
workforce training programs. CNATT provides operational and maintenance
training, including all facets of aviation maintenance and support. Courses cover
maintenance and repair of avionics and electronics; rotary and fixed wing aircraft
engines and structures; ordnance maintenance and support, flight deck
operations and firefighting, crash and salvage training; shore and shipboard air
traffic control; and radar operations and repair. (Source: NNS, 01/04/12)
Creativity saved AEHF
For months military personnel tried to save the Advanced Extremely High
Frequency 1 satellite after it failed to launch into geosynchronous orbit in 2010.
Valued at over $1 billion, AEHF 1 is the first in a series of nuclear-survivable
spacecraft designed to ensure American leadership with communications. It was
launched in August 2010. But when debris in the propellant line prevented the
Liquid Apogee Engine from firing, the satellite seemed doomed to remain in the
transfer orbit. But after more than a year, the satellite was coaxed into orbit thanks
to engineering creativity. The team used smaller hydrazine thrusters to lift the
orbit a bit, then electric thrusters were used in a way never planned: fired for
days, weeks and months to push AEHF 1 into a circular geosynchronous orbit on
Oct. 24, 2011. (Source: Spaceflight, 01/03/12) Gulf Coast note: The Lockheed Martin
AEHF satellite's core propulsion module is built at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
Airport air centers sold
MOBILE, Ala. -- Florida-based Signature Flight Support Corp. has acquired Azalea
Aviation's operations at Mobile Regional Airport and Downtown Air Center at
Brookley Aeroplex from Taylor and Harris Morrissette. Taylor Morrissette will
remain with Signature to oversee the two centers. Azalea Aviation, which operates
executive terminals at both locations, has fueling infrastructure and more than
100,000 square feet of hangar space between its two locations. (Source: Mobile
Press-Register, 01/04/12)
Boeing leaving Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. -- Boeing plans to close its Wichita facility by the end of 2013 and
move the work to other sites, employees were told Wednesday, according to the
Wichita Eagle. Boeing, which has been in Wichita 80 years, had previously said
Wichita would become the finishing center for Air Force tankers if Boeing beat
EADS in the contest for the contract. Kansas officials supported Boeing over
EADS, which planned to build the tankers in Mobile, Ala. (Source: Wichita Eagle
01/04/12)
Larger Fire Scout funded
Congressional appropriators set aside $191 million for the Navy to buy a dozen
long-range variants of the Northrop Grumman Fire Scout unmanned helicopter.
Called the Fire-X during development, the Fire Scout MQ-8C uses a Bell 407
airframe in place of the smaller Schweizer 333 of the MQ-8B. The newer Fire Scout
uses many of the systems of the smaller version, which is now a part of the Navy
fleet. The Navy and Northrop are working out details of the deal to buy the C
model, which can fly further and carry a larger payload. (Source: AOL Defense,
01/03/11) Gulf Coast note: The MQ-8B version is built in part in Moss Point, Miss.
Blue Angels back in El Centro
EL CENTRO, Calif. - The Blue Angels are back in El Centro, Calif., for winter training.
The flight demonstration squadron left their home base at Naval Air Station
Pensacola, Fla., Tuesday and arrived at El Centro after a three-hour flight. The
team will train in Southern California over the next couple of months. (Source:
Imperial Valley Weekly, 01/03/12)
More flights to DC slated
US Airways is expanding jet service in Northwest Florida with three new flights
beginning March 25. The airline will provide two daily nonstop flights from
Pensacola International Airport and one daily flight from Fort Walton Beach's
Northwest Florida Regional Airport to Washington Reagan National Airport. The
airline said the new service is the result of more than two years of negotiations
with the FAA and DOT. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, WEAR-TV, 01/03/12)
UT shakes up aerospace field
United Technologies made some bold business moves in 2011, analysts say. It
acquired Goodrich, creating a "super-supplier" with a vast product line, and
unveiled a joint venture between subsidiary Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce. One
analyst said the Goodrich buy is a sizable bet on commercial aerospace. UT CEO
Louis R. Chenevert was chosen by Aviation Week editors as the person who had
the most impact on the industry in 2011. (Source: Aviation Week, 12/30/11) Gulf
Coast note: Goodrich operates the Alabama Service Center in Foley, Ala.; Pratt &
Whitney Rocketdyne assembles and tests rocket engines at Stennis Space Center,
Miss., and Rolls-Royce tests commercial aircraft engines at SSC.
Major cuts require notice
The Defense Department will be required to provide Congress two weeks notice
before reducing by more than 1,000 the number of military personnel at an
installation, under language in the final version of the fiscal 2012 defense
authorization bill approved by Congress last month. DoD also will need to submit a
justification and evaluation of the local strategic and operational impact of the
reduction in forces. The requirement will not apply during a BRAC round. (Source:
Defense Communities 360, 01/02/12) Gulf Coast note: The Gulf Coast is home to
multiple military bases, including aviation-related activities.
AF picks Super Tucano
The Air Force chose the A-29 Super Tucano as the light air support aircraft,
according to Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks, Nev., and Brazil's Embraer. The planes
will be built at Jacksonville International Airport in Jacksonville, Fla. The $355
million contract is for 20 aircraft, training and support. The single-engine
turboprop planes will be used in Washington’s partner building efforts in
Afghanistan and other nations. The planes are for advanced flight training, aerial
reconnaissance and light air support. Embraer also has a facility in Melbourne,
Fla., that assembles executive jets. Last week Hawker Beechcraft of Wichita, Kan.,
filed suit against the Air Force to negate a November decision to excluse the
Beechcraft AT-6 from the competition. (Source: PRNewswire, 12/30/11) Gulf Coast
note: Jacksonville is on the eastern end of Interstate 10.
Guard F-35 pilots ready to fly
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Two Florida National Guard pilots are now assigned to the
33rd Operations Group at Eglin and will be the first Guard aviators to fly the F-35. Lt. Col.
Randal Efferson and Maj. Jay Spohn will be among the first to learn how to fly the stealth
fighter. Once trained, they’ll help develop the training and standards for other F-35 pilots.
Spohn will be the fifth member of the 33rd to fly the F-35, and the second to train at Eglin;
about three months later Efferson will be the 10th military cadre pilot to fly. (Source: Florida
National Guard Public Affairs Office, 05/23/12)
Medic joins “Hunters” on tour
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- An 81st Aerospace Medicine Squadron flight surgeon
recently participated in the annual 403rd Wing Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour. Maj.
(Dr.) Rhodora Beckinger joined the "Hurricane Hunters" of the Air Force Reserve
Command's Keesler-based 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron during their travel to
six locations in Mexico, Costa Rica, St. Maarten and Puerto Rico to perform hurricane
awareness and coordinate with local emergency managers and weather services in the host
countries. (Source: 81st Medical Group Public Affairs, 05/23/12)
Silver Airways to serve airports
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport will have a new commercial
carrier and a new destination as its hub. Silver Airways of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will take
over routes currently served by Delta Air Lines connecting to Memphis through three
Mississippi regional airports. Delta had notified the United States Department of
Transpiration in July that it intended to drop 24 routes in smaller markets across the nation,
including Hattiesburg-Laurel, Greenville and Tupelo. Now, all three will connect to Atlanta-
Hartsfield International Airport.
Hattiesburg-Laurel Executive Director Thomas Heanue said he expected Silver Airways to
begin service sometime in August. (Source: Hattiesburg American, 05/22/12)
F-35B notches first Eglin flight
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- An F-35B made its first flight at Eglin Air Force Base
Tuesday, two months after 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing officially introduced the Marine Corps'
variant at the 33rd Fighter Wing. The goal for Marines was to start local area operations and
conventional flights, beginning the process of gradually expanding the envelope to short
takeoffs and vertical landings and more complex aerial training. Maintainers have been
preparing for the flight with engine runs and taxi operations for about eight months since F-
35 aircraft began arriving at Eglin last summer. (Source: Eglin Public Affairs, 05/22/12)
APKWS successfully tested
NASHUA, N.H. -- BAE Systems announced that the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System
scored its first-ever penetrating guided-rocket shots with the M282 warhead during recent
tests at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The tests, deemed successful by Army and Navy
representatives, illustrate the product's ability to engage targets at close range and
penetrate complex targets. Using inert M282 warheads with unmodified flight software,
APKWS engaged six targets from airborne helicopters at ranges of 1.5 to 4 kilometers. All
six shots hit the target less than two meters from the laser spot. During two live warhead
ground shots, APKWS rockets with the M282 warheads penetrated a triple brick wall and an
M114 armored personnel carrier. (Source: Business Wire, 05/22/12)
SpaceX launches rocket
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The SpaceX rocket launched Tuesday from a pad at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station for a cargo mission to the International Space Station. Falcon 9
lifted the Dragon capsule at 3:44 a.m. Eastern Time. Before docking with the ISS, the
capsule will undergo a series of tests to determine if the vehicle is ready to berth with the
station. (Sources: multiple, 05/22/12) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests
rocket engines for other private companies involved in space flight.
Michoud holds networking
NEW ORLEANS -- Michoud Assembly Facility on Thursday will hold a free networking
conference for government agencies, prime contractors and small businesses. It will be held
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Michoud Assembly Facility to showcase the facility's
manufacturing community and to help small businesses find opportunities to grow. (Source:
New Orleans Times Picayune, 05/21/12)
NATO getting 5 Global Hawks
Northrop Grumman and NATO signed a $1.7 billion contract Sunday for a new surveillance
and intelligence system that will include five unmanned Global Hawk Block 40s. Called the
Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system, it's designed to support a broad range of
missions for the alliance. The deal was signed during the meeting of NATO members in
Chicago. Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United States are expected to participate in
the system's acquisition, but all 28 alliance nations are to participate in long-term support.
The first aircraft will arrive at Sigonella air base in Sicily in 2015 with full operational
capability in 2017. It will be co-located with U.S. Air Force Global Hawks and U.S. Navy Broad
Area Maritime Surveillance aircraft. (Source: multiple, including Reuters, Northrop Grumman
via PRNewswire, 05/20/12) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawk center fuselages are built in Moss
Point, Miss.
Contract: Raytheon, $85M
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded an $85,500,000 firm-fixed-price/cost-plus-
fixed-fee contract to procure of Griffin missiles. First delivery order is for the procurement of
22 all-up-rounds and 43 telemetry rounds. The location of the performance is Tucson, Ariz.
Work is to be completed by July 31, 2013. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/18/12)
NASA eyes Delta IV stage
NASA plans to use a modified Delta IV second stage atop an early version of the Space
Launch System for the unmanned Orion test flight in 2017, and for a manned flight four
years later. In a May 3 procurement notice, NASA said the Boeing-designed Delta IV second
stage is the only means available to support the immediate propulsion needs, and it’s the
only one that requires relatively minor modifications to launch astronauts by 2021. (Source:
Florida Today, 05/16/12; NASA procurement notice, 05/03/12) Gulf Coast note: The Orion
crew vehicle is built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans; the SLS first stage will use
four RD-25 engines, tested at Stennis Space Center; Delta IV is built in Decatur, Ala., by
Boeing and Lockheed Martin's United Launch Alliance. The first stage is powered by RS-68
engines, tested at SSC, and the second by a Pratt & Whitney RL-10; NASA and the Air
Force are studying a replacement for the RL-10 class.
Hurlburt losing civilian workers
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. – Eighteen civilian workers at Hurlburt Field will be let go as a result
of cutbacks announced in November 2011. Most of the positions were vacant when the cuts
were first announced, but voluntary retirements and separation incentives did not reach the
goal of 100, leaving 18 people without jobs at the end of September 2012. Before then,
however, they may be placed in other positions. The cuts are designed to return Hurlburt
Field to 2010 employment levels. (Sources: WEAR-TV, WTVY-TV, Northwest Florida Daily
News, 05/17/12)
Keesler to get new commander
BILOXI, Miss. -- Brig. Gen. Bradley Spacy will assume command of the 81st Training Wing
during a ceremony at Keesler Air Force Base on Friday. Spacy will replace Brig. Gen.
Andrew Mueller, who has been selected for a new command assignment at the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization Air Base Geilenkirchen in Germany. Spacy comes to Keesler from the
Office of the Secretary of the Air Force in Washington, D.C., where he served as chief of the
Senate Liaison Office and was responsible for communicating Air Force priorities and
programs to the U.S. Senate. (Source: Sun Herald, 05/16/12)
J-2X tested seven second
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A Rocketdyne J-2X had a seven-second test firing
Wednesday that focused on a modified nozzle extension that dissipates heat generated by
the engine. The Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne J-2X is being developed for use in the
second stage of NASA's Space Launch System. Another J-2X test, this one a powerpack, is
expected next week. The powerpack sits on top of the engine and feeds the thrust chamber
system, which produces engine thrust. (Source: GCAC, 05/16/12) Previous
RS-68A tested at SSC
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68A engine was
tested Tuesday at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The engine, an upgrade of the RS-68
engine, is a liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen booster engine designed to provide increased
thrust and improved fuel efficiency for the Delta IV family of launch vehicles. Each RS-68A
provides 702,000 pounds of lift-off thrust, or 39,000 more pounds of thrust than a basic RS-
68 engine. After testing at Stennis Space Center, the engines are shipped to Decatur for
integration into a United Launch Alliance Delta IV to lift government payloads. (Source:
GCAC, 05/16/12)
12th F-35 arrives
The 12th Lockheed Martin F-35 that will be used for the training fleet at Eglin Air Force
Base, Fla., arrived Tuesday after a 90-minute flight from Fort Worth, Texas. The pilot of BF-
11 was U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Fred Schenk. The F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing
production jet is now assigned to the Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron 501 residing
with the host 33d Fighter Wing, where it will be used for pilot and maintainer training. Eglin
now has 12 F-35s. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 05/15/12)
Keesler in running for school
Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, are candidate bases for
the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) and Air Liaison Officer (ALO) School. Recent and
current operations have created an increase in demand for TACPs to support Army units.
The current TACP/ALO School at Hurlburt Field, Fla., lacks adequate facilities and ranges to
train the required number of TACP Airmen. Both bases will be evaluated and officials expect
to announce the preferred location this summer. The final decision will be made after
environmental impacts are analyzed. (Source: AFNS, 05/15/12)
F-22s get short leash
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered the Air Force to take additional steps to mitigate
risks to F-22 pilots in light of an unresolved problem related to the oxygen system. Some
pilots of experienced hypoxia-like symptoms, and some have refused to fly the Lockheed
Martin built aircraft. Beginning immediately, F-22 flights will remain near potential landing
locations, and the Air Force will expedite installation of an automatic backup oxygen system.
(Sources: multiple, including American Forces Press Service, MSNBC, Los Angeles Times,
05/15/12) Gulf Coast note: Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., is among the six bases were F-22s
are based, and also trains F-22 pilots.
Gulf Coast bases valued at $20.3B
Military facilities along the Gulf Coast Interstate 10 corridor have a combined replacement
value of $20.3 billion, with three bases accounting for nearly $8.2 billion of that amount.
According to the fiscal year 2012 Department of Defense Base Structure Report, the region
between Southeast Louisiana and Northwest Florida has 47 DoD sites with a combined
723,297 acres – more than 1,130 square miles. Many of the sites, notably in South Alabama
and Northwest Florida, are outlying fields used by aviators for training. (Source: Gulf Coast
Aerospace Corridor, 05/15/12)
Study eyes mission, local development
Final recommendations are expected in June from a study about the impact on local
communities from the expected increase in military training at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The
Tri-County Small Area Studies is a joint project of Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton
counties, along with Eglin. The expected increase in air traffic at Eglin prompted the look at
future planning and development to ensure it doesn't conflict with Eglin's mission. Eglin's
2009 Joint Land Use Study projected the number of flights in the base's air space will
increase to 427,000 a year by 2014, more than doubling the 192,000 in 2009. (Source:
Northwest Florida Daily News, 05/13/12)
NG’s environmental stewardship
MOSS POINT, Miss. -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality selected
Northrop Grumman's Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point for membership in enHance,
the department's voluntary stewardship program. Northrop Grumman earned the enHance
designation of "Leader" by voluntarily implementing two environmental enhancement
projects and a community service project. The 101,000-square-foot facility, part of Northrop
Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector, opened in 2006 and does assembly work on the
Fire Scout unmanned helicopter and ground control stations for the Navy. It also builds
center fuselages for the Global Hawk for the Air Force, the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance
system for the Navy and the Euro Hawk for Germany. (Source: Northrop Grumman,
05/14/12)
Tyndall mission statement changed
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Brig. Gen. John McMullen, the 325th Fighter Wing
commander, has announced the wing mission statement has changed to “Train and Project
Unrivaled Combat Power.” The change better reflects the current and future missions at
Tyndall, the general said. “On any given day, Tyndall has more than 100 of its members
deployed to a variety of combat arenas. With the transition to Air Combat Command in
October, Tyndall will also be tasked to provide a full combat F-22 Raptor squadron when
called on by the combatant commanders," said McMullen. (Source: 325th Public Affairs,
05/10/12)
Contract: Enterprise Ventures, $12.5M
Enterprise Ventures Corp., Johnstown, Pa., is being awarded a $12,529,511 firm-fixed-price
contract for the production of 12 carriage, stream, tow, and recovery system kits in support
of the Naval Air Systems Command, MH-60S Airborne Mine Countermeasures Program. The
objectives of the program are to design, fabricate, test, and integrate a system for the
carriage, stream, tow and recovery of all five airborne mine countermeasures sensors to
support the mission of the MH-60S helicopter. The contract includes an option that would
bring the cumulative value to $31,969,022. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pa., and is
expected to complete by November 2014. Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City
Division, Fla., is the Contracting Activity. (Source: DoD, 05/11/12)
Flight academy launches
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The National Flight Academy at Naval Air Station Pensacola welcomed
its first class Thursday afternoon. The $45 million academy near the National Naval Aviation
Museum creates a science, technology, engineering and math learning environment within a
center that replicates the feel of an aircraft carrier. The first class has students from
Escambia and Milton High schools. Astronaut Mark Kelly gave the keynote speech Friday
morning. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 05/11/12) Previous
Exploreum gets Airbus grant
MOBILE, Ala. -- The Airbus Corporate Foundation awarded a second $50,000 grant to the
Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center in keeping with its goal to "inspire disadvantaged
children and young adults through aviation." The Exploreum will use the funds to expand its
first year pilot youth mentoring and aeronautics program. Dubbed ExploreAIR, the
Exploreum's expanded program will focus on students, grade 6-12, and support the science
center's ongoing Workforce Development initiatives. (Source: Mobile Press-Register,
05/10/12)
Eglin gets two F-35Bs
Two F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing production aircraft arrived at Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., Thursday after a 90-minute flight from Fort Worth, Texas. It brings to 25 the number of
production F-35 deliveries to the Department of Defense. The Marine Corps F-35s,
designated BF-9 and BF-10, are now assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's Marine
Fighter/Attack Squadron 501 residing with the host 33d Fighter Wing. Eglin now has 11 F-
35s. Both jets will be used for pilot and maintainer training at the F-35 Integrated Training
Center. Another F-35B, BF-11, is also slated to arrive soon at Eglin. (Source: PRNewswire,
05/10/12)
J-2X powerpack tested
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA conducted a 340-second test of the J-2X
powerpack Thursday as part of the development of the next-generation rocket engine for
the Space Launch System. Thursday's test is part of a series of firings on the J-2X
powerpack, a system of components on the top of the J-2X, including the gas generator,
oxygen and fuel turbopumps, and related ducts and valves. On the full J-2X engine, the
powerpack feeds the thrust chamber system, which produces engine thrust. The test was to
operate the turbopumps over a range of speeds by varying the gas generator valve
positions. (Source: NASA/SSC, 05/10/12) Previous
Contract: Raytheon, $11.4M
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded an $11,435,796 cost-plus-fixed-
fee contract for central processing unit, circuit card assembly spike extension on the Lot 24
advanced medium-range air-to-air missile production lot. The location of the performance is
Tucson, Ariz. Work is to be completed by Jul. 31, 2013. AAC/EBAC, Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/10/12)
Contract: McDonnell Douglas, $24M
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $23,999,000 cost-plus-fixed-
fee and firm-fixed-price contract for indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity for technical
support for the Joint Direct Attack Munition weapon system to include non-warranty induction
and repair, annual software updates, mission planning support and studies/analysis. The
location of the performance is St. Louis, Mo. Work is to be completed by Dec. 31, 2013.
AAC/EBDK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/10/12)
Senate panel gets F-35 update
Senior leaders from the Air Force and Navy told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s
airpower panel that the F-35 remains the centerpiece of the services’ modernization
program. Navy Vice Adm. David J. Venlet, F-35 program executive officer, said technical and
cost issues remain, but the F-35 is an impressive marriage of engine and airframe, and
carrier test pilots have lauded its handling characteristics. (Source: American Forces Press
Service, 05/09/12) Venlet told the panel the next contracts for F-35s will be tied more closely
than previous ones to testing, assembly and software progress. Six of the 31 aircraft in the
next round won't be awarded until Lockheed Martin meets at least five criteria, including
successful review this year of the latest software release. (Source: Bloomberg, 05/08/12)
Venlet later touted a fix for the jet’s troubled, high-tech helmet, which officials hope will solve
jitter picture and lag time issues. A “micro-inertial measurement unit” is expected to fix the
jitter, while “signal processing changes in the software and the architecture” could fix the lag.
Program officials also plan to improve a camera installed on the helmet which they believe
will fix “the acuity and night vision,” he said. (Source: Navy Times, 05/09/12) Meanwhile,
Lockheed Martin issued a press release about the milestones in the F-35 flight test
program, noting progress in the first four months of 2012 ranging from a record number of
flight hours in March to the 30 local area orientation flights at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
(Source: Lockheed Martin, 05/08/12)
MSU hosting UAS symposium
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Some of the nation's leading experts in unmanned aerial systems will
be at Mississippi State University May 14-16 for the 2012 UAS Symposium. The symposium
will focus on the impact of unmanned aircraft technology on research, defense, homeland
security, law, and public policy. The university and the Association of Unmanned Aerial
Systems International-Mississippi are co-hosts. The program features a lineup of speakers,
panel discussions, flight demonstrations, and tours. Maj. Gen. James O. Poss, U.S. Air
Force assistant deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, will
deliver the keynote address Tuesday. (Source: MSU, 05/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scout
and Global Hawk UAVs are built in part in Moss Point, Miss., and bases in the region are
involved in UAV activities.
NG gets NETC contract
HERNDON, Va. -- The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman a three-year, $84 million
indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to support the Naval Education Training
Command at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. Northrop Grumman will provide planning and
assessment, curriculum development, and computer-based modeling and simulation training
solutions. The team will also be responsible for providing program management and staff
support. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 05/07/12) Previous
The election and Airbus
The political columnist of the Mobile Press-Register takes on the question of whether the
election of Francois Hollande as president of France might have an impact on "The Project,"
shorthand for the effort to get an aircraft assembly plant in Mobile. He concludes the change
in leadership at Airbus parent EADS is more relevant. (Source: Mobile Press-Register,
05/09/12)
Chamber unveils economic plan
DAPHNE, Ala. -- The Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce has unveiled its new Blueprint
for a Better Tomorrow economic development strategy. At a news conference Tuesday,
Bradley Byrne, the chamber board's vice chairman for economic development, outlined four
areas of concentration, including aerospace. The chamber also wants to leverage the
higher educational attainment level of Baldwin County residents. (Source: Mobile Press-
Register, 05/08/12)
Contract: Northrop Grumman, $25.7M
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems Sector, San Diego, Calif., is being
awarded a $25,709,758 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract to
purchase three Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicles Lot
5 low rate initial production and one ground control station. Work will be performed in Moss
Point, Miss. (55 percent), and San Diego, Calif. (45 percent), and is expected to be
completed in December 2013. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 05/08/09)
Report puts new focus on F-22
A report on television’s 60 minutes about pilots who refuse to fly the F-22 because of
hypoxia-related safety issues has pulled attention back to the advanced aircraft. Air Combat
Command in Langley, Va., said it was inundated with requests for response regarding the
Sunday report. Investigators have yet to pin down what’s wrong with the planes oxygen
system that grounded the aircraft, including those at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., for
months. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., issued a statement Monday vowing to work to help to
solve the problems. He also wants the entire training mission at Tyndall. (Source: Panama
City News Herald, 05/07/12)
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $237.7M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being
awarded a $237,740,000 modification to the previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee F-
35 Low Rate Initial Production IV contract for changes to the configuration baseline
hardware or software resulting from the JSF development effort. This modification increases
the concurrency cap for the U.S. Marine Corps and United Kingdom short take-off vertical
landing aircraft; Air Force and Netherlands conventional take-off and landing aircraft; and
Navy carrier variant aircraft. The concurrency cap establishes the threshold at or under
which the contractor is obligated to incorporate government-authorized changes. Work will
be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to span multiple years. This contract
modification combines purchases for the Navy (64.5 percent); Air Force (29 percent); the
United Kingdom (3.5 percent); and the Netherlands (3 percent). The Naval Air Systems
Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/07/12) Gulf
Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
Contact: Lockheed Martin, $14.2M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Ft. Worth, Texas, is being
awarded a $14,165,940 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract
to implement required design changes that allow coalition training operations for the F-35.
Work will be performed at Orlando, Fla. (55 percent), Fort Worth, Texas (34 percent), and El
Segundo, Calif. (11 percent). Work is expected to be completed in December 2016. Naval
Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD,
05/07/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
2nd AEHF launched
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. -- The 45th Space Wing on Friday
successfully launched the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite onboard a
United Launch Alliance Atlas V vehicle. AEHF-1 was launched from here in August of 2010.
AEHF is a joint service satellite communications system that will provide communications for
high-priority military ground, sea and air assets. The AEHF system is the follow-on to the
Milstar system. (Source: 45th Space Wing Public Affairs, 05/04/12) United Launch Alliance is
a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Previous on AEHF. Gulf Coast note: Core
propulsion work for the AEHF is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
GD gets NETC contract
FAIRFAX, Va. -- General Dynamics Information Technology has been awarded a contract by
the Navy to deliver education and training support services to the Naval Education and
Training Command and the Naval Education and Training Professional Development and
Technology Center. The three-year, multiple-award contract has a potential value of $97.4
million to all nine awardees, if all options are exercised. General Dynamics will provide
personnel to support training services including instructional designers, computer
programmers, computer graphics specialists, military analysts and senior training analysts.
Work will primarily be performed in Pensacola, Fla., Gulfport, Miss., Hampton Roads, Va.,
and Port Hueneme, Calif. (Source: General Dynamics, 05/07/12)
AJ26 has acceptance test
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Engineers at NASA's Stennis Space Center conducted a
55-second hot-fire engine acceptance test of the Aerojet AJ26 engine E9 on Thursday. The
test on the E-1 test stand, and involved engineers from NASA, Orbital Science Corp. and
Aerojet. After test data is reviewed and the engine inspected, it will be shipped to the
Wallops Flight Facility launch site in Virginia for installation on Orbital's Antares rocket. A
pair of Aerojet engines will provide first-stage power for the rockets on missions to the
International Space Station. Orbital is a partner in NASA's Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services joint research and development program. (Source: NASA/SSC,
05/03/12)
TRSS changes command
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Lieutenant Col. Jason Costello assumed command of
the 325th Training Support Squadron from Lt. Col. Douglas Kugler during a change of
command ceremony Friday. Prior to the change of command, Costello was the 325th Fighter
Wing Chief of Safety. Kugler is now the 325th Operations Group Action Officer. (Source:
325th Public Affairs, 05/04/12)
Contract: L-3, $29.8M
L-3 Communications Aerospace LLC., Madison, Miss., was awarded a $29,787,008 labor-
hour contract. The award will provide for the labor and administration services in support of
aircraft production at the Corpus Christi Army Depot. Work will be performed in Corpus
Christi, Texas, with an estimated completion date of April 28, 2014. Eighteen bids were
solicited, with eight bids received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal,
Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/04/12)
Contract: L-3, $48.2M
L-3 Communications Aerospace, LLC, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $48,219,927 labor-
hour contract. The award will provide for the labor services in support of aircraft production
at the Corpus Christi Army Depot. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas, with an
estimated completion date of April 28, 2014. Sixteen bids were solicited, with five bids
received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting
activity. (Source: DoD, 05/04/12)
State funds base support programs
The state of Florida will have $4.6 million to spend on programs supporting its defense
installations in the fiscal year starting July 1. Funding includes money for three grant
programs and the Florida Defense Support Task Force, The task force was created last
year by the legislature to help the state prepare for a future BRAC round and attract more
R&D and other defense activities. The state last year allocated $5 million for the task force,
and the FY 2012-2013 budget adds $2 million more. The grant programs will get $2.6
million. Florida is home to 21 military bases and missions, making defense Florida's third-
largest job producer. The state's military presence brings $58 billion into its economy
annually. (Source: Defense Communities, 05/04/12) Northwest Florida is home to Naval Air
Station Pensacola, Corry Station, Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Hurlburt Field, Duke Field,
Eglin Air Force Base, Tyndall Air Force Base and Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama
City.
Hawker Beechcraft files Ch 11
Hawker Beechcraft, the company Louisiana tried 17 months ago to lure to Baton Rouge,
filed for bankruptcy protection Thursday. The company said it reached an agreement with
many creditors on a plan to restructure its debt. Hawker Beechcraft, based in Wichita, filed
for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in federal bankruptcy court in New York. It secured
funding to continue to pay workers, vendors and others. The company employs some 7,400
people, with 4,700 working in Wichita. It also has factories in Little Rock, Ark., Britain and
Mexico, as well as more than 100 service centers worldwide. (Source: Baton Rouge
Advocate, 05/04/12, Wichita Eagle, PRNewswire, 05/03/12)
Kelly to address academy class
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Retired astronaut Mark Kelly will be the keynote speaker during the
May 11 grand opening for the first class of students attending the National Flight Academy.
Kelly is the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, wounded in a shooting during an
outdoor event last year. Kelly, a former combat pilot, will be joined by retired astronauts Neil
Armstrong and Gene Cernan. The flight academy, a replica of the inside of an aircraft
carrier, is designed to interest students in careers in science, technology, engineering and
math. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 05/03/12)
Science center has first harvest
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Infinity Science Center on May 7 will show off its
first major aeroponically-grown lettuce harvest from the Controlled Environment
Agriculture exhibit. The exhibit demonstrates methods astronauts on long-
duration space missions can use to grow food, in this case lettuce grown without
the use of soil. The prototype exhibit was developed and built by Innovative
Imaging and Research with funding from the Chief Technologist’s Office and the
University of Southern Mississippi’s Business and Innovation Assistance Center,
in partnership with the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology. (Source: NASA/SSC,
05/03/12)
Airport gets improvements grant
KILN, Miss. -- Stennis International Airport, just outside NASA's Stennis Space
Center, is receiving a federal grant of $855,000 for several improvement projects
associated with a new terminal. The projects include construction of a new aircraft
parking apron, rehabilitation of part of another apron and repainting taxiway
markings. Some of the funds also will be used to improve a runway safety area,
according to the Federal Aviation Administration. (Sources: Sun Herald, 05/02/12,
FAA, 05/03/12)
UT eyes one Rocketdyne buyer
United Technologies' talks to sell its Rocketdyne space unit are focused on one
possible buyer, the head of the company's Pratt & Whitney engine unit told
Reuters. UT in March put up for sale Rocketdyne, which makes engines for space
programs. It's part of an effort to avoid selling new common shares to fund its
$16.5 billion pending takeover of aerospace components maker Goodrich Corp.
(Source: Reuters, 05/02/12) Gulf Coast note: Rocketdyne has an operation at
Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Goodrich has an operation in Foley, Ala.; UT unit
Sikorsky has an operation in Pensacola, Fla.
Rubio touts Eglin’s importance
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – It would be foolish to move any of Eglin Air Force
Base’s mission elsewhere, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told a crowd at the Air Force
Armament Museum Wednesday. He said investments have been made at Eglin for
decades, and affirmed his support of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Bill
marker requiring the Air Armament Center to stay at Eglin unless a future Base
Realignment and Closure Act declares otherwise. An Air Force reorganization
proposes eliminating AAC, merging the 46th Test Wing and 96th Air Base Wing and
having it report to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Many fear that’s a first step
towards moving more Eglin operations to Edwards. (Source: Northwest Florida
Daily News, 05/02/12)
SpaceX launch delayed again
The launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is being delayed again while software issues are
worked out. The rocket, carrying the Dragon capsule, is the first attempt by a private
company to send cargo to the International Space Station. It was originally scheduled for
April 30, delayed until May 7 and now delayed again. SpaceX in December 2010 launched a
Dragon into orbit and back, a first for a commercial outfit. SpaceX has a $1.6 billion NASA
contract to fly 12 cargo missions to the ISS. Orbital Sciences has a similar contract and is
developing a rocket for a test flight this summer from Wallops Islands, Va. (Sources:
multiple, including AFP via Space Travel, Washington Post, Huntsville Times, 05/02/12) Gulf
Coast note: NASA’s Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests rocket engines for Orbital Sciences.
L3 unveils military tribute
CRESTVIEW, Fla. -- L3 Crestview Aerospace on Wednesday unveiled the Armed Forces
Tribute Memorial, designed and built by its workers. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said it’s an
outstanding thing for the company to have at its gate. He said the products of L3 go to the
warfighter, and the memorial will serve as a reminder of this important work. L3 Crestview
Aerospace employs about 900 people at its facility at the Bob Sikes Airport. (Source: WEAR-
TV, 05/02/12)
NAS Whiting eyes utility savings
MILTON, Fla. -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast Public Works Department
Pensacola awarded a $3.6 million Utility Energy Services Contract to Gulf Power of
Pensacola for an energy conservation project aboard Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Milton,
Fla. The project, designed to reduce energy consumption and upgrade energy management
infrastructure of 12 facilities, will start in July and is expected to be completed by April 2013.
(Source: NNS, 05/02/12)
NASA picks 10 STTR projects
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA selected 10 proposals, one involving technology
for Stennis Space Center, from small business and research institution teams to continue
work on innovative technologies that could advance future missions. The Phase II winners in
the agency's Small Business Technology Transfer Program now can enter negotiations for
possible contract awards, with a total for all projects of about $7.49 million. The Stennis-
related project is for technology being developed for the Office of the Chief Technologist by
Combustion Research and Flow Technology of Pipersville, Pa., and the University of
Alabama in Huntsville, Ala. (Source: NASA/SSC, 05/02/12)
PW delivers 50th F135
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Pratt & Whitney has delivered the 50th production F135 engine
for the Lockheed Martin's F-35. The engine is scheduled to be installed in a F-35C carrier
variant for the Navy. The F-35C will be delivered to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., this summer
for Navy pilot training. To date, the F135 propulsion system has powered more than 330
vertical landings, 2,000 test flights producing more than 3,000 flight hours. Pratt & Whitney
is a United Technologies Corp. company. (Source: PRNewswire, 05/02/12)
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $7.5M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being
awarded a $7,516,372 modification to the previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm
target F-35 Low Rate Initial Production IV Sustainment contract. This modification provides
for the procurement of 1,198 active matrix liquid crystal displays, a diminishing
manufacturing source part, for all low rate initial production variants. Work will be performed
in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in May 2012. This contract combines
purchases for the Air Force (29.8 percent); the Marine Corps (14.4 percent); the Navy (12.1
percent); and the Cooperative Program Participant (43.7 percent). The Naval Air Systems
Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/30/12) Gulf
Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
Contract: Qualis, Spectrum, $77M
Qualis Corp., Madison County, Ala., and Spectrum Comm. Inc., Newport News, Va., are
being awarded a $77,000,000 cost indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity with cost-plus-fixed-
fee and cost reimbursement task orders contract to procure operational test and evaluation
services to support Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center in accomplishment of
operational test and evaluation activities. The locations of performance are Kirtland Air
Force Base, N.M., Eglin, Air Force Base, Fla., Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., and Edwards,
Air Force Base, Calif. Work is to be completed by Oct. 31, 2017. AFOTEC/A-7K, Kirtland Air
Force Base, N.M., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/30/12)
Blue Angels next leader named
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Navy announced Tuesday that the new commander of the Blue
Angels flight demonstration team for the 2013-2014 season will be Cmdr. Thomas Frosch,
who succeeds Capt. Greg McWherter. Frosch, a native of Michigan, joins the Blue Angles
after serving as commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 146 at Naval Air Station
Lemoore, Calif. The change of command will be Nov. 4, 2012. The Blue Angels flight
demonstration team is based at Naval Air Station Pensacola. (Sources: multiple, including
WALA-TV, WKRG-TV, WEAR-TV, 05/01/12)
APRIL 2012
Afghan kills Eglin soldier
A soldier assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., died April 25 in Afghanistan when
he was shot by a rogue Afghan soldier. The Department of Defense said Staff Sgt.
Andrew T. Britton-Mihalo, 25, of Simi Valley, Calif., died in Kandahar province. He
was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group at Eglin. The Ventura
County Star in California reported that Britton-Mihalo is the soldier that was killed
when an Afghan soldier turned his weapon on mentors. Several others were
injured. (Source: DoD, 04/28/12, Shadow Spear, Ventura County Star, 04/29/12)
Marine F-35 to start local fights
The Marine Corps will start local area flights on the F-35B this week at Eglin Air
Force Base, Fla. Local area flights at Eglin are on-going with the F-35A
conventional take-off and landing version, and the Marine’s F-35B will be joining
the F-35A in the air once Naval Air Systems Command gives its consent. "[We]
expect to be flying on or about 1 May," a senior USMC official told Flightglobal.
(Source: Flightglobal, 04/27/12)
SpaceX to launch May 7
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to take off May 7
from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in a demonstration project for NASA's
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. During the flight, SpaceX's Dragon
capsule will conduct a series of check-out procedures to test and prove its
systems, including the capability to rendezvous and berth with the International
Space Station. (Source: NASA, 04/27/12)
Boeing marks 50 years in Alabama
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Boeing today celebrates 50 years in Alabama. It's the largest
aerospace company in the state, where it maintains its Strategic Missile and
Defense Systems headquarters in Huntsville, as well as its largest program,
Ground-based Midcourse Defense. Huntsville also hosts Boeing Exploration
Launch Systems, which oversees NASA's Space Launch System and support to the
International Space Station. (Source: Boeing, 04/30/12) Gulf Coast note: Michoud
Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center, Miss., are involved in
NASA's SLS program.
Contract: Sikorsky, $63.3M
Sikorsky Support Services Inc., Pensacola, Fla., is being awarded a $63,331,119
modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery requirements contract for
logistics services and materials for organizational, intermediate, and depot-level
maintenance on 179 T-34, 54 T-44, and 192 T-6 aircraft based primarily at Naval Air
Station Corpus Christi, Texas; NAS Whiting Field, Fla.; and NAS Pensacola. Work will
be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas (50 percent), Whiting Field, Fla. (39
percent), Pensacola, Fla. (8 percent), and various sites within the continental
United States (3 percent). Work is expected to be completed in September 2012.
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 04/27/12)
Language added to keep AAC
Under a provision in the draft version of the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill,
the Air Force would have to keep a key research, development, test and
evaluation facility at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Local officials say a reorganization
announced in November jeopardizes the base. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., sponsored
the language requiring the Air Force to retain the Air Armament Center at Eglin
unless a future base closure action rules otherwise. The Air Force is consolidating
the Air Force Materiel Command's 12 centers into five, disestablishing the Air
Armament Center and combining the 46th Test Wing and 96th Air Base Wing and
having it report to the Air Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Local
officials fear the reorganization is a precursor to moving the operations of the
46th Test Wing to Edwards. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 04/26/12)
Orion test vehicle arrives
The Orion Ground Test Vehicle is now at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Operations
and Checkout Facility after traveling 1,800 miles from Lockheed Martin's Waterton
Facility near Denver, Colo., where it completed a series of acoustic, modal and
vibration tests. The ground test vehicle will now be used for pathfinding
operations at the O&C in preparation for the Orion spaceflight test vehicle's arrival
this summer. The spaceflight vehicle is being fabricated at NASA's Michoud
Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La., and is slated for NASA's Exploration Flight
Test (EFT-1) in 2014. (Source: NASA, 04/25/12)
Blue Origin tests craft design
KENT, Wash. -- Blue Origin, one of four companies working on technologies for
commercial space transportation, said it successfully tested the design for its
orbital spaceship in a series of wind-tunnel tryouts. More than 180 tests were
done over the past several weeks at Lockheed Martin's High Speed Wind Tunnel
Facility in Dallas. Blue Origin, backed by Amazon.com billionaire Jeff Bezos, soon
will be conducting tests of the thrust chamber assembly for the BE 3 100,000-lbf
liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen rocket engine recently installed on the E 1 complex
test stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center. In addition to Blue Origin, other companies
receiving $320 million from NASA for work on space transportation are Boeing, Sierra
Nevada, and SpaceX. (Source: MSNBC, Blue Origin press release, 04/26/12)
J-2X starts test series
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA kicked off the next round of testing on the Pratt
and Whitney Rocketdyne J-2X rocket engine Thursday, gathering data on the performance
of the newly-installed engine nozzle extension and test stand "clamshell" as well as on the
engine start and shutdown sequences. The test on the A-2 Test Stand begins a second,
more extensive round of testing for the next-generation engine selected as part of the
Space Launch System. The nozzle extension and clamshell equipment allow operators to
test the engine at simulated altitudes up to 50,000 feet. (Source: NASA/SSC, 04/26/12)
Navy demonstrates blimp to relay data
PANAMA CITY, Fla. – An SUV-sized white helium-filled blimp has been catching some
attention in Panama City over the past few days. Suspended 500 feet in the air, the Aerostat
is tethered to a mobile base equipped with technology to operate unmanned vehicles from
shore. The Aerostat acts as a satellite, relaying signals that would otherwise be out of range
of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The primary purpose of the Aerostat tests by the
NSWC is to map the range and area in which an Aerostat can be effectively used to extend
the range for relaying data. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 04/25/12)
United opting for Boeing?
Boeing has the upper hand against rival Airbus in the battle to win an aircraft order from
United Continental Holdings. The potential value is $15 billion. Sources told Reuters that
Boeing is the front-runner for orders for about 180 narrow body jets, and Bloomberg was
told by sources that Airbus has dropped out of the contest. The deal could be concluded
this summer. Talks had been underway for at least six months about a mix of current-
generation Boeing 737s or Airbus A320s. (Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg, 04/23/12) Gulf
Coast note: Airbus has an engineering center in Mobile, Ala.
Global Hawk Block 30 hangs on
The Air Force is proceeding "prudently" on the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 30 program, even
though it's targeted for cancelation in the president's fiscal 2013 budget request. That
request cancels the Block 30 order, originally planned for 42, and puts 18 existing Block 30s
into storage. But Col. Karl Rozelsky, the Air Force's director for the Global Hawk program,
said the service is not going to make any major changes until Congress acts. (Source: Air
Force Times, 04/25/12) And some action is occurring. While the president's budget request
provided no funds to operate the 18 drones, the House Armed Services Committee is
providing money and marching orders. The HASC's mark-up of the National Defense
Authorization Act for 2013 includes $260 million towards keeping the Block 30s operational.
(Source: AOL Defense, 04/25/12) The marked bill adds 560 personnel to the strength of the
Air Force to maintain the 18 UAVs. Another House Armed Services panel would have to add
funds to operation and maintain the aircraft. (Source: Washington Post, 04/25/12) Gulf
Coast note: Global Hawk center fuselages are built in Moss Point, Miss.
Contracts: Lockheed Martin, $114.2M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded
two contracts totaling $114.2 million for the F-35. It was awarded a $68,284,013 modification
to the previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee F-35 Low Rate Initial Production II contract
for changes to the configuration baseline hardware or software resulting from the JSF
development effort. This modification defines the contractor's responsibility to incorporate
government-authorized changes for the U.S. Air Force conventional take-off and landing
and the U.S. Marine Corps short take-off vertical landing aircraft and provides funding for
such efforts. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force (55.2 percent) and the
Navy (44.8). The company also was awarded a $45,900,000 modification to the previously
awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee F-35 Low Rate Initial Production III contract for changes to
the configuration baseline hardware or software resulting from the JSF development effort.
This modification defines the contractor's responsibility to incorporate government-
authorized changes for the U.S. Marine Corps and United Kingdom short take-off vertical
landing aircraft, and provides funding for such efforts. This contract combines purchases for
the Navy (77.8 percent) and the United Kingdom (22.2 percent). Work will be performed in
Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to span multiple years. The Naval Air Systems
Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/24/12) Gulf
Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
J-2X set for next test series
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The J-2X engine that will power the second stage of
NASA’s Space Launch System will undergo a series of tests beginning Wednesday, the first
of 16 tests scheduled for this year. The Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne engine, called E10001,
is at the A-2 Test Stand for an extensive round of tests that will build on the initial round of
sea-level tests on the first developmental engine last year. This second test series will
simulate high-altitude conditions where the atmospheric pressure is low. The SLS will use J-
2X engines on the second stage of flight after the first stage is jettisoned. In its first round of
testing, the J-2X engine reached 100 percent power in just four tests and achieved a full
flight-duration firing of 500 seconds in its eighth test, faster than any other U.S. engine. The
engine was fired a total of 10 times for a cumulative 1,040 seconds of testing various
aspects of performance. (Source: NASA, 04/24/12) Previous
SpaceX delays launch
Next week's launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule will be delayed at least
a week, the company said. The delay will allow for additional testing. Space Exploration
Technologies, better known as SpaceX, planned to launch its demonstration mission
Monday from Cape Canaveral, Fla., to the International Space Station as part of NASA's
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. (Sources: multiple, including Florida
Today, Space, Huntsville Times, 04/24/12) Gulf Coast note: NASA's Stennis Space Center,
Miss., tests rocket engines for some of the companies involved in commercial space
ventures.
Memorial service set
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Department of Defense Explosive Ordnance Disposal
community is hosting the Annual EOD Memorial Ceremony on May 5 at 9 a.m. at the EOD
Memorial, Range D-51 in Niceville, Fla. This year’s keynote speaker is Air Force Chief of
Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. The EOD Memorial Foundation was established in 1969 to
honor the men and women of the EOD community, and the ceremony adding names is held
each year. The memorial currently honors 269 EOD technicians died in the line of duty since
1942, 92 of them since September 11, 2001. Eighteen names will be added. (Source: Eglin
Public Affairs, 04/24/12)
F-35 faces more turbulence: strike
The F-35 program is facing another hurdle. Assembly workers at the Lockheed Martin plant
in Fort Worth, where the F-35s are built, went on strike Monday. Members of the
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 776, which represents
3,600 workers at the plant, voted Sunday to reject Lockheed Martin’s final contract offer and
walk off their jobs. The workers do nearly all the aircraft assembly and manufacturing
functions at the plant that builds the F-16 and F-35. (Sources: multiple, including Fort Worth
Star Telegram, 04/22/12, WFAA-TV, NBC5, 04/23/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force
Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
$262.3M Fire Scout contract won
A $262.3 million contract was awarded to Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego,
Calif., for work on eight Fire Scout unmanned helicopters, the Defense Department
announced Monday. Nearly half the work will be done at the Northrop Grumman Unmanned
Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss. The contract provides for the development,
manufacture, and testing of two Fire Scout MQ-8C, the larger version of the Fire Scout that
uses a Bell 407 airframe, and production of six air vehicles. It also calls for spare parts in
support of the endurance upgrade rapid deployment capability effort. Work on the Fire
Scouts will be performed in Moss Point, Miss. (47 percent); San Diego, Calif. (46 percent);
and Yuma, Ariz. (7 percent). Work is expected to be completed in May 2014. The Naval Air
Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/23/12)
Story by GCAC
New airport chief named
GULFPORT, Miss. -- Clay Williams has been named the new executive director of Gulfport-
Biloxi International Airport, replacing Bruce Frallic, who will retire in August after serving as
executive director for 26 years. Williams currently works as a government relations
representative for Capitol Resources LLC, managing the firm’s Gulf Coast office. (Source:
Sun Herald, 04/23/12)
SSC: Leveraging NASA assets
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – Stennis Space Center is the most capable of four
facilities where NASA tests rocket engines, and much of the growth of the facility has been in
non-propulsion activities. But with commercial companies grabbing a larger piece of the
space flight field, SSC’s assets might prove to be a lure. The latest carrot is the E-4 test
facility. (Source: Sun Herald, 04/22/12)
Harris to head 96th Test Wing
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Brig. Gen. David A. Harris, vice commander of the Air
Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, will be the commander of the 96th Test Wing, Air
Force Materiel Command, at Eglin, the Air Force announced Friday. Harris’ assignment was
one of 11 general officer assignments announced Friday by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.
Norton Schwartz. (Source: DoD, 04/20/12)
Whiting Field ends T-34 training
MILTON, Fla. – Naval Air Station Whiting Field had its final training flight of a T-34 Turbo
Mentor Thursday, marking the transition to the T-6B Texan II. The student pilot was 1st Lt.
Sarah Horn, and her flight instructor was Cmdr. John Hensel. Most of the remaining Whiting
Field T-34s will be sent to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, where the Navy continues
to train with that model. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 04/20/12, WEAR-TV, 04/19/12)
Raiders to return to Eglin
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – The surviving members of the Doolittle Raiders will hold their
71st reunion in Fort Walton Beach next year. The last time Fort Walton Beach hosted the
reunion was 1968. Eglin Field is where the Raiders trained for the daring April 1942 mission
to bomb Japan. They launched their B-25 bombers from the deck of the USS Hornet four
months after the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. (Source: Northwest Florida
Daily News, 04/18/12) The 70th reunion was held this week at the National Museum of the U.
S. Air Force near Dayton, Ohio. Four of the five surviving members of the bomber crews
attended the event. The raid boosted American morale and showed the Japanese populace
the homeland was not invulnerable. (Sources: Reuters, 04/18/12, Washington Times,
04/19/12)
Hearing set in suit
Alabama Aircraft Industries will try to convince a federal judge in Birmingham, Ala., next
month to allow its $100 million lawsuit against Boeing to proceed. The small company filed
suit in September in which it argued that its former business partner, Boeing, stole
proprietary data that let the aerospace giant win $1.3 billion in contracts to maintain KC-135
refueling aircraft. Boeing has filed a motion to dismiss the suit. (Source: Reuters, 04/18/12)
Scandal reaches Eglin
The prostitution scandal in Colombia is now touching Northwest Florida. There are reports
that the U.S. Southern Command is investigating the role of five soldiers from the 7th
Special Forces Group, based at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Eleven members of the Secret
Service that protects the president and other top officials have been linked by the agency to
the scandal. They are accused of bringing prostitutes to a hotel in Colombia ahead of last
week's Summit of the Americas, which was attended by President Barack Obama. (Sources:
multiple, including CNN, Fayetteville Observer, 04/19/12)
Circling plane crashes in Gulf
A twin-engine Cessna on a flight between Slidell, La., and Sarasota, Fla., crashed in the
Gulf of Mexico Thursday. The pilot was unresponsive for several hours and radar tracked
the plane flying in loops over the Gulf of Mexico. Military jets from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.,
and a Coast Guard aircraft from Mobile, Ala., were sent to the scene to monitor the situation.
Officials believe the pilot, the only person in the plane, was incapacitated. (Source: multiple,
including ABC News, CBS News, 04/19/12)
SLS main to sport 4-engine setup
The main stage of NASA's Space Launch System being developed for deep space
exploration will use four RD-25D space shuttle main engines. Engineers also considered
three- and five-engine versions, Boeing officials said at the National Space Symposium in
Colorado. After the RD-25D supply is used up, a throwaway version, the RD-25E, will be
used. The main stage of SLS will be assembled at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New
Orleans using friction-stir welders, and probably will be built of aluminum lithium. The first
unmanned SLS flight is scheduled for 2017, and the first flight carrying the Lockheed Martin
developed Orion crew capsule is slated for 2021. (Source: Aviation Week, 04/18/12) Gulf
Coast note: Michoud also is building the Orion crew capsule; the RD-25 engines will be
tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss., which is also testing the J-2X that will be used in the
second stage.
Airport chief retiring
GULFPORT, Miss. – Longtime Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport executive
director Bruce Frallic is retiring in August. He served in his current position for 26
years. Frallic began his aviation career in 1967 in the Marine Corps. Of his 45 years
in the aviation industry, 40 have been in commercial and airport management. He
also has worked at airports in Pensacola, Fla., and Hattiesburg, Miss. (Source:
Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, 04/18/12)
BRAC discussed at meeting
CRESTVIEW, Fla. – An executive with the Okaloosa County Economic Development
Council told the Crestview City Council that a trip to the nation’s capital last month
included more than 50 area leaders from five counties. Kay Rasmussen, vice
president of community and economic development, said the annual Northwest
Florida Defense Coalition meeting included officials from Okaloosa, Escambia,
Santa Rosa, Walton and Bay counties who met with government and military
officials. “We do this to speak with one voice for our communities,” Rasmussen
said, according to the Crestview Bulletin. Topics discussed with the congressional
delegation included the possibility of another Base Realignment and Closure
round and the Air Force Material Command reorganization affecting the Eglin Air
Force Base Air Armament Center. (Source: Crestview Bulletin, 04/18/12)
Orion parachute testing continues
NASA on Tuesday successfully conducted a drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's entry,
descent and landing parachutes in preparation for the vehicle's orbital flight test, Exploration
Flight Test -1, in 2014. A C-130 dropped a dart-shaped test vehicle with a simulated Orion
parachute compartment from an altitude of 25,000 feet above the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving
Grounds in Arizona. Orion will carry astronauts deeper into space than ever before, provide
emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure a safe re-entry
and landing. (Source: NASA, 04/17/12) Gulf Coast note: The Orion capsule is built in New
Orleans at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility.
Contract: Boeing, $9.4M
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $9,353,862 firm-fixed-price contract to
procure focused lethality munitions Small Diameter Bomb I variant. The location of the
performance is St. Louis, Mo. Work is to be completed by Dec. 31, 2013. AAC/EBMK, Eglin
Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/17/12)
UAVs become college major
Top flight-training school Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and other universities have
created majors for students interested in unmanned aerial vehicles. As the Federal Aviation
Administration prepares to let unmanned aircraft operate in the national airspace,
universities are getting into the act with programs to fly and build drones. They’re catering to
a new generation of pilots who have no interest in getting airborne themselves. The drone
industry worldwide is expected to grow to $11.3 billion annually by 2021. (Source:
Bloomberg, 04/16/12) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scouts and Global Hawks are built in part in
Moss Point, Miss.; military base in the region are involved in using UAVs.
F-35 center begins formal training
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The integrated joint strike fighter training team has opened
the doors for the first Air Force certification courses on the logistical support behind the F-
35 Joint Strike Fighter. The 33rd Fighter Wing has eight basic familiarization courses now in
session at the academic training center with courses currently scheduled through early next
year. About 100 maintenance students from three branches of service began the inaugural
classes March 19. (Source: Team Eglin Public Affairs, 04/11/12)
First UK F-35 takes flight
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The UK's first production F-35, the short take-off and vertical
landing jet, completed its 45-minute inaugural flight April 13. The plane, BK-1, will undergo a
series of tests before being handed over to the UK's Ministry of Defence, which will then
begin training and further testing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., later this year. BK-1 is the
first of three F-35 jets that the UK has committed to buy -- two F-35Bs and one F-35C -- but
the final size and makeup of the F-35 fleet order has yet to be determined. (Source:
Defence Management Journal, Lockheed Martin, 04/16/12)
F-35 draft EIS released
The Air Force has released the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed
operational basing of F-35s. That kicks off a series of public hearings at impacted
communities. Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the preferred alternative for the active duty
operational location and Burlington Air Guard Station, Vt., is the preferred alternative for the
Air National Guard. The other active and Air National Guard alternatives under
consideration are Jacksonville AGS, Fla.; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; and Shaw
AFB/McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C. “The Air Force is analyzing the impacts of
basing three squadrons of 24 aircraft each at the active duty location and one squadron of
24 aircraft at the Air National Guard location,” said Kathleen Ferguson, deputy assistant
secretary of the Air Force for Installations. A final decision is expected in the fall of 2012.
(Source: AFNS, 04/13/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35
training center.
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $258.8M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being
awarded a $258,800,000 not-to-exceed undefinitized modification to the previously awarded
F-35 low rate initial production Lot 5 contract, including one additional conventional take-off
and landing aircraft for the Air Force and one additional carrier variant aircraft for the Navy.
Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas; El Segundo, Calif.; Warton, United Kingdom;
Orlando, Fla.; Nashua, N.H.; and Baltimore, Md. Work is expected to be completed in
February 2014. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting
activity. (Source: DoD, 04/13/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the
F-35 training center.
NASA, AF to study joint engine
NASA and the Air Force will study next-generation upper stage propulsion, formalizing their
interest in a new upper stage engine to replace the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL-10.
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., hopes to find a less expensive RL-10-class
engine for a third stage of the Space Launch System. Two engines have already been
pegged for the SLS: the Space Shuttle Main Engines will power the first stage and the
Rocketdyne J-2X will power the second stage. The Air Force Space and Missile System
Center's Launch Systems Directorate in Los Angeles hopes to replace the RL-10 engines
used on the upper stage of the Atlas V and Delta IV used to launch satellites. Partnering will
help reduce costs and strengthen the nation's rocket propulsion industrial base, NASA said.
"In recent years, it's become apparent that the rocket propulsion industry is in a state of
distress,” said Dale Thomas, Associated Director for Technical Issues at Marshall.
“Collaborating, especially in a time of declining budgets, helps to grow and strengthen the
knowledge base which is important for our nation's technical pre-eminence." (Source:
NASA/Marshall, Flightglobal, AvioNews, 04/12/12) Gulf Coast note: Michoud Assembly
Facility, New Orleans, is building portions of the SLS, including the Orion crew vehicle;
Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests NASA and commercial rocket engine systems, including
the J-2X and SSME.
F-35s have first formation sortie
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Two F-35As from the 33rd Fighter Wing had their first
formation flight over Eglin’s range April 10. Lt. Col. Eric Smith, 58th Fighter Squadron
director of operations, flew the lead aircraft while Marine Maj. Joseph Bachmann, Fighter
Attack Training Squadron 501 aircraft maintenance officer, flew wingman. The pilots, both
first in their service qualified to fly the F-35, were validating pilot syllabus objectives in
preparation for future training. The 33rd FW is responsible for F-35 A/B/C pilot and
maintainer training for the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and in the future, at least eight
coalition partners. (Source: Air Force, 04/13/12)
Airport ponders two carriers
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport is expected to make a
decision within a month on a replacement carrier to take over for Delta Air Lines. Airport
Director Thomas Heanue said the airport is considering bids submitted to the U.S.
Department of Transportation by Silver Airways and Air Choice One Airlines. The airport had
until May 10 to make a decision. Delta notified the transportation department last July that it
intended to drop 24 routes in smaller markets across the nation. The announcement
triggered a 90-day window for DOT to find an alternative carrier. (Source: Hattiesburg
American, 04/12/12)
Airmen to get medals
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Four members of the 96th Explosive Ordnance will get five
medals in a ceremony April 19 at 9 a.m. Tech Sgt. James Fitzgerald and Staff Sgt. Kelly
Badger will be awarded Bronze Stars. Staff Sgts. Kevin Parke and Christopher Lacy will be
awarded the Purple Heart. Parke was injured in two separate incidents in Afghanistan and
will receive two Purple Hearts. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 04/13/12)
Cyber will help Keesler
BILOXI, Miss. -- The heavy emphasis on cyberwarfare and other high-tech subjects taught at
Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., should ensure the installation plays a key role for the U.S.
military into the future, a top Air Force intelligence official said in an interview with the Sun
Herald. "Keesler is one of the most important bases in the Air Force," said Maj. Gen. James
Poss, assistant deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The
Air Force set up its undergraduate cyberspace training unit at Keesler in 2010. Poss said
the Gulf Coast is turning into the "Cyber Coast," noting that the Navy is involved in
cyberwarefare traininge in Pensacola, Fla., two hours away. (Source: Sun Herald, 04/11/12)
Cyber training also is done at Hurlburt Field, Fla., less than an hour from Pensacola.
DRS drops 150 workers
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Defense contractor DRS Technologies laid off about a
quarter of its staff Thursday as a result of the defense spending downturn. Richard
Goldberg, senior vice president of public affairs, said the cut was across the board in every
department, including hourly employees and managers. The company still employs about
450 people in its operation at the Fort Walton Beach Commerce and Technology Park. “We
hope business will improve and we’ll be able to bring some people back,” Goldberg said.
DRS, headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., is a supplier of integrated products, services and
support to military forces. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 04/12/12)
Contract: Boeing, $98.8M
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $98,800,000 not-to-exceed cost-plus-
incentive-fee and firm-fixed-priced contract to procure enhanced threat response redesign
for the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a quick reaction capability program. The location of
performance is St. Louis, Mo. Work is to be completed by March 30, 2014. AAC/EBDK/EDBJ,
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/12/12)
SSC getting new research center
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's Stennis Space Center will be the home of the
National Oceans and Applications Research Center, Gov. Phil Bryant said Wednesday at
the ribbon-cutting for the Infinity Science Center. NOARC will combine the capabilities of
NASA, NOAA and the Navy to analyze and understand the Gulf of Mexico watershed and
other oceans NOAA monitors. Bryant said the center will be the "Woods Hole of the South,"
a reference to the world-renown center in Massachusetts. NOARC data could be used to
develop environmental management best practices, identify optimal sites to build
infrastructure and help guide coastal restoration efforts. NOARC will leverage a partnership
with the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology to help encourage the development of small
businesses that benefit from NOARC data. NOARC will be funded with remaining monies that
BP granted to Mississippi during the response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion.
The center will receive initial funding of $500,000 to provide for basic startup needs.
(Sources: Sun Herald, WLOX-TV, press release, 04/11/12) Stennis Space Center is home to
30 agencies, including NASA and NOAA. It's also the center for the Navy's oceanographic
work.
Drone use up in 30-year plan
Bloomberg reports that the military will increase its fleet of unmanned aerial aircraft at least
45 percent over the next 10 years. That information is contained in the Pentagon’s 30-year
aviation report. The inventory of pilotless aircraft will grow from 445 in fiscal year 2013 to
645 in fiscal year 2022. Bloomberg said the Defense Department plans to spend $770 billion
on aviation assets from 2013 to 2022, a figure that includes drones and all other aviation
assets like fighters, helicopters, tankers and more. (Source: Bloomberg, 04/10/12) Gulf
Coast note: Fire Scout and Global Hawk unmanned aircraft are built in part in Moss Point,
Miss.
Infinity opens this week
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. – The $30 million, 72,000-square-foot Infinity Science Center opens
to the public at 10 a.m. Thursday. Infinity is just west of the Mississippi Welcome Center, off
Interstate 10 at Exit 2, and officials expect it to be a major tourist attraction. The center
showcases the activities of NASA and the 30 agencies at NASA’s nearby Stennis Space
Center. Exhibits include the Science Express, Science on a Sphere and the Space Gallery.
The outdoor exhibits include an F-1 rocket engine, like the ones that powered Saturn V
rockets used in the Apollo program. The ribbon-cutting, not open to the public, is set for
Wednesday. (Sources: Mississippi Press, 04/09/12, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 04/10/12)
Fire Scout mishaps probed
PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- The Navy has temporarily suspended Fire Scout flight operations
while it investigates two unrelated operational mishaps with the MQ-8B unmanned
helicopter. A Fire Scout operating off USS Simpson late last month was ditched at sea after
a mission when it was unable to lock on to the landing system. The crew later recovered the
Fire Scout. Then in an April 6 incident, a Fire Scout crashed in northern Afghanistan while
on a surveillance mission. The Navy has 14 Fire Scouts in inventory. Since 2006 Fire Scouts
have accumulated more than 5,000 flight hours with more than 3,000 in operational
deployments. (Source: NNS, 04/10/12) Gulf Coast note: Northrop Grumman Fire Scouts are
built in part in Moss Point, Miss.
Contract: EADS, $12.8M
EADS - NA, Herndon, Va., was awarded a $12,830,935 firm-fixed-price contract. The award
will provide for the contractor logistic support services. Work will be performed in Columbus,
Miss., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2012. Five bids were solicited, with
three bids received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/09/12)
Contract: Roy Anderson, $26M
Roy Anderson Group, Gulfport, Miss., was awarded a $25,942,000 firm-fixed-price contract.
The award will provide for the construction of a terminal high altitude area defense
instructional facility at Fort Sill, Okla. Work will be performed in Lawton, Okla., with an
estimated completion date of Sept. 1, 2014. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with
12 bids received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Okla., is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 04/09/12)
Contract: L&M Welding, $8.5M
L&M Welding, Mobile, Ala., was issued a fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract
with a maximum $8,500,000 for torch repair kits. There are no other locations of
performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. There was one
response to the Web proposal. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2012 Defense Working
Capital Funds. The date of performance completion is April 8, 2014. The Defense Logistics
Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/09/12)
Airport police officer search narrows
VALPARAISO, Fla. -- Northwest Florida Regional Airport officials are a step closer to
standing up the new in-house police force. Airport Police Chief Melvin Tennyson and Sgt.
Richard Noiseux recently completed interviews with 12 officer candidates. Okaloosa County
plans to hire eight officers. Airport and county officials hope to make offers to candidates in
the next two to three weeks. The county received 548 applications for the officer positions
and narrowed that down to a dozen. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 04/08/12)
NASA appointments
Mississippi native Arthur E. "Gene" Goldman has been named acting director of
the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. He was named to the post last
month after serving as deputy director from March 2010. From 2008 until 2010
Goldman was the director of Stennis Space Center, Miss. In addition, Robert
Champion, a native of Woodstock, Ala., has been appointed deputy director of
Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where he was acting deputy director
and chief operations officer from 2010 until this latest appointment. Earlier, Chris
M. Crumbly, a native of Rome, Ga., was appointed director of Michoud, where he
had been deputy director from March 2011. (Sources: NASA, 04/05/12, 04/06/12,
04/03/12)
Fire Scouts to get smarter
Navy Fire Scout unmanned helicopters will be getting smarter about hunting
pirates thanks to an Office of Naval Research-funded project that will help the
robots autonomously distinguish pirate boats from other vessels. The Navy plans
to upgrade Fire Scouts with the Multi-Mode Sensor Seeker, a mix of cameras,
infrared sensors and LIDAR that will provide 3-D laser images. The MMSS is
designed to reduce the workload of sailors operating Fire Scouts from control
stations aboard Navy ships. Testing begins this summer off the coast of California.
(Source: Office of Naval Research, 04/05/12) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scouts are built
in Moss Point, Miss., by Northrop Grumman; Fire Scouts will eventually serve on
the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships, a version of which is being built in Mobile, Ala.,
by Austal USA; the Office of Naval Research’s Naval Research Laboratory has an
operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
New squadron preps for F-35
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – While Navy personnel are busy preparing to teach
the next generation of sailors how to work with and fly the F-35C, Strike Fighter
Squadron 101 (VFA-101) readies for its stand-up ceremony on Eglin Air Force Base
May 1. The original Fighter Squadron 101 was established May 1, 1952 and flew
various aircraft, including the F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat. It was disestablished
in 2005 with retirement of the F-14. VFA-101 will be re-established May 1 at a new
hangar and training facility on Eglin and will serve as the Fleet Replacement
Squadron, training pilots and maintainers for the fleet. VFA-101 is a part of the 33rd
Fighter Wing, a joint-service graduate flying and maintenance training wing
responsible for F-35 A/B/C pilot and maintenance training for the Navy, Marine
Corps, and the Air Force. Initially, 59 aircraft and three flying squadrons, one for
each service's aircraft variant will be based at Eglin. The F-35 Academic Training
Center serves as the schoolhouse, where wing personnel expect to train more
than 2,000 maintenance students and 100 pilots each year. (Source: NNS, 04/05/12)
Contract: Northrop Grumman, $27M
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Aerospace Systems, Melbourne, Fla., is being
awarded a $27,058,492 modification to previously awarded contract for the
procurement of the AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) low
rate initial production. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Fla. (36.2 percent);
Tucson, Ariz. (34 percent); St. Charles, Mo. (12.5 percent); Irvine, Calif. (8 percent);
San Clarita, Calif. (5 percent); and Edgewood, N.Y. (4.3 percent). Work is expected
to be completed by April 2014. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City
Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/05/12)
First Dutch F-35 rolls out
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The first F-35 for The Netherlands rolled out of the F-35
production facility earlier this month in Texas. This is the latest step in the
production process leading to its eventual assignment this summer to Eglin Air
Force Base, Fla., home of the F-35 training center. The Netherlands will use the
conventional takeoff and landing jet, known as AN-1, for training and operational
tests for pilots and maintainers. AN-1 will undergo functional fuel system checks
before being transported to the flight line for ground and flight tests in the coming
weeks. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 04/04/12)
Contract: ALFAB, $150M
ALFAB Inc., Enterprise, Ala., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $150,000,000
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of AM-2
matting packages: F-71, F-72, F-73, and F-78 for the expeditionary airfield. The AM-
2 matting packages include the end frames, stampings/markings, end sheets, and
locking bars. AM-2 matting is designed to interlock in a brickwork type pattern and
provides for the construction of portable runways and taxiways for aircraft launch
and recovery. Work will be performed in Enterprise, Ala., and is expected to be
completed in April 2017. This contract was competitively procured via electronic
request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set-aside; three offers were
received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/04/12)
BRAC request sent to Congress
The BRAC process would look very similar to the 2005 round under the legislative
proposal the Defense Department sent to Congress for base closure rounds in
2013 and 2015. The process for appointing commissioners, milestones and reports
DOD must meet and more are essentially unchanged from the last round, based on
a preliminary analysis of DoD’s 36-page proposal. Lawmakers have made it clear
that they have no appetite to authorize a BRAC round in 2013. (Source: Defense
Communities 360, 04/04/12) Gulf Coast note: BRAC is of high interest to the Gulf
Coast region, which has multiple military bases.
County eyes new airport road
CRESTVIEW, Fla. -- Okaloosa County airport officials hope to secure $12 million in
federal stimulus money to build a road that would connect Bob Sikes Airport to U.S.
Highway 90. The money is part of $500 million that will be made available through
the U.S. Department of Transportation's Transportation Investments Generating
Economic Recovery program. County Airports Director Greg Donovan said more
than 1,200 people enter and exit the airport daily, and driving along a residential
area is inadequate. He said the road would open the door for other businesses at
the airport. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 04/03/12)
Moss Point site recognized
Northrop Grumman’s Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss., is among
eight sites in the company’s Aerospace Systems sector to earn distinction in
environmental management and employee health and safety. The eight locations
will receive International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 registration.
The other sites are in San Diego, El Segundo and Palmdale, Calif.; Melbourne and
St. Augustine, Fla.; Bethpage, N.Y.; and New Town, N.D. In addition, Moss Point,
San Diego and New Town received the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment
Series (OHSAS) 18001 certification for managing employees' health and safety in
the workplace. Moss Point recorded zero injuries two of the last three years and
reduced hazardous waste generation by 10 percent year over year between 2008
and 2010. The registrations and certifications are renewals from previous years.
(Source: Globe Newswire, 04/03/12)
Alabama eyes spaceport
Alabama lawmakers are looking at the possibility of establishing a commercial
spaceport somewhere in the state. Legislators from Alabama's state Senate and
House of Representatives met in the joint committee room to announce they
would introduce joint resolutions to set up a nine-member panel to look at
creating a spaceport authority and the possibility of bringing commercial
spaceflight to the state. (Source: multiple, including AP via Montgomery
Advertiser, Birmingham News, WHNT-TV, 03/03/12)
New AAS unveiled
EADS North America unveiled its Armed Aerial Scout 72X+ (AAS-72X+) at the annual
Army Aviation Association of America convention in Nashville, Tenn., during a
press conference. The armed derivative of the Army’s UH-72A Lakota Light Utility
Helicopter will be built by the company's American Eurocopter business unit in
Columbus, Miss. Three Armed Aerial Scout Technical Demonstrator Aircraft have
already been developed, tested and flown by EADS. (Source: EADS North America,
04/02/12) EADS is one of several competitors for the program to replace the OH-58
Kiowa Warriors.
Integrated assembly line produces
PALMDALE, Calif. -- Northrop Grumman's first F-35 center fuselage produced by its
auto-industry inspired Integrated Assembly Line was delivered to Lockheed Martin
last month. The company has delivered 69 center fuselages since 2005, but this is
the first from the IAL. It was developed and designed with the help of the Detroit-
based KUKA Robotics Aerospace Division, a commercial automation integrator. As
a principal member of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 industry team, Northrop
Grumman, among other things, produces the center fuselage and designed and
produces the aircraft's radar and other avionics. (Source: Globe Newswire,
04/02/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base is home of the F-35 training center.
Suit blames engine maker
MOBILE, Ala. -- Continental Motors has been accused of making a defective engine
that caused a 2010 plane crash that killed a jogger on the beach in Hilton Head, S.
C. Attorneys for the Mobile-based manufacturer, know as Teledyne Continental
Motors before its sale to China’s AVIC last year, say the engine had nothing to do
with the accident. The pilot of the kit-built plane and several other companies
involved in the manufacturer and maintenance of the plane are also defendants in
the suit filed in South Carolina. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 04/02/12)
MARCH 2012
Passenger counts up
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport Executive
Director John Wheat told Airport Authority board members this week that
Panhandle airports saw a rise in passenger traffic for February after two straight
months of decline. The passenger count at the airport near West Bay rose 1.5
percent last month compared to February 2011, he said. Passenger counts were
also up in Pensacola and Tallahassee, and down at the airport near Fort Walton
Beach. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 03/30/12)
Contract: Raytheon, $497.1M
Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $497,131,017 firm-
fixed-price contract to procure missiles, instrumentation units, test equipment,
guidance sections, hardware, and contractor logistics support. The location of the
performance is Tucson, Ariz. Work is to be completed by Jan. 31, 2015. AAC/EBAC,
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/30/12)
F-22 oxygen issue a mystery
The Air Force Scientific Advisory Board can't explain what caused blackouts and
dizziness among pilots flying F-22 Raptors. A separate investigation of the oxygen
problem by Lockheed Martin is continuing. The F-22 is considered safe and
continues to fly, with pilots using sensors, filters and other safety steps to mitigate
potential problems. The fleet was grounded for four months last year after pilots
complained of lack of oxygen. Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., is the home of the 325th
Fighter Wing, whose primary mission is to provide air training for F-22 pilots, as
well as maintenance personnel and air battle managers. (Sources: multiple,
including AP via Business Week, Military, 03/30/12, ABC News, Panama City News
Herald, 03/29/12)
Eglin’s top civilian retiring
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Bruce Simpson, executive director of the Air
Armament Center, plans to retire April 3 after a 31-year tenure. As head of AAC,
Simpson was the center acquisition chief in charge of buying and developing
weapons systems and the top-ranking civilian on base. His retirement comes on
the eve of a planned reorganization. The Air Force wants to absorb the Air
Armament Center and two other centers into the new Life Cycle Management
Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily
News, 03/29/12)
Historic engines to be recovered?
The five Rocketdyne F-1 engines that in July 1969 powered the first stage of the
Saturn V rocket that launched Apollo 11 for its rendezvous with the moon have
been found in the Atlantic Ocean. They were found by Bezos Expeditions, owned
by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com. He said he hopes to raise one or more of
the engines, which are owned by NASA, to put on display. The five engines, built in
California, were assembled into the first stage at Michoud Assembly Facility in New
Orleans. Michoud was the manufacturing center for the entire Saturn V system.
(Sources: multiple, including MSNBC, Time, New Orleans Times Picayune, 03/29/12)
The F-1 engines were tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. When the five-engine
cluster was test-fired for the first time in March 1967, windows shattered in nearby
communities from the 7.5 million pounds of thrust; Bezos also founded Blue Origin
of Kent, Wash., which soon will test its BE-3 engine thrust chamber assembly at
Stennis Space Center’s E-1 test stand.
New type plastic bleeds, heals
A self-repairing plastic that turns red to show it’s damaged could be important for
big structures like bridges, aircraft and even battlefield weapons systems. Self-
healing plastic isn’t a new concept, but researchers at the University of Southern
Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., developed one that keeps repairing itself.
Professor Marek Urban presented the results of the research at the national
meeting and exposition of the American Chemical Society in San Diego, Calif., this
week. The research is partly funded by the Department of Defense. (Sources:
PCWorld, 03/27/12, CNET, 03/28/12)
F-35 lifetime cost: $1.45 trillion
The government projects that the total cost to develop, buy and operate the
Lockheed Martin F-35 will be $1.45 trillion over 50-plus years, according to a
Pentagon document obtained by Reuters. The estimate is up from about $1 trillion
a year ago, and includes inflation -- a third of the projected F-35 operating costs.
Military officials and industry executives point out that no other weapons
program's costs have been calculated over such a long period. (Source: Reuters,
03/29/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training
center.
EU balks over merger
The European Commission is taking a closer look at the proposed $16.5 billion merger
between United Technologies and Goodrich. One of the concerns is the high market share
of a combined UT/Goodrich in areas such as engine controls and power generators, where
UT's Hamilton Sundstrand unit and Goodrich are competitors. UT unveiled the takeover in
September last year, which would reinforce its presence in the civilian aerospace market.
Goodrich parts are used on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus' A320neo. The probe,
which could last until August, may lead to the sale of assets to get approval for the deal.
Hartford, Conn.-based UT's aviation activities include Sikorsky and Pratt and Whitney. It
makes an array of products, including rocket engines, helicopters and elevators. Charlotte,
N.C.-based Goodrich makes aircraft equipment including landing gears and electrical power
systems. (Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg, 03/27/12) Previous. Gulf Coast note: UT's Pratt
and Whitney Rocketdyne has an operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Goodrich has a
service center in Foley, Ala.
Ribbon-cutting set for expansion
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Aircraft company LSI’s Pensacola branch operation will have a ribbon-
cutting Thursday for its newest expansion. The company retrofits helicopters for the military
to use as training platforms. LSI operates out of a 20,000 square foot building and is
expanding into a recently completed 10,000 square foot adjacent building. The company
has said it expects to add 20 workers over the next year to the 40 now working there. LSI is
based in Jacksonville, Fla. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 03/27/12)
Group tackling space debris
Although the U.S. Air Force tracks space debris swirling around the planet, some of the
world's biggest commercial satellite operators are sharing data to help prevent collisions in
what's considered a growing problem. They've formed the Space Data Association to create
computer tools that help in what's called "space situational awareness." The swirling mass
around Earth includes operational spacecraft and debris, and it's getting harder to track,
much less clean up. (Source: Aviation Week, 03/27/12) Gulf Coast note: The 20th Space
Control Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., tracks some 22,000 orbiting satellites with
the world's most powerful radar. Previous post
CHARTS used in survey
BELIZE CITY, Belize -- The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) has been using
airborne laser and imagery systems since early February to conduct cooperative
hydrographic surveys in the coastal waters of Belize. It's part of a long-term project to survey
the western Caribbean Sea off the coasts of Belize, Honduras and Nicaragua. The surveys
are designed to improve safety of navigation by mapping the seafloor and locating shallow
reefs and other obstructions in the approaches to Belize's major ports, Belize City and Big
Creek, and are being conducted in cooperation with the government of Belize. The airborne
laser system, called Compact Hydrographic Airborne Rapid Total Survey (CHARTS) system,
uses light to map the bottom. U.S. and Belize governments will use the data for new charts.
(Source: NNS, 03/27/12) NAVOCEANO is based at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and the
CHARTS program is run by the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of
Expertise at Stennis International Airport in Kiln, Miss.
Mississippi company showcased
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NVision, a Mississippi company that partnered with
Stennis Space Center to create a disaster information system, is one of seven companies
that will be highlighted in the 2012 NASA Technology Day on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
NVision, located at the Stennis Technology Park adjacent to SSC, teamed with NASA to
create the Real-time Emergency Action Coordination Tool (REACT), which incorporates
maps, reports, Internet-driven data and real-time sensor date into a geographical
information system-based display to provide information during emergency and disaster
situations. NASA Technology Day on Capitol Hill is sponsored annually by the agency's
Office of the Chief Technologist to showcase technologies that improve life, and to inform
Congress and the public about the secondary benefits of NASA partnerships and
technology. (Source: NASA/SSC, 03/27/12)
F-35s continue sorties
F-35 pilots at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., have flown more than a half-dozen local
area orientation flights around the base since flight operations began March 6,
Flightglobal reports. Two pilots, one from the Air Force and the other from the
Marine Corps, are flying the local sorties to gauge the readiness of the 33rd
Fighter Wing's new F-35A, a conventional take-off and landing variant. (Source:
Flightglobal, 03/27/12) Eglin will train pilots and maintainers from all branches of
the services that will use the F-35, as well as pilots and maintainers from foreign
purchasers.
Is BRAC 2013 dead?
Lawmakers are taking issue with the Pentagon over the request for two new BRAC
rounds. One reason lawmakers are balking is the high cost of a BRAC at a time of
belt tightening. Savings won't come for years. Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and
Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate
Armed Services' Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee, both
denounced the Pentagon's request for a base closure round in 2013. McCaskill
said she's willing to allow the closure of bases overseas, but not domestic bases
at this point. Unless the Pentagon can change her mind, her opposition kills a 2013
BRAC round. (Sources: Defense Communities Daily, Navy Times, 03/21/12)
Meanwhile, the Pentagon said the request for two new rounds of BRAC should be
compared to the cost effectiveness of the first four BRAC rounds, not those done
in 2005 to transform installations to match force structure. (Source: American
Forces Press Services, 03/21/12)
Forest threat tool released
A Web tool that tracks threats to the nation's forests has been released by the
USDA Forest Service. Called ForWarn, it's a satellite-based monitoring and
assessment tool that can detect threats from fire, disease or other causes before
the threat increases in severity or extent. It provides information on weekly
changes in forest canopy conditions as they are impacted by insects, diseases,
wildfires or extreme weather events. NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., worked
with the Forest Service to develop the system. The prototype has successfully
operated since January 2010 and uses NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer satellite to track changes in vegetation. ForWarn uses a web-
based map tool, the Forest Change Assessment Viewer, to provide an 8-day coast-
to-coast snapshot of the landscape. The coverage area is immense. According to
the U.S. Forest Service, there are some 747 million acres of forest in the United
States. (Source: Tcp, 03/22/12) Website and release. Background story
SBIRS beats expectations
The first Space Based Infrared System geosynchronous earth orbit satellite is
exceeding performance requirements in a series of tests. SBIRS GEO 1 was
launched by an Atlas V in May 2011 from Florida. Within two months it began
sharing initial data with mission partners to determine performance. Sensors are
detecting targets 25 percent dimmer than requirements, and payload pointing is
nine times more precise than required. SBIRS provides early missile warning
capability and improves other critical mission areas. "We've been extremely
pleased with the performance of this first-of-its-kind spacecraft," said Col. James
Planeaux, director of the Infrared Space Systems Directorate. (Sources:
Spaceflight, 03/19/12, Space War, 03/21/12) Gulf Coast note: SBIRS is an A2100
satellite-based spacecraft, and work on the A2100 core's propulsion system, which
positions the spacecraft in orbit, is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
US Airways to add flight
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- The start of daily direct flights between Northwest
Florida Regional Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is still a
few days away. But it’s popular enough US Airways plans to add a second flight.
The late afternoon flights start next week on a 50-seat regional jet. Starting July 11
the airline will add a second, morning flight. Northwest Florida Regional Airport is
at Eglin Air Force Base. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 03/20/12)
CSG test shows fix needed
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Testing of a vital component for the A-3 test
stand did exactly what it was intended to do: it showed a problem in the chemical
steam generator (CSG) that needs to be fixed. In testing at the E-2 facility, the two-
inch angle-globe valves supplied with the unit were unable to stand up to
operating conditions. Pieces of the seat material were "liberated" from the seat
and valve stem, possibly allowing propellants to leak into the combustion
chambers after minimal operational cycles, according to NASA. The procurement
office is issuing a request for proposal from small businesses for 27 liquid oxygen
(LOX) valves, 27 isopropyl alcohol (IPA) valves and related items. The new A-3 test
stand will use nine three-module CSG units to generate superheated steam
needed to create a vacuum that allows operators to test next-generation rocket
engines at simulated high altitudes up to 100,000 feet. (Source: Tcp, 03/21/12) NASA
solicitation; Previous related post
Blue Angels back home
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team is back in
Pensacola after 12 weeks of training in El Centro, Calif. The team’s practice
sessions are open to the public. Regular practice takes place most Tuesdays and
Wednesday through November. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 03/19/12)
Robot to robot refueling tested
WASHINGTON -- The Naval Research Laboratory successfully demonstrated the
robotic fluids transfer from a stationary platform to an unmanned surface vehicle
in wave heights greater than three feet. The Rapid Autonomous Fuel Transfer
project was able to track the motion of a Sea Fox naval vessel, emplace a magnetic
refueling fitting to an on-board receptacle and complete fluids transfer. The
testing was done at the Army Aberdeen Test Center wave simulator facility. Further
robotic transfer tests may include land-based autonomous vehicles and unmanned
aerial vehicle. (Source: NRL via Business Wire, 03/20/12) Gulf Coast note: This
region is heavily involved in unmanned systems, including aerial and maritime,
and is a major shipbuilding region; the NRL has an operation at Stennis Space
Center, Miss.
NASA: E-4 a “great opportunity”
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A NASA official says an under-utilized test stand
at Stennis Space Center is a "great opportunity" for a company interested in a
partnership with NASA. The federal agency since November has been gauging
industry interest in the E-4 Test Facility, which consists of a high-bay work area,
control room space, personnel offices and concrete test cells. It also has road and
barge canal access and utilities. The E-4 Test Facility can also be expanded to
meet future requirements. "This is a great opportunity for a commercial company
to explore partnership possibilities with NASA," said Stennis Engineering and Test
Directorate Associate Director John Stealey. Projects conducted at the E-4 Test
Facility also will have the ability to access Stennis onsite amenities and support
capabilities, including cafeteria, medical clinic, laboratory, component, information
technology, institutional and other services. (Source: NASA/SSC, 03/19/12) Previous
Contract: L-3, $21.2M
L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a
$21,209,470 modification to a previously awarded an indefinite-delivery
requirements contract for logistics services support of 119 TH-57B/TH-57C aircraft.
Services to be provided include repair and/or overhaul of aircraft, engines,
avionics, and related components. Work will be performed at Naval Air Station
Whiting Field, Milton, Fla., and is expected to be completed in September 2012.
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 03/15/12)
Bases off limits for exercise
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- About 90 percent of workers at Naval Air Station Pensacola will
stay home next week as the base enacts tight security measures as part of a
nationwide naval preparedness exercise. The base's commanding officer said
access to most base facilities will be unavailable from noon Thursday until noon
Saturday of next week due to Exercise Solid Curtain/Citadel Shield. Naval Air
Station Whiting Field in Milton will also be participating. (Source: Pensacola News
Journal, 03/15/12)
NRL opens robotic lab
WASHINGTON -- The Naval Research Laboratory held a ribbon cutting for its
Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research, which will focus on autonomous
systems research for the Navy and Marine Corps. The lab will bring together
scientists and engineers from diverse backgrounds. The one-of-a-kind lab has
specialized facilities to support research in intelligent autonomy, sensor systems,
power and energy systems, human-system interaction, networking and
communications and platforms. It has multiple bays providing environments from
desert to littoral and more. (Source: Business Wire, 03/16/12) Gulf Coast note: The
NRL has a lab at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; unmanned systems are built in Moss
Point, Miss.; there are multiple UAV-related activities in the region; a lab in
Pensacola, Fla., does research on artificial intelligence and human-machine
interaction.
It’s official: Rocketdyne for sale
Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne is officially up for sale by its parent company, United
Technologies. On Thursday, Rocketdyne's parent company, Hartford, Conn.-based
United Technologies, announced it was selling the company to help finance its
$16.5-billion purchase of aerospace supplier Goodrich Corp. Rocketdyne was first
formed by North American Aviation. North American later merged with Rockwell
International, which became part of Boeing. In 2005, Boeing sold Rocketdyne to
United Technologies Corp. (Source: Los Angeles Times, 03/15/12) Previous:
Shareholders OK merger; UT eyeing sale. Gulf Coast note: Pratt and Whitney
Rocketdyne assembles and tests engines at Stennis Space Center; Goodrich has
an operation in Foley, Ala.
Material for booster tested
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- A sub-scale solid rocket motor designed to mimic NASA's Space
Launch System booster design successfully was tested Wednesday at NASA's
Marshall Space Flight Center. The 20-second firing tested new insulation materials
on the 24-inch-diameter, 109-inch-long motor. The motor is a scaled down, low-cost
replica of the solid rocket motors that will boost SLS off the launch pad. ATK of
Brigham City, Utah, is the prime contractor for the booster. (Source: NASA,
03/14/12, Huntsville Times, 03/15/12) Gulf Coast note: Michoud Assembly Facility in
New Orleans builds the Orion crew capsule for the SLS and Stennis Space Center,
Miss., will test the RS-25 and J-2X engines for the SLS.
Contract: Raytheon, $7M
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $6,973,286 firm-fixed-price and
cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for 18 range safety systems with jammer compatibility
for Low Rate Initial Production 3, Reliability Assessment Program and initial
operational flight tests. The location of the performance is Tucson, Ariz. Work is
expected to be completed Feb. 15, 2014. AAC/EBJM, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is
the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/15/12)
Military council re-established
The Mississippi Military Communities Council has been re-established by Gov. Phil
Bryant. The commission will advise Bryant and staff on legislative issues that could
impact Mississippi's bases as well as "promote Mississippi's military missions at
the national level" and develop growth opportunities. The Pentagon is tightening
its belt and two new Base Realignment and Closure rounds are expected. (Source:
Sun Herald, 03/14/12) South Mississippi has military aviation activities at Keesler
Air Force Base in Biloxi, Gulfport International Airport and Camp Shelby near
Hattiesburg. South Mississippi is also home to a Naval Construction Battalion
Center in Gulfport and has a large Navy presence at NASA's Stennis Space Center.
Direct Air suspends flights
GULFPORT, Miss. – Direct Air, which said last month that it will provide three non-
stop flights a week beginning June 15 between Gulfport and Lakeland, Fla.,
suspended operations for two months. The Myrtle Beach, S.C.-based air carrier is
working through contract issues with a fuel provider, officials said. (Source: Sun
Herald, 03/13/12) The sudden suspension caused some problems in other airports
already served by the carrier. (Source: Myrtle Beach online, 03/14/12) Previous
F-35 takes to air again
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – An F-35 jet had a successful second flight Tuesday,
a week after a flight was aborted because of a fuel leak. U.S. Marine Corps Maj.
Joseph Bachmann flew the 93-minute local orientation flight in aircraft AF-13, a
conventional takeoff and landing variant. The F-35 Integrated Training Center at
Eglin is scheduled to train about 100 F-35 pilots and 2,200 maintainers annually.
(Sources: Star-Telegram, BayNet, 03/13/12) Previous
Abort engine hot fired
CANOGA PARK, Calif. -- Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne completed mission-duration
hot-fire tests on a launch abort engine on Friday, March 9. The engine is in
support of Boeing's CST-100 spacecraft being developed for NASA's Commercial
Crew Development Round 2. Boeing's Crew Space Transportation system is a
reusable, capsule-shaped spacecraft designed to take up to seven people or a
combination of people and cargo to low Earth orbit, including the International
Space Station. The abort propulsion system is designed to push the crew capsule
to safety if an abort becomes necessary during launch or ascent. (Source:
PRNewswire, 03/13/12) The CST-100 is compatible with the Atlas V, Delta IV and
Falcon 9 launch vehicles. Gulf Coast note: NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss.,
tests RS-68 engines for United Launch Alliance's Delta IV, and also has a Pratt and
Whitney Rocketdyne operation.
Jacobs awarded contract option
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. announced today that it's been awarded its first
option year by NASA for its Manufacturing Support and Facility Operations Contract
at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The option year has a potential
value of $137 million. MAF, capable of manufacturing large aerospace structures at
a single location, has played a key role in the design, assembly and manufacture of
the Space Shuttle external tank and continues to support the development and
manufacture of hardware for future spaceflight programs. (Source: PRNewswire,
03/13/12)
Building named for Hurlburt pilot
FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- The Air Force's 23rd Flying Training Squadron named its new
consolidated operations center after a Hurlburt Field, Fla., airman. The building
was named after Maj. Randell Voas, a CV-22 Osprey pilot who died April 9, 2010,
near Kandahar, Afghanistan, in a crash during a combat operation. Voas, stationed
at Hurlburt at the time of the crash, had been a pilot instructor for the 23rd at Fort
Rucker, which trains helicopter pilots for special operations, combat search and
rescue and more. All Air Force helicopter pilots start rotary wing training with the
23rd. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 03/12/12)
Shareholders OK merger
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Goodrich Corp. announced that shareholders today approved
the proposed merger with United Technologies Corp. More than 98 percent of
votes were cast in favor of the transaction, or some 75 percent of the outstanding
shares of Goodrich common stock as of February 6, 2012. Upon completion of the
merger, Goodrich will become a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies.
(Source: Goodrich via PRNewswire, 03/13/12) Gulf Coast note: UT owns Pratt &
Whitney Rocketdyne, which has an operation at Stennis Space Center; Goodrich
operates the Alabama Service Center in Foley, Ala.
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $56.3M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is
being awarded a $56,329,396 cost reimbursement modification to previously
awarded contract to provide additional funding for the sustainment effort
necessary to meet the requirements and delivery schedule for the F-35 Low Rate
Initial Production V. Sixty percent of the work will be done at Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., and 15 percent at Fort Worth, Texas. El Segundo, Calif.; Warton, United
Kingdom; Orlando, Fla.; Nashua, N.H.; and Baltimore, Md., each will do 5 percent.
Work is expected to be completed in May 2012. The Naval Air Systems Command,
Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/12/12)
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $38.6M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is
being awarded a $38,599,999 modification to the previously awarded low rate initial
production Lot 6 advance acquisition contract to provide additional funding for the
procurement of long lead items for F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter low rate
initial production conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft for the Air
Force, and the governments of Italy and Australia. Work, which will be performed
in Fort Worth, Texas, is necessary to protect the delivery schedules of CTOL
aircraft planned for delivery through January 2015. The Naval Air Systems
Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/12/12)
Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
Orion EFT-1 nears completion
NEW ORLEANS -- The initial construction of the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1
vehicle being built at Michoud Assembly Facility is nearing completion, NASA said.
The EFT-1 will be launched in 2014 by a United Launch Alliance Delta IV. The test
will be conducted by Lockeed Martin Space Systems for NASA. The unmanned
capsule will be launched to an altitude of more than 3,600 miles above Earth. When
EFT-1 is finished in May, it will be shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,
for final assembly and launch preparations. The capsule is designed to carry
astronauts into deep space. (Source: NASA, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 03/08/12)
Previous. The Orion will eventually be launched by NASA's Space Launch System.
The SLS engines are being tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
Cause of F-35 fuel leak found
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Three loose fasteners caused the fuel leak that
shortened the first flight of an Eglin F-35 earlier this week. The 90-minute flight
was cut to 15 minutes Tuesday when the pilot of an F-16 chase plane saw the leak
from the F-35. Maintainers also found residual water from an earlier wash of the
aircraft. The F-35 is expected to fly next week, with the goal of two flights a week.
(Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, WEAR-TV, 03/09/12) Eglin, in northwest
Florida, is home of the Joint Strike Fighter training center, which will train all
aviators and maintainers from all three branches of service that will use the F-35.
Previous
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $24.1M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is
being awarded a $24,138,848 modification to a previously awarded cost-
reimbursement contract for the development of a data farm for the Joint Strike
Fighter U.S. Reprogramming Laboratory to be located at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
The data farm will interface with lab's prime mission equipment and is used to
store software and data from the F-35 mission data testing. The ability to store and
retrieve data is critical for mission data production which is vital to program
execution. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas (95 percent), and Orlando,
Fla. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2014. The Naval Air
Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD,
03/09/12)
Bunker buster against Iran?
The huge 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb designed to penetrate deep in the
ground before exploding is one of the weapons in an arsenal that could be used in
a clash with Iran over its nuclear program. That’s what Lt. Gen. Herbert Carlisle, Air
Force deputy chief of staff for operations, told a conference on U.S. defense
programs. The Pentagon is working on options if sanctions and diplomacy fail to
prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. (Sources: multiple, including Reuters,
Bloomberg, The Hill, 03/08/12) Gulf Coast note: The bomb, called the Massive
Ordnance Penetrator, were developed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Previous post
J-2X returned to A-2
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- J-2X engine 10001 is returned to the A-2 Test
Stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center for its second round of tests. The
developmental engine underwent an initial series of tests last year. Both the
engine and test stand have been modified to begin simulated altitude testing in
the coming months. The J-2X engine is designed and built by Pratt & Whitney
Rocketdyne. The J-2X will provide upper-stage power for NASA's Space Launch
System, a new heavy-lift vehicle capable of missions beyond low-Earth orbit.
(Source: NASA/SSC, 03/08/12)
Test site selection starts
The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking public comments on the agency's
selection process for picking six unmanned aircraft system test sites around the
United States. Comments are due by May 9. The FAA is required to create the sites
based on language in both a defense spending bill and the FAA reauthorization
bill. The test sites will help the FAA develop the regulatory framework to govern
the widespread use of UAVs in the national airspace. Congress called for full
integration of unmanned systems into the national airspace by 2015. (Sources: Los
Angeles Times, 03/08/12 Space War, 03/09/12) Previous related posts: Shelby
picked for Guard UAV center; Mississippi player in growth field; Drones in national
airspace?
Fourth crewmember recovered
MOBILE, Ala. – The body of the fourth crewmember of a Coast Guard helicopter
that crashed last week in Mobile Bay has been recovered. Flight mechanic Petty
Officer 3rd Class Andrew Knight’s body was recovered more than two miles
southwest of the crash site. Four crewmen were aboard the MH-65C that was on a
training mission out of the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center in Mobile.
(Source: Mobile Press-Register, 03/08/12)
728th ACS faces decommissioning
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 728th Air Control Squadron at Eglin Air Force
Base will be decommissioned as a result of force structure changes. About 375
airmen are assigned to the squadron, which falls under the 552d Air Control Group
at Tinker Air Force Base, Fla. Air Combat Command determined divesting the 728th
is the most feasible option because it's not co-located with operational aircraft and
live, air-to-air training opportunities are limited. The changes will take place Sept.
1. (Source: 96th Air Base Wing, 03/07/12)
F-35 has short first flight
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The first sortie of an F-35 from Eglin Air Force base
today was short-lived when the pilot bought the jet back after 15 minutes because
of an in flight emergency. Pilots and maintainers are meeting today to discuss the
potential fuel leak that shortened the planned 90-minute flight. "Our first sortie is
truly a milestone for the program," said Col. Andrew Toth, 33rd Fighter Wing
commander. "Unfortunately things happen. We didn't want it to happen today but
we were prepared. Our pilot did the exact right thing in returning the jet back to
Eglin. Although there were issues we are doing whatever we can to move the
program forward safely and effectively." Eglin is home of the Joint Strike Fighter
training center, which will train all branches of the military to fly the stealth fighter.
The F-35A received an airworthiness certification from the Air Force Aeronautical
Systems Center Feb. 27, allowing the advanced fighter aircraft to begin flights at
Eglin. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 03/06/12)
Rotary wing testing moves to Duke
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 46th Test Wing's UH-1N Hueys have left Eglin
main to join the 413th Flight Test Squadron's operating location eight miles north
at Eglin's Duke Field. While still under the 46th Test Wing, the helicopters will
operate from Duke Field rather than from Eglin to allow the test wing to support a
250 percent increase in helicopter developmental test programs beginning in
June. The move will centralize all Air Force helicopter developmental test and
evaluation in one squadron, according to Capt. Garrett Knowlan, a flight
commander and major architect of the helicopter bed-down. (Source: 46th Test
Wing, 03/02/12)
Shelby picked for UAV center
CAMP SHELBY, Miss. -- Add another piece to Mississippi's unmanned aerial
vehicle footprint. Camp Shelby, the nation's largest, state-owned military training
site, was selected as the site of a new $48 million regional flight center for the
Army National Guard's Unmanned Aircraft System. Shelby, picked from 19 sites
nationally, has been used by many tactical unmanned air system units for training
prior to overseas deployment. It's also home to a company of the 155th Heavy
Brigade Combat Team, which has one of the Army's 30 TUAS units. But the training
center won't be tied to mobilization but instead will train soldiers nationwide in the
operation of UAVs. (Source: Hattiesburg American, 03/02/12)
Magazine notes Baldwin successes
Site Selection magazine ranked Baldwin County as the eighth most successful
micropolitan area in the United States in 2011. The March online edition listed the
county for expanding or attracting corporate entities. Among the projects that led
to the listing was Aero-Mark MRO, a maintenance and repair aerospace company
that located in the existing Fokker Airinc facility. (Source: Mobile Press-Register,
03/01/12) A micropolitan area is a county whose largest city does not exceed a
population of 50,000. The U.S. has 576 micropolitan areas.
SSC future looks bright
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's Stennis Space Center hosted a breakfast
Thursday for community leaders from Mississippi and Louisiana to talk about the
future, and it looks bright. Patrick Scheuermann, director SSC, said the center,
where rocket engines are tested, has a $1 billion impact on the region. Work is
booked on every test stand, he said. But the NASA center also hosts activities
from other federal and state agencies and commercial companies. Martin Flinders,
facilities engineering manager for the Rolls-Royce North America Outdoor Test
Facility, said it was the 125,000-acre acoustical buffer zone surrounding Stennis
Space Center that prompted the company to pick South Mississippi to test airliner
engines. The first stand opened in 2007 and work will begin soon on a second
stand. (Sources: Sun Herald, Times-Picayune, 03/01/12)
Two more bodies recovered
MOBILE, Ala. -- The bodies of two crewmembers of a Coast Guard helicopter that
crashed Tuesday into Mobile Bay have been recovered. Pilot Lt. Cmdr. Dale Taylor
and co-pilot Lt. j.g. Thomas Cameron were found 100 yards from the crash site. Still
missing is the flight mechanic, Petty Officer 3rd Class Drew Knight. Rescue
swimmer Fernando Jorge was found Tuesday but was unresponsive and declared
dead. (Source: multiple, including Mobile Press-Register, 03/01/12) Previous post
Leader picked for new center
An Air Force Materiel Command general has been nominated by President Obama
to lead a new center that will be created in October as part of the AFMC
restructuring. Lt. Gen. C.D. Moore II will serve as commander of the Air Force Life
Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The center
will manage Air Force weapon systems and foreign military sales, consolidating the
Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson, Electronic Systems Center at
Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.,
and functions at other AFMC bases. (Sources: Dayton Daily News, 02/29/12, Dayton
Business Journal, 03/01/12) Previous related post
200th Lakota delivered
COLUMBUS, Miss. -- EADS North America delivered the 200th UH-72A Lakota Light
Utility Helicopter to the U.S. Army during a ceremony at the American Eurocopter
production facility in Columbus. It's the first production aircraft to be delivered
with the new Security and Support Battalion Mission Equipment Package. The plant
in Columbus, in addition to building Lakotas, is also where the initial S&S Battalion
Lakotas were retrofitted. The Lakotas equipped with the S&S Battalion MEP will be
operated by Army National Guard units across the country. (Source: EADS, 03/01/12)
Gulf Coast note: EADS also has operations in Mobile, Ala.
More flights announced
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- American Airlines soon will more than double flights
between Northwest Florida Regional Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International
Airport. American Airlines, through its American Eagle affiliate, now flies to and
from Dallas/Fort Worth three times a day during the week and twice a day on the
weekend. Starting April 3, the airline will add four round-trip flights a day. (Source:
Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/29/12)
Bentley: No active project yet
Alabama's governor said Wednesday that his administration is in constant contact
with Airbus about establishing an assembly plant Mobile, but Gov. Robert Bentley
said no active project exists and no formal negotiations have been conducted.
Airbus parent, EADS, had hoped to build an aerial tanker assembly plant in Mobile,
but those plans vanished when Boeing won the Air Force contract last year. Airbus
has an engineering center and a service center for military aircraft in Mobile.
(Source: Mobile Press-Register, 03/01/12)
Boeing gets AC-130U contract
Boeing received an $11.4 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract
from the Air Force. The first delivery order under is worth $4.6 million and will
provide parts to be used to complete installation of 25mm Ammunition Storage and
Handling Systems on four AC-130U gunships. The Boeing Fort Walton Beach facility
will build the components for delivery to Robins Air Force Base, Ga. (Source:
Boeing, 02/29/12)
FEBRUARY 2012
F/A-18s practicing in region
PENSACOLA, Fla. - F/A-18 Hornets from Carrier Air Wing Seven are temporarily
calling Naval Air Station Pensacola home while repairs are made to a landing field
at Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. The Hornets will do field carrier landing practice at
the Navy's Outlying Field Choctaw in nearby Santa Rosa County through March 10.
Several carrier air wings are expected to use NAS Pensacola until repairs to Navy
Auxiliary Landing Field Fentress are finished later this year. The initial group is
from Fighter/Attack Squadrons 143, 103, 83 and 131. (Sources: WEAR-TV, Pensacola
News Journal, WKRG-TV, Navarre Press, various dates, including 02/29/12)
Schwartz: Eglin losing nothing
The Air Force is not migrating anything from Eglin Air Force Base, according to Air
Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. Plans to merge Eglin's 96th Wing and
46th Test Wing and put the new super wing under the command of a general at
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., has caused concerns that the wing will eventually
be moved to California, bringing with it millions of dollars worth of research,
development, test and evaluation work. But Schwartz told the House Armed
Services Committee on Tuesday, in response to a question by Rep. Jeff Miller, that
"Nothing is migrating from Eglin with respect to the proposal for the Air Force
Materiel Command reorganization," Schwartz said. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily
News, 02/28/12)
Search continues for crew
MOBILE, Ala. -- The search continues today for three crewmembers missing in the
Tuesday crash of a U.S. Coast Guard MH-65C helicopter in Mobile Bay. A fourth
crewmember's body has been recovered from the crash site about three miles
from Point Clear. The Coast Guard initially said one person was rescued, but later
said the crewmember was unresponsive and pronounced dead. (Source: Mobile
Press-Register, 02/29/12)
CG helicopter crashes in bay
MOBILE, Ala. -- A Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter with four people aboard crashed in
Mobile Bay Tuesday evening. One person was being taken to shore and three are
missing, spokesman Lt. J.G. Timothy Williams told the Mobile Press-Register. The
helicopter was on a training mission out of the Aviation Training Center at Mobile
Regional Airport. The crash, about three miles southwest of Point Clear, was
reported about 8:30 p.m. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 02/28/12)
A-29 contract canceled
The Air Force is canceling a $355 million contract to Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks,
Nev., and Brazil's Embraer to build 20 Super Tucano A-29 light support aircraft,
citing problems with documentation. The Air Force said it will investigate the
December award for the planes to be used in Afghanistan. A stop-work order was
issued in January after Hawker Beechcraft of Wichita, Kansas, filed suit when its
AT-6 was kept out of the competition. (Sources: multiple, including Reuters,
02/28/12) Sierra Nevada and Embraer planned to assemble the planes in
Jacksonville, Fla. Previous post
Eglin F-35A OKd to fly
The F-35As at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., have been cleared to fly. Officials at the
Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, issued a
Military Flight Release Tuesday to allow the F-35A to begin initial operations at
Eglin, home of the Joint Strike Fighter training center. The decision was made
after an airworthiness board conducted an assessment that evaluated potential
risks and the mitigation actions for unmonitored flights. Flying the Air Force
variant of the F-35 will increase pilot and maintainer familiarity with the aircraft,
exercise the logistics infrastructure and continue to develop aircraft maturity.
These initial F-35A flights will be limited, scripted, conducted within the
restrictions and stipulations of the MFR and flown by qualified pilots, officials said.
Eglin also has three F-35B aircraft, the Marine Corps variant. (Source: AFNS,
02/28/12)
Termination fee still unsettled
Four years after Northrop Grumman and EADS won a contract to build tankers for
the Air Force – a contract canceled 11 days later – a termination fee is still in the
works, according to Air Force Times. Under the 2008 award, EADS planned to
assemble the planes in Mobile, Ala. Work began on the airframes. But the contract
was overturned and Boeing won the new competition. The Air Force still partly
owns two Airbus A330 airframes built as part of the original contract. One is in
storage in Spain and the other in France. Air Force officials said they expect the
contract termination issues to be settled soon. (Source: Air Force Times, 02/29/12)
Airport plans facelift
MOBILE, Ala. -- Mobile Regional Airport is getting a $2.9 million facelift. The Airport
Authority plans to install canopies along the front of the building made from the
same pipe-and-plastic-covering material used in front of the Renaissance
Riverview Plaza Hotel in downtown Mobile. The canopies will have LED lights so
they can be highlighted with different colors, as is the case with the downtown
RSA Tower and RSA-BankTrust Building. The facelift should take about seven
months to complete. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 02/27/12)
BAMS hits milestones
Flight tests have begun for the first developmental multifunction active sensor
(MFAS) radar destined for the Navy's MQ-4C Broad Area Maritime Surveillance
Unmanned Aircraft System -- BAMS. The sensor has been integrated a Gulfstream II
testbed aircraft at the Northrop Grumman facility in Palmdale, Calif. The system
finished ground station testing in late November. In addition, the wings and
landing gear were installed on the first BAMS at the company's Palmdale
Manufacturing Center. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 02/27/12) Gulf Coast note:
BAMS central fuselage work is done in Moss Point, Miss.
Second AEHF delivered
Lockheed Martin delivered the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency
(AEHF) military communications satellite to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.,
where it will be readied for an April 2012 liftoff aboard an Atlas V. The AEHF system
will replace the five-satellite Milstar constellation. One AEHF satellite will provide
greater total capacity than the entire Milstar system. Individual user data rates will
be five times improved, providing transmission of tactical military communications,
such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data. (Source: Lockheed
Martin via PR Newswire, 02/27/12) Gulf Coast note: Core propulsion work for the
AEHF is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
Contract: Industria Paschen, $48M
Industria Paschen Group J.V., Chicago, Ill., is being awarded a $48,000,000 firm-
fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity with economic price adjustment
contract for simplified acquisition of base engineering requirements, such as
minor, noncomplex construction projects, maintenance, alternation, or repair of
real property at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and its associated sites. Work is
expected to be completed by Feb. 26, 2017. The 325th CONS/LGCC, Tyndall Air
Force Base is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/27/12)
Orion drop test Wednesday
The Orion Parachute Test Vehicle is slated for a drop test Wednesday in Yuma,
Ariz., at the Army proving grounds. The vehicle will be dropped from a C-17 aircraft
for the test of the parachute system. Elsewhere, the Exploration Flight Test Orion
is continuing construction in New Orleans, while the Ground Test Article is
undergoing vibration testing in Denver. (Source: Spaceflight, 02/26/12)
Hurlburt officer one of two shot
One of the two U.S. officers shot in the head at a ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan,
has been identified as an officer with the Air Force Special Operations Command
at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Lt. Col. John Darin Loftis, 866th Air Expeditionary Squadron,
died Saturday. Loftis, 44, of Paducah, Ky., and a major were found shot inside the
heavily guarded Afghan Ministry of the Interior building. The Taliban claimed
responsibility and said the killings were in retaliation for the burning of Korans.
Loftis was the chief plans advisor and part of a cadre of specially trained U.S.
service members skilled in Afghan and Pakistani culture and language. (Sources:
from combined reports, including AFNS, 02/26/12)
F-35B rollout marked
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Marine Corps on Friday hosted a rollout
ceremony to celebrate the arrival of the F-35B, the short takeoff-vertical landing
variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. Hundreds attended the event at Eglin Air Force
Base. Officials said military training flights could be approved by late March or
early April. There are three F-35Bs at Eglin, along with six Air Force F-35A versions
of the fighter. The first Marine Corps versions arrived in early January. The F-35B
is slated to replace the Marine Corps’ F/A-18 Hornet, AV-8B Harrier and EA-6B
Prowler. Eglin is home of the JSF training center, which will train pilots and
maintainers for all branches of the military and foreign allies. (Sources: Reuters,
Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/24/12)
Contract: Composite Engineering, $32.7M
Composite Engineering Inc., Sacramento, Calif., is being awarded a $32,701,017
firm-fixed-price contract to procure a quantity of 35 BQM-167As, also known as the
Air Force Subscale Aerial Target. The location of the performances is Sacramento,
Calif. Work is expected to be completed by April 30, 2014. AAC/EBYK, Eglin Air
Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/24/12)
Eglin F-35s to fly soon
The F-35s at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., could begin flying in a matter of weeks, the
Air Force’s top training officer said. Gen. Edward Rice, commander of Air Education
and Training Command, made the comment during a news conference at the Air
Force Association’s winter conference in Orlando, Fla. But it could be much longer
before student pilots begin flying. (Source: DoD Buzz, 02/23/12) Turkey still plans to
buy 100 F-35 fighter jets for $16 billion, with an initial order of two planes for
delivery in 2015, according to Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz. (Source: Reuters,
02/23/12) Lockheed Martin opened a new 57,000 square-foot facility in Pinellas
Park, Fla., to produce canopy components for the F-35. The facility is an annex to
Lockheed Martin’s existing 197,000 square-foot building that’s been making
structural components for more than 10 aircraft since 1997. (Source: SpaceWar,
02/24/12)
Dempsey visits NAS Pensacola
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, saw
joint training in action and spoke with students, staff and family members during a
Feb. 22 visit to several commands at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Dempsey visited
the Naval Education and Training Command, Training Air Wing 6, the Air Force
479th Flying Training Group and the National Museum of Naval Aviation. Dempsey
also held a town hall meeting in the museum atrium. Topics included military
transition, the defense budget, leadership, training and building the force of the
future. (Source: NNS, 02/22/12)
RAF marks first with F-35
PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- A Royal Air Force squadron leader became United
Kingdom's first military test pilot to fly the F-35C, the carrier variant of the Joint
Strike Fighter. Jim Schofield, RAF squadron leader, said the F-35 is the best
handling of any jet he's flown. Schofield's Feb. 21 flight is the latest in a series of
milestones for the UK's program, which included the first F-35C launch on the test
electromagnetic aircraft launch system Nov. 18 and the rollout of the first UK F-35
from the production line four days later. EMALS is the launching system of record
for the future HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, currently under construction.
(Source: Naval Air Systems Command, 02/22/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force
Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
Garver visits SSC
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver was at
Stennis Space Center today, and said the proposed NASA budget "will keep us on
the cutting edge of the space program, the very best space program in the world."
She said the $17.7 billion budget, $70 million less than the previous year, allows
NASA to continue to utilize the International Space Station and develop the space
vehicles -- the Space Launch System and Orion crew vehicle -- that will allow NASA
to explore further into space than ever before. Stennis Space Center tests the
rocket engines for the Space Launch System and Michoud Assembly Facility in
New Orleans is involved in building both Orion and the SLS. (Source: Tcp, 02/23/12)
New Orleans’ VAW-77 targeted
NEW ORLEANS -- The Navy proposes to decommission a squadron at Naval Air
Station Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse, eliminating a flying unit that focuses
on stemming the flow of drugs to the United States. Under the 2013 spending plan
released this week, the Navy Reserve’s Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron
77 would cease to exist Sept. 30. VAW-77 has about 100 active duty and reserve
Navy personnel and about 55 civilian contractors. (Source: New Orleans Times-
Picayune, 02/20/12)
RR XWB takes to skies
The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine took to the skies for the first time, powering an
Airbus A380 test aircraft in Toulouse, France. The aircraft flew with one of its four
Trent 900 engines replaced by a Trent XWB. The Trent XWB will power the new
Airbus A350 XWB. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 02/18/12, Aviation Week, 02/21/12) Gulf
Coast note: The Trent XWB engine type has been tested at Stennis Space Center.
F-35 has external weapons test
The first external weapons test mission was flown by an F-35A last week during a
mission at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The Feb. 16 test involved the Air Force
version of the F-35 carrying two air-to-air AIM-9X missiles on the outboard wings
stations, as well as two GBU-31 guided bombs and two AIM-120 air-to-air missiles
carried inside the weapons bays. The jet also had mounted four external pylons
that can carry 2,000-pound air-to-ground weapons. No weapons were fired in the
test. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 02/20/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
Unmanned A-10 in the works
Raytheon picked Aurora Flight Sciences to join the team that will create an
unmanned version of the battle-tested A-10. The Persistent Close Air Support
program is funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. Other
members of the team include Rockwell Collins and GE Aviation. (Source: Aurora
Flight Sciences, 02/16/12) Gulf Coast note: Aurora Flight Sciences has a UAV
manufacturing center in Columbus, Miss.; Raytheon has multiple activities along
the Gulf Coast; GE Aviation is building engine parts plants near Hattiesburg, Miss.,
and Auburn, Ala., and also operates a parts plant in Batesville, Miss.
Four Hurlburt airmen die
Four airmen from Hurlburt Field, Fla., died Saturday in an accident near Camp
Lemonnier, Djibouti involving their U-28. Killed were Capt. Ryan P. Hall, 30, of
Colorado Springs, Colo., assigned to the 319th Special Operations Squadron at
Hurlburt; Capt. Nicholas S. Whitlock, 29, of Newnan, Ga., assigned to the 34th
Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt; 1st Lt. Justin J. Wilkens, 26, of Bend, Ore.,
also with the 34th; and Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten, 26, of Upper Marlboro,
Md., assigned to the 25th Intelligence Squadron. The U-28 is a single engine
aircraft that provides intelligence and surveillance for special operations forces.
The cause of the accident is under investigation. Hurlburt Field is home of the Air
Force Special Operations. (Sources: DoD, Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/20/12)
Two states team on megasite
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- Four economic development groups in two states are
working together on a megasite along the Interstate 10 corridor on a road linking
Dothan, Ala., to Panama City, Fla. The organizations are the Bay County Economic
Development Alliance, Alabama Development Office, Enterprise Florida and the
Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce. Neal Wade, executive director of the Bay EDA,
told the Panama City News Herald that representatives have been meeting for
more than six months to prepare for the project along State 77 and I-10. Wade
described the megasite as an industrial manufacturing center. (Source: Panama
City News Herald, 02/16/12)
ET-1 tested at Eglin
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Army Space and Missile Defense
Command/Army Forces Strategic Command successfully completed a test flight of
the new Economical Target-1, Feb. 15 at Eglin Air Force Base. The Economical
Target-1 missile was launched from the Santa Rosa Test Site with the support of
the 46th Test Wing on Eglin into the ocean area within the test range. The target
missile's flight was tracked by several range sensors and preliminary indications
are that all data collection objectives were met. (Source: Army, 02/15/12)
NASA tests J-2X powerpack
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Engineers conducted an initial test of the J-2X
engine powerpack Feb. 15, launching a series of tests in development of the
rocket engine that will help power the Space Launch System. This test is the first
of about a dozen that will be conducted throughout the year at SSC. The first test
was the first time cryogenic fuels were introduced into the powerpack to ensure
the integrity of the facility and the test article in preparation for full power, longer
duration testing. The powerpack is on the top portion of the J-2X and includes the
gas generator, oxygen and fuel turbopumpts along with related ducts and valves.
(Source: NASA, 02/16/12)
Marines roll out F-35B
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will
host the Marine Corps' official F-35B Lightning II rollout ceremony Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.
at its Eglin hangar. Gen. James Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, is
scheduled to be the presiding officer. U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller and Robert Stevens,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin, will also be speaking.
The F-35B is slated to replace the Marine Corps’ F/A-18 Hornet, AV-8B Harrier and
EA-6B Prowler. Eglin Air Force Base is home to the F-35 training center for all
branches of the military and allied nations that will be using the F-35. (Source:
Eglin Air Force Base, 02/16/12)
Eglin needs to prep for inflow
DESTIN, Fla. -- The commander of the 96th Air Base Wing said Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., isn't worried about hits Eglin might take in any Base Realignment and Closure
round. Instead, Col. Sal Nodjomian wants to base to take steps to ensure it can
take in new missions. Nodjomian, speaking at Tuesday's Leaders in Business
Lunch organized by the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce, played down the Air
Force Material Command's decision announced in November to close the Air
Armament Center and merge the 96th mission into the 46th Test Wing. He said the
only impact for Eglin was the elimination of management positions. He said the
46th and 96th will be combined into a "super wing" that would now report to the Air
Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (Source: Destin Log, 02/14/12)
Previous related post
New flight added
GULFPORT, Miss. – A new direct flight will be offered between the Gulfport-Biloxi
International Airport and the Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Fla., beginning in
June. The 90-minute flight will be offered three times a week on Wednesdays,
Fridays and Sundays. A special promotional fare of $99 is being offered through
Feb. 22. (Source: Sun Herald, 02/15/12)
Airbus, ST Aerospace team up
SINGAPORE – Airbus, ST Aerospace and EADS EFW will work together on a program
to convert A330 passenger jets into cargo freighters, officials said. A memorandum
of understanding was signed at the Singapore Airshow. The P2F program will
cover the conversion of A330-200 and A330-300 jets. ST Aerospace will lead the
engineering development and Germany’s EADS EFW will carry out “most” of the
conversions in Dresden. The first converted aircraft could enter service in 2016.
About 2,700 freighters will be required over the next 20 years, officials said. About
half of these will be in the mid-sized freighter segment, including 900 conversions.
EADS-EFW chief executive Andreas Sperl said that once the program is up and
running, Dresden would be capable of converting 15-18 A330s a year. EADS EFW
will become the European center for ST Aerospace’s global maintenance, repair
and overhaul operations. (Source: Wall Street Journal, ChannelNewsAsia, ST
Aerospace, Flightglobal, 02/16/12) Gulf Coast note: EADS, Airbus and ST Aerospace
have operations in Mobile, Ala.
Contract: Boeing, $111.4M
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $111,397,676 predominantly
firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of 4,844 joint direct attack munitions. The
location of the performance is St. Charles, Mo. Work is expected to be completed
by May 2014. AAC/EBDK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 02/14/12)
AT-6 has a first at Eglin
Hawker Beechcraft said its AT-6 light attack aircraft successfully fired laser-guided
rockets during tests last month at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., making the AT-6 the
first fixed-wing aircraft to launch a laser-guided rocket. The 2.75” laser-guided
rocket testing included BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System and
Raytheon’s TALON. The weapons were fired from about three nautical miles and
guided to their targets using either an airborne laser from the AT-6 or a ground
laser from the Eglin range. Both rockets were scored as hits on their respective
targets. Hawker is fighting a decision by the Air Force to award a contract for light
attach aircraft to Sierra Nevada and Embraer. A stop work order on the contract as
issued after Hawker took the matter to federal court. (Source: Wichita Business
Journal, Hawker Beechcraft, 02/13/12)
Eglin gets new lab
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The new High Pressure Particulate Physics Facility
officially opened this month at Eglin Air Force Base. The facility was built to
enhance the role of science and technology in smart munitions development, and
contains a 60-mm smooth bore gun, complemented with high-resolution, high-
precision, time-resolved diagnostics for use with various imaging technologies.
The gun will be able to launch a few kilogram mass at high speed and will address
basic questions on material behavior, as it relates to munition weapon systems
and weapon effects. (Source: Air Force Materiel Command, 02/14/12)
Contract: Jacobs, $36M
Jacobs Technology, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was awarded a $36,097,935 firm-fixed-
price and level-of-effort contract. The award will provide for the technical and
administrative services in support of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protection
vehicle. Work will be performed in Kuwait; Warren, Mich.; Stafford, Va.; Aberdeen,
Md.; Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Benning, Ga.; Afghanistan; Camp Atterbury,
Ind.; and Red River Army Depot, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Feb.
6, 2013. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting
activity. (Source: DoD, 02/13/12)
Contract: Jacobs, $157.2M
Jacobs Technology, Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was awarded a $157,209,880 cost-
plus-fixed-fee contract to provide for the systems engineering and technical
assistance support services. Work will be performed in Fort Belvoir, Va.; Natick,
Mass.; Eatontown, N.J.; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; Springfield, Va.; Fort
Lewis, Wash.; Fort Knox, Ky.; and Fort Benning, Ga., with an estimated completion
date of Jan. 31, 2015. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving
Ground, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/13/12)
Budget wants two BRAC rounds
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon's 2013 budget calls for two rounds of base closings,
according to documents released Monday. The last Base Realignment and Closure
round was in 2005. All BRACS have pit communities and states against each other
because bases are major employers. The budget asks for BRAC rounds in 2013 and
2015. (Source: USA Today, 02/13/12) Gulf Coast note: This region is home to a heavy
concentration of military bases, as well as military activities at non-DoD facilities.
Previous on BRAC
GE Aviation growth
GE Aviation's production rates are expected to grow from about 3,000 commercial
and military engine deliveries in 2011 to 3,400 in 2012 and 3,800 in 2013, according
to the company. "We're firing on all cylinders," said David Joyce, president and
CEO of GE Aviation. The company, which has about 25,000 workers in the U.S., is
investing some $580 million in plant, equipment, and tooling across 55 U.S.
operations. It will add more than 400 employees over the next three years. By the
end of the year GE Aviation will complete construction of a 300,000-square-foot
factory in Ellisville, Miss., to make composite components for jet engines, and
another 300,000 square-foot facility in Auburn, Ala., that will make machined parts
for commercial and military engines. Construction is also under way on GE's new
electric power integrated systems R&D center in Dayton, Ohio. (Source: GE
Aviation via Business Wire, 02/13/12)
Mississippi player in growth field
Mississippi is a key player in the growing unmanned aerial systems field. In
addition to the Global Hawks and Fire Scouts built in Moss Point, Mississippi has
two other companies building four types of UAVs, as well as airspace where UAV
flights are permitted and companies that work on sensors and advanced materials,
both important to the industry. (Source: Sun Herald, 02/12/12)
Airbus to build in Mobile?
SEATTLE -- There was speculation at the aerospace suppliers' conference this past
week that Airbus could announce this summer that it will build commercial jets in
the United States. The heavy favorite is Mobile, Ala., where Airbus parent EADS
had planned to build aerial tankers until it lost the competition to Boeing. Two
people who have contact with Airbus and its suppliers said they believe Mobile
will build up to 10 A320 jets a month. Last month, the chief financial officer of EADS
raised the possibility that Airbus will soon resurrect the idea of building jets in the
U.S. (Source: Seattle Times, 02/11/12) Previous related post
Carroll: Committed to Eglin
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll told fellow task force members she's
committed to work with them to help preserve the Air Armament Center and 46th
Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base. State Sen. Don Gaetz, who sponsored the bill to
create and fund the task force, had been critical of Carroll, saying he thought she
was hesitant to engage in effective lobbying in Washington. He said he welcomed
her "change of view" on the Eglin issue. The task force is hoping to prevent the
Air Force from placing Eglin's 46th Test Wing under the command of a two-star
general at California's Edwards Air Force Base. They fear it's a first step toward
moving the wing's research, development, test and evaluation function to
California. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/11/12) Previous post
Bill has NATO Global Hawk funds
Bloomberg reports that the Pentagon proposes in its new budget spending $1.2
billion for the first three NATO variant Global Hawk unmanned aircraft and three
more Navy variants, according to an official. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization
said this month it planned to buy five Alliance Ground System through 2017. The
Navy already has two demonstration versions of the Broad Area Maritime
Surveillance System. Congress will get the budget Feb. 13. (Source: Bloomberg,
02/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Northrop Grumman builds the Global Hawk fuselages in
Moss Point, Miss. Previous related posts: NATO getting Global Hawks; Global Hawk
variant to be cut; NATO to ink AGS deal in May
Drone foreign sales discussed
Navy leaders are considering selling Scan Eagle unmanned drones to Kuwait,
Pakistan and the Netherlands, according to a presentation by Marine Corp. Col.
James Rector of the Naval Air Systems Command. He made the comment during
the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International's annual program in
Washington. There are also informal talks involving Australia and Japan to buy
Global Hawk fixed-wing reconnaissance drones built by Northrop Grumman.
(Source: AOL Defense, 02/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawks are built in part in
Moss Point, Miss. Correction note: AOL Defense initially reported the drone being
considered for sale was Fire Scout, rather than Scan Eagle.
UT eyeing sales
United Technologies is studying the sale of a pump- and compressor-making
division to raise cash for the planned purchase of aerospace supplier Goodrich
Corp., according to Bloomberg, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Also
under way is an effort to find a buyer for Pratt and Whiteny Rocketdyne, which
makes engines for civilian and military rockets, the same sources said. (Source:
Bloomberg, 02/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne has an
operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Goodrich owns the Alabama Service
Center in Foley, Ala.
Contract: Lockheed Martin, $14.8M
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is
being awarded a $14,800,000 modification to a previously awarded advance
acquisition contract to procure long lead items for F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike
Fighter low rate initial production Lot 6 short take-off vertical landing aircraft for
the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is necessary
to protect the delivery schedules of STOVL aircraft planned for delivery through
December 2014. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.
Contracts: 2020, Oasis, COLSA
2020 Co. LLC., Falls Church, Va.; Oasis Systems LLC., Lexington, Mass.; and COLSA
Corp., Huntsville, Ala. are each being awarded a $53,511,834 firm-fixed price, labor-
hour, cost-reimbursement contract for the Technical and Acquisition Management
Support Program. This program provides a wide range of diverse non-
engineering, technical, and acquisition management support required in the
acquisition, development, production, and support of various equipment and
weapon systems within the Air Armament Center and other organizations at Eglin
Air Force Base, Fla. The location of the performance is Eglin. Work is expected to
be completed by Feb. 28, 2013. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/08/12)
Gaetz wants more base advocacy
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- State Sen. Don Gaetz is critical of how Lt. Gov.
Jennifer Carroll is handling her role as the state's advocate for the Defense
Support Task Force. "I think the lieutenant governor has been hesitant to engage
in effective lobbying in Washington on Eglin issues," Gaetz told the Northwest
Florida Daily News. The task force was created to preserve Florida's military bases
and missions in an age of Pentagon cuts. Members decided the first priority
should be lobbying to prevent the Air Force from placing Eglin’s 46th Test Wing
under the command of a two-star general at California's Edwards Air Force Base.
They fear it's a first step toward moving the wing's research, development, test
and evaluation function to California. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News,
02/06/12)
Contract: Boeing, $18.3M
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $18,300,000 cost-plus-
incentive-fee and firm-fixed-priced items contract for an acceleration effort,
regression testing, and a fuze risk reduction effort. The location of the
performance is Saint Louis, Mo. Work is expected to be completed by Feb. 28,
2013. AAC/EDBK/EDBJ, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 02/07/12)
Old airport to transfer this week
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- The final transfer of the old airport in Panama City to its new
owners will take place Wednesday or Thursday, officials said. The sale will help the
airport pay off a number of debts and eliminate some $120,000 per month in costs
at the old site. St. Andrew Bay Land Co. plans a village-type development at the
700-acre site. Air operations transferred to the Northwest Florida Beaches
International Airport near West Bay on May 23, 2010. (Source: Panama City News
Herald, 02/06/12)
Group to take base fight to D.C.
MILTON, Fla. – The Santa Rosa County Commission was given an update Monday
on local plans to protect area bases from a possible Base Realignment and
Closure round and other military cuts. Pete Gandy, a consultant with TEAM Santa
Rosa, praised the work that Santa Rosa County commissioners have done for
nearly 10 years to purchase and preserve the land around Naval Air Station
Whiting Field, which trains military aviators. He said a five-county delegation
supporting the military bases will go to Washington at the end of February to meet
with congressional leaders to discuss issues facing Northwest Florida military
bases. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/06/12)
Drones in national airspace?
The House passed a bill Monday that starts the clock on safely integrating
unmanned aerial vehicles into the national airspace, with full integration by the
Sept. 30, 2015. The bill, previously passed by the Senate and now awaiting
President Obama's signature, provides a number of deadlines for the Federal
Aviation Administration. One is to establish six UAV test sites within six months.
(Source: Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, USA Today,
02/06/12) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawk and Fire Scout UAVs are built in part in
Moss Point, Miss.; several companies at Stennis Space Center, Miss., work with
UAV sensors; the Coast Guard Aviation Center is involved in UAV training in
Mobile, Ala.; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is involved in UAV navigation systems.
Contract: Sikorsky, $26M
Sikorsky Support Services, Inc., Pensacola, Fla., was awarded a $26,063,162
modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery requirements contract to
exercise an option for logistics services and materials for organizational,
intermediate, and depot-level maintenance to support 161 T-34, 54 T-44, and 172 T-
6 aircraft based primarily at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas; NAS Whiting
Field, Fla.; and NAS Pensacola, Fla. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi (50
percent); Whiting Field (39 percent); Pensacola (8 percent); and various sites
within the continental United States. Work is expected to be completed in April
2012. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting
activity. (Source: DoD, 02/06/12)
Tyndall to get new F-22 squadron
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- A new combat F-22 squadron will be coming to Tyndall Air
Force Base in Northwest Florida beginning this summer, bringing up to 1,000
additional personnel. That's according to Brig. Gen. John K. “Jack” McMullen,
commander of the 325th Fighter Wing. He provided an assessment of Tyndall
during the Bay County Chamber First Friday meeting. McMullen said the first
personnel will begin arriving in July and aircraft in January 2013. McMullen also
said 20 T-38s will be coming to the base over the next year. (Source: Panama City
News Herald, 02/03/12)
NATO getting Global Hawks
NATO broke a nearly 20-year logjam and agreed to jointly fund operations of an
airborne ground- surveillance system, including five Northrop Grumman Global
Hawks. The 28-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization approved a plan this
week for all members to pay for support and operations, according to a statement
Friday. The Alliance Ground Surveillance project, which is scheduled to come into
use from 2015, will have its main base at Sigonella, Italy, and several associated
command-and-control base stations. Virginia-based Northrop is the prime
contractor. The drone is powered by Rolls-Royce engines. (Sources: Bloomberg,
Reuters, 02/03/12) Previous
Cuts hit Keesler AFB
The proposed 2013 military budget designed to save the Air Force $8.7 billion over
five years will eliminate hundreds of fighters, cargo planes, surveillance drones
and surveillance planes from bases nationwide, according to details released
Friday. Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., best known for its electronics training and
home of the 403rd Reserve Wing, will lose 10 C-130Js in fiscal year 2014. The wing
transports personnel and equipment and was a major player in combat operations
in Southwest Asia. Another Mississippi base, Key Field Air National Guard in
Meridian, will lose six C-27J in FY13 and one RC-26 in FY14. They'll be replaced by
between nine and 11 MC-12s in FY14. Also of interest to the Gulf Coast region is
the FY13 retirement of 18 Block 30 Global Hawks stationed at Beale Air Force Base,
Calif. Fuselage work on Global Hawks is done in Moss Point, Miss. The force
structure changes also affirms the Air Force's commitment to the F-35. Eglin Air
Force Base, Fla., is home of the joint training center. (Source: Tcp, 02/03/12) Details
Becoming astronaut still popular
More than 6,300 people applied between Nov. 15, 2011 and Jan. 27 to become a
NASA astronaut, the second highest number of applications ever received by the
agency. The highest response occurred in 1978 with 8,000 applicants. After a
thorough selection process, which includes interviews and medical examinations,
nine to 15 people will be selected to become part of the 21st astronaut class. NASA
expects to announce a final selection in the spring of 2013. The new astronauts
will be the first to launch aboard a commercial rocket to the space station, said
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. (Source: NASA, 02/03/12) Gulf Coast note: This
region is involved in space programs through NASA’s John C. Stennis Space
Center in South Mississippi and Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
Contract: SRI, $13.2M
International, Menlo Park, Calif., is being awarded a $13,200,000 cost-plus-award-
fee, firm-fixed-price contract for the acquisition of a five-year research and
development program. The Digital Video Laboratory (DVL) provides highly
specialized hardware/software for data /video transmission, video compression,
video data manipulation, image sensors, data/video storage, data/video retrieval
and data/video searches. This contract will be used to acquire hardware, software,
prototype systems, spiral software enhancements, installation and training support
to support the 46 Test Wing's requirement to improve and modernize potential
capabilities using digital data. The location of the performance is on an as required
basis by delivery order. Work is expected to be completed by March 12, 2014.
AAC/PKET, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD,
02/02/12)
Training squadron changes command
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will
have a change of command ceremony Friday. Lt. Col. David R. Berke will take
command from Lt. Col. James B. Wellons in a ceremony at the Department of Navy
and Marine Corps Hangar at Eglin Air Force Base. Marine Fighter Attack Training
Squadron 501, is the first Marine Corps squadron to receive F-35B aircraft for pilot
and maintainer training at the 33rd Fighter Wing F-35 Integrated Training Center.
(Source: Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., 02/02/12)
Eglin to get 17 F-35s this year
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Eglin Air Force Base is scheduled to get another 17 F-
35 jets this year, according to a Lockheed Martin official. Stephen O’Bryan, vice
president of Lockheed’s F-35 program integration, provided the local media with
an update Wednesday. Eglin, where pilots and maintainers from all branches of the
military will be trained, already has nine of the jets, three of them the Marine Corps
variant F-35B and the other six Air Force F-35A. The jets to arrive this year will
include the first Navy version, the F-35C. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News,
02/01/12)
Contract: EADS, $10.1M
EADS - NA, Herndon, Va., was awarded a $10,128,500 firm-fixed-price contract. The
award will provide for the modification of an existing contract for contract logistic
support services. Work will be performed in Columbus, Miss., with an estimated
completion date of Nov. 30, 2013. Five bids were solicited, with three bids
received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/01/12)
Tyndall to test ceramic coatings
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Air Force engineers and researchers are hoping
to find out whether a ceramic coating can help the military reach energy savings
goals. Engineers at the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency will test the
coating in April using two nearly identical buildings. The ceramic coating product,
which is flexible, has been around for 20 years, but was never mass marketed. It
performs well in a lab setting, and if it does the same in the field it could have
multiple applications in warm climates, possibly even in an expeditionary setting.
(Source: AFCESA, 01/31/12)
JANUARY 2012
Contract: Textron, $13.6M
Textron Defense Systems, Wilmington, Maine, is being awarded a
$13,600,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 143 monition control
units; 5 MCU test sets; 15 munitions application program cards;
one wind corrected munitions dispenser dual system support
simulator; one WCMD telemetry ground station; 10 WCMD
telemetry kits; two instrumented measurement kits; and 1552
lanyard connectors. The locations of the performance are
Wilmington, Maine, and Tucson, Ariz. Work is expected to be
completed by February 2014. AAC/EBJK, Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/31/12)
Contract: Kaman, $24.2M
Kaman Precision Products Inc., Orlando, Fla., is being awarded a
$24,171,717 firm-fixed-price contract action, which tasks the
contractor to provide the Air Force with a quantity of 6,067 of the
Joint Programmable Fuze Systems to meet munitions
requirements. The location of the performance is Orlando, Fla.
Work is expected to be completed by December 2013. AAC/EBDK,
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source:
DoD, 01/31/12)
Contract: CSC, $26.9M
CSC Applied Technologies LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is being
awarded a $26,870,070 cost-plus-award-fee contract for the
exercise of option for the base operating support service contract
at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. The location of the performance
is Keesler. Work is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2012. 81
CONS, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., is the contracting activity.
(Source: DoD, 01/31/12)
GD gets gun system contract
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- General Dynamics Armament and Technical
Products was awarded a $23.6 million contract by Lockheed Martin
for production of more than two dozen GAU-22/A gun systems for
the F-35. The GAU-22/A is based on the GAU-12/U 25mm Gatling
gun, which the company has made for more than 40 years. The
GAU-22/A is a lighter-weight, four-barrel version mounted
internally on the F-35A variant and externally on the B and C
models. General Dynamics has been manufacturing GAU-22/A
guns for F-35s since 2009. (Source: General Dynamics via
PRNewswire, 01/31/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin is home of the F-35
training center.
Parachute grounds F35
Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters have been grounded due to
improper loading of parachutes in their ejection seats. The
suspension of flight and high-speed ground testing began Jan. 26
and affects six aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., nine at
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and three nearly completed planes at
Lockheed's production facility in Fort Worth, Texas. It does not
affect eight F-35 aircraft at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.,
which have older ejection seats. (Sources: Aviation Week,
Reuters, 01/30/12)
Contract: L-3, $23.9M
L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, LLC, Madison, Miss., is
being awarded a $23,959,388 modification to a previously awarded
firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract to
exercise an option for contractor logistics support and Aircraft
Intermediate Maintenance Department support for the T-39
Undergraduate Military Flight Officer Training Program. This effort
includes support of the UMFO government-owned T-39N and T-
39G aircraft and associated equipment, including organizational
and depot level repair. In addition, this provides intermediate level
maintenance and support for Chief of Naval Air Training aircraft,
transient aircraft, tenant, and other services activities at the Naval
Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and
surrounding areas through the AIMD. Work will be performed in
Pensacola, Fla. (75 percent), and Corpus Christi, Texas (25
percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2012. The
Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the
contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/30/12)
More powerful MOP sought
A huge bomb is not capable of destroying the most fortified
underground facilities, so the military wants to make the Massive
Ordnance Penetrator even more powerful, according to the Wall
Street Journal. The 13.6-ton bunker buster is the nation’s largest
conventional bomb. The Pentagon wants funding to enhance the
bomb's ability to penetrate deeper into rock, concrete and steel
before exploding, The Journal reported. The Defense Department
has spent about $330 million so far to develop about 20 of the
bombs built by Boeing Co. The Pentagon wants about $82 million
more. (Source: Wall Street Journal, 01/28/12) Gulf Coast note:
Eglin Air Force Base is involved in developing MOP. Previous post
StenniSphere closing
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- StenniSphere, the museum and
visitor center at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, is closing
Feb. 15. The closure of the facility within the gates of SSC comes
as the Infinity science center moves forward. Various exhibits
from StenniSphere are being moved into Infinity to prepare for an
opening this spring. Infinity is outside SSC, just south of Interstate
10. StenniSphere opened to the public in May 2000 and has hosted
tens of thousands of visitors each year. The facility housed 14,000
square feet of interactive and informational exhibits highlighting
NASA’s space missions and the work of other key resident
agencies at Stennis. (Source: NASA, 01/30/12)
GE Aviation plant update
ELLISVILLE, Miss. -- The ground work for the new GE Aviation in
Ellisville is nearly complete and company officials will soon make
a decision on a general contractor for the 300,000-square-foot
plant. "We hope to have the building complete by the end of the
year and move our equipment in by early 2013," said Rick
Kennedy, GE Aviation's media relations manager. The $56 million
project is in the Howard Technology Park, not far from
Hattiesburg, and is the second GE Aviation plant in the state. The
other, in Batesville, produces composite components for aircraft
engines. (Source: Laurel Leader-Call, 01/29/12)
Wade: Bay County next hotspot
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- The new executive director of the Bay
County Economic Development Alliance said one of the reasons
he took the job was his belief that Bay County is in a good position
to be the next growth area in Northwest Florida. Neal Wade, during
an interview with the Panama City News Herald, said he hopes to
snag a major aerospace company for a spot by the new airport in
West Bay. He said with assets like the Air Force and Navy bases
nearby and major defense contractors in the area, the West Bay
area is ideal for an aerospace company to open up a new facility.
"We believe this will be a breakout year especially in aerospace,
aviation and defense," said Wade, the former senior vice
president of economic development for the St. Joe Co. (Source:
Panama City News Herald, 01/29/12) When he worked in economic
development in Alabama, Wade played a role in that state landing
Mercedes-Benz.
Aircraft company finds niche
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Aircraft company LSI, operating out of a
20,000 square-foot building, is weeks away from expanding into an
adjacent 12,000 square-foot facility. Plant manager Steve McNair
said the operation has 40 employees and he expects it will add 20
or more over the next year. The company was launched as
Aviation Systems of Northwest Florida in 1994 and was sold to LSI
of Jacksonville, Fla., in 2010. The operation converts Army
helicopters that are no longer flight-worthy into ground-based
platforms to train aviation technicians. (Source: Pensacola News
Journal, 01/29/12)
Asking the right questions
When the Air Force explains to Congress in February its rationale
for a mission consolidation announced in November, the Florida
delegation will have some hard questions supplied by two
members of the Defense Support Initiative task force. Jim
Breitenfeld and retired Lt. Gen. Gordie Fornell have worked for
years with Okaloosa County Economic Development Council and
were there in the past when attempts were made to move the
46th Test Wing from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to Edwards Air
Force Base, Calif. They see a plan to keep the wing at Eglin but
place it under a two-star at Edwards as an effort to move valuable
research, development, test and evaluation functions to Edwards.
They want the consolidation reversed. (Source: Northwest Florida
Daily News, 01/28/12) Previous post about task force; previous
post about consolidation
Academy slates first class
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The National Flight Academy, 25 years in the
making, will have a test class in March followed by its first full
class in May. The academy at Naval Air Station Pensacola’s is
designed to pique the interest of students in science, technology,
engineering and math. The 102,000 square-foot academy is
designed to look like the inside of an aircraft carrier. The Naval
Aviation Museum Foundation raised $18.5 million for construction
of the academy and $15 million to outfit it. A feature story (Source:
Pensacola News Journal, 01/29/12)
ABM students get new building
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – There was a grand opening
Thursday for the new 325th Air Control Squadron building. Brig.
Gen. John K. “Jack” McMullen cut the ribbon, which officially
opened the 36,000 square-foot building to train air battle
managers. The students will provide critical information about
enemy activities to both air and ground forces. It’s the only
schoolhouse that will teach air battle managers in the country.
Tyndall is near Panama City. (Source: Panama City News Herald,
01/26/12)
Enders picked to head EADS
EADS has named Tom Enders to take over as chief executive
officer when Louis Gallois retires in May. Enders, nominated to a
five-year term, was a strong advocate for Mobile, Ala., during the
competition between EADS and Boeing to build Air Force tankers.
EADS planned to build a 1,500-worker assembly plant at Brookley
Aeroplex to build tankers and freighters if it won the competition.
Although EADS lost, it has continued to express interest in
establishing an assembly facility in the United States because of a
backlog of orders from airlines. Enders was expected to be named
to the post. Enders, of Germany, and Gallois, of France, served as
co-CEOs until opting for an American-style structure with one
chief executive officer. (Sources: Mobile Press-Register, 01/26/12,
Bloomberg, 01/27/12)
Block 30 cut disappoints NG
Northrop Grumman said it’s disappointed with the Pentagon’s
plans to cancel the Global Hawk Block 30 program and perform its
missions with the U-2. But the company said it will work with the
Pentagon to assess alternatives to the program’s termination. The
company said that just a few months ago the Pentagon published
an acquisition decision memorandum that said continuation of the
program is essential to national security. Northrop, however, also
said it’s pleased with the continued support for the Global Hawk
Block 40 and the Navy’s Broad Area Maritime Surveillance
system. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 01/26/12) Gulf Coast note:
Central fuselage work on the Global Hawk is done in Moss Point,
Miss.
Pentagon budget plans released
The Pentagon will ask Congress for $525 billion for the military in
2013, $6 billion less than the current budget. Congress will also be
asked to approve a new round of base closures. The request
announced Thursday would eliminate some 100,000 ground
troops, mothball ships and trim squadrons, but increase special
forces, improve cyber defense and put more emphasis on drone
aircraft. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, previewing plans that
will be revealed in more detail next month, said the proposal "will
impact all 50 states and many … congressional districts across
America." The proposed budget has the Navy keeping 11 carriers,
but retires seven cruisers earlier than planned and delays
purchases of subs, amphibious assault ships and other vessels. It
also slows the purchase of F-35s. Congress controls the Pentagon
budget, which is 20 percent of total federal spending, and
regularly intervenes. (Sources: multiple, including AP, Reuters,
01/26/12) Gulf Coast note: The Gulf Coast region builds military
vessels and portions of drone aircraft, and has several special
operations bases and activities. It's also involved in cyber security
training at several locations.
Contract: Raytheon, $17.4M
Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a
$17,424,398 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide test integration
of software to enhance the system performance of the AIM 120D
missile. The location of the performance is Tucson, Ariz. Work is
expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2013. AAC/EBAK, Eglin Air
Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/26/12)
Embry-Riddle to open new campus
CRESTVIEW, Fla. -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is
opening a Crestview campus to meet a growing need for students
in the north end of Okaloosa County. “ERAU is the front runner in
knowing the needs of the workplace when it comes to aviation
related jobs, and we have seen the growth around the Crestview
Airport and in aviation related contracts that make up this area of
Florida," said Ron Garriga, director of academic support of Embry-
Riddle Fort Walton Beach campus. The new campus is on the
second floor of a building at the corner of South Ferdon Boulevard
and Southview Drive. (Source: Crestview News Bulletin, 01/26/12)
Two BRAC rounds possible
The Pentagon is planning to request two new base closure
rounds, one in 2013 and another in 2015, to help cut almost a half a
trillion dollars in spending over the next decade. That’s according
to Air Force Times. The spending cuts imposed on the military are
expected to result in the elimination of tens of thousands of
troops and cuts in aircraft orders, further reducing the need for
military infrastructure. (Source: Air Force Times, 01/25/12) Gulf
Coast note: This region is home to a heavy concentration of
military bases and military activities at non-DoD locations.
SSC starts powerpack tests
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A new series of tests on the J-
2X engine that will power the upper stage of NASA's Space
Launch System will begin next week. The tests will be on the J-2X
powerpack, which is on the top portion of the J-2X. It includes the
gas generator, oxygen and fuel turbopumps and related ducts and
valves that bring the propellants together to create combustion
and generate thrust. About a dozen powerpack tests of varying
lengths are slated through summer at Stennis' A-1 Test Stand. The
J-2X is being developed by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne.
(Source: NASA, 01/25/12)
Vision suspends local service
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- Vision Airline’s flights to and from
Northwest Florida Regional Airport will end Feb. 29, and it’s not
known when or if those flights will resume. Vision started service
at Northwest Florida Regional in December 2010 with direct flights
to and from Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Miami. Service was expanded
in January 2011, then in the summer some destinations were
dropped, others were added. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily
News, 01/24/12)
Fire Scouts on 3rd deployment
MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopters departed last week
aboard the USS Simpson on a third operational deployment. The
frigate is scheduled to spend six months off the coast of West
Africa and in the Mediterranean. Two airframes are deployed and
provide the ship's sole aviation capability. On previous
deployments the Fire Scouts were accompanied by MH-60
Seahawk. (Source: Flightglobal, 01/23/12) Gulf Coast note: Fire
Scouts are built in part in Moss Point, Miss., by Northrop Grumman.
Global Hawk variant to be cut
The Air Force's Block 30 variant of the Global Hawk unmanned
surveillance plane is being terminated in the budget request that
will be sent to Congress in February, according to reports. But one
report says the proposed fiscal 2013 budget also includes $1.2
billion for three additional Block 40 variants. The Air Force already
has 11 of the latest models delivered or on contract. In addition,
the Pentagon wants to continue an $11 billion Navy Global Hawk
program. (Sources: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg, 01/24/12). Gulf Coast
note: Global Hawks are built in part in Moss Point, Miss. Previous
Global Hawk post
Contract: L-3, $69.2M
L-3 Communications Corp., Systems Field Support, Madison,
Miss., was awarded a $69,277,000 firm-fixed-price contract to
provide for the support of the worldwide fleet of C12/RC12/UC35
aircraft. Work will be performed in Madison, Miss., with an
estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2013. The U.S. Army
Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting
activity. (Source: DoD, 01/24/12)
NATO to ink AGS deal by May
NATO's long process to order an Alliance Ground Surveillance
capability could achieve a contract signature within the next few
months. A 13-nation deal should be signed before the next NATO
summit in Chicago in May. U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Steve Schmidt,
commander of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control
Force, valued the pending acquisition at about $1.3 billion for five
Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40 unmanned air
vehicles, each equipped with a Northrop/Raytheon surveillance
payload. (Source: Flightglobal, 01/20/12) Gulf Coast note: Global
Hawks are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.
Operation leaving Destin
DESTIN, Fla. -- Emerald Coast Aviation has closed its operations at
Destin Airport. It subleased services for Miracle Strip Aviation, one
of two fixed-base operators at the airport. Emerald Coast Aviation,
which opened the branch at Destin Airport in April, handled
aircraft maintenance and repairs and flight instructions for Miracle
Strip Aviation. The company also is a full fixed-base operator at
Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview and provides fueling services at
Northwest Florida Regional Airport. (Source: Northwest Florida
Daily News, 01/20/12)
Pensacola getting Southwest
PENSACOLA, Fla. - Pensacola International Airport’s Air Tran will
be converting to Southwest Airlines. The change will occur over
the next several months. Southwest bought AirTran in May, and
there has been a lot of anticipation about what will happen in
markets served by AirTran. Pensacola's airport is among 22 non-
Southwest destinations that the company will keep. A half dozen
other cities will see service end. Pensacola had been trying to get
Southwest for years, including several years ago when the airliner
chose Panama City over Pensacola. (Sources: Pensacola News
Journal, WEAR-TV, 01/20/12) Southwest also serves New Orleans.
F-35B probation ends
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Friday lifted the probation on
the Marine Corps version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,
according to the AP. The probation was put in place last year by
then-Secretary Robert Gates because of technical issues of the
most complex version of the F-35. The program has been plagued
with cost overruns and development delays. (Source: AP,
01/20/12) Gulf Coast note: Lockheed Martin is building three
versions of the plane, the F-35A for the Air Force, the F-35C for the Navy
and the F-35B for the Marines. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the JSF
training center. It currently has three F-35B and six F-35A jets.
SSC to show off J-2X
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's Stennis Space Center has invited the
media to take a look next week at the facilities used to test the J-2X engines that
will be used with the Space Launch System. On Wednesday they'll see the test
control center, the A-1 Test Stand where the J-2X powerpack will be tested soon,
as well as the facility where the final assembly is done on the J-2X. The SLS will
launch the Orion crew capsule that will take astronauts into deep space. NASA
officials will provide a briefing on the SLS and J-2X and what goes into testing the
engine. (Source: NASA, 01/20/12)
Eglin now has largest F-35 fleet
A ninth F-35, this one a Marine Corps version, has arrived at Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., after a 90-minute flight from Fort Worth, Texas. BF-7 was piloted by U.S.
Marine Corps Maj. Joseph Bachmann. Eglin, home of the F-35 Integrated Training
Center, now has the largest F-35 fleet in the Department of Defense. BF-7 is
assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Marine Fighter/Attach Training
Squadron 501 with the host 33rd Fighter Wing. The Marine Corps variant, F-35B, is
a short takeoff/vertical landing version of the plane. (Source: AP, 01/19/12)
F-35 EIS to be released
The Air Force will file a draft Environmental Impact Statement Jan. 20 for the
proposed establishment of a second F-35 pilot training center. The Air Force and
Air National Guard bases under consideration are Boise Air Terminal Airport Air
Guard Station, Idaho; Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.; Luke AFB, Ariz.; and Tucson
International Airport Air Guard Station, Ariz. Luke is the Air Force's preferred
alternative, but no final decision has been made. The draft statement opens a 45-
day public comment period ending March 14. There will be 13 public hearings near
the bases. (Source: AFNS, 01/19/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is
the initial training site.
New career field pilots graduate
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Two members of Beale Air Force Base were
recognized as the first RQ-4 Global Hawk pilots in the new 18X career field during
a winging Jan. 13. They began training in October 2011 after a decision to establish
undergraduate training for remotely piloted aircraft pilots across the service. The
new career field is designated for RPA pilots coming from non-rated career fields
as well as newly commissioned officers. The pilots will begin flying operational and
humanitarian missions immediately in support of combatant commanders
worldwide. (Source: AFNS, 01/19/12) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawks are built in part
in Moss Point, Miss.; military aviators are trained in Northwest Florida; the Coast
Guard trains unmanned systems pilots at the Aviation Training Center in Mobile,
Ala.
Controller blamed for close call
GULFPORT, Miss. -- The National Transportation Safety Board found a near-midair
collision at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in June was likely caused by errors
made by an air-traffic controller. He cleared a Cessna for takeoff and 16 seconds
later cleared a Continental Express jet to take off on a different runway. While both
aircraft were about 300 feet above the airfield the jet passed in front of the
Cessna, coming as close as about 300 feet. (Source: Sun Herald, 01/18/12)
F-35 has tailhook issue
Lockheed Martin is working on a solution to a problem with the tailhook on the F-
35C, officials said. According to published reports, the carrier variant of the F-35
can't land on a carrier because the tailhook is too short, too close to the landing
gear and can't grab arresting cables. Leaked Pentagon documents claim the
design flaw has caused eight simulated landings to fail. (Source: Daily Telegraph,
01/16/12) Lockheed Martin has traced the problem to the tailhook design and
efforts to fix the problem under way. Tom Burbage, Lockheed program manager,
said the problem is limited to the hook design itself. The hook system is being
modified and tests will be done in the second quarter of the year. (Source: Navy
Times, 01/17/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the site of the F-35
training center.
Airbus thinking of U.S. plant?
Airbus may add a final assembly line in the United States to increase visibility in
the largest market for single-aisle planes, according to one executive. Airbus
parent, EADS, would have had an assembly line in the U.S. in Mobile, Ala., had it not
lost the aerial refueling tanker competition to Boeing. Airbus currently has final
assembly lines in France, Germany and China. The comment about a possible U.S.
assembly line came from Hans Peter Ring, chief financial officer of EADS, in an
interview with Bloomberg. (Source: Bloomberg, 01/17/12) Meanwhile, Airbus is
adding fuselage work in Wichita, Kan. Airbus North American Engineering Inc. said
it’s looking to hire 30 new engineers to work at its Wichita headquarters. The
Wichita site, which has primarily done wing engineering since it opened in 2002,
will now have some fuselage design work on the A350-1000 program. (Source:
Wichita Business Journal, 01/17/12) Previous posts of interest: Airbus, Boeing see
demand increase; Shelby: Airbus still eyeing Mobile; Boeing leaving Wichita
Eglin accomplishments noted
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The commander of the Air Armament Center at Eglin
Air Force Base issued a commentary Tuesday about the base's accomplishments in
2011. Maj. Gen. Kenneth Merchant listed the arrival of the first F-35 fighter and
bed down of the Army's 7th Special Forces Group. He also cited the base's rating
of excellent in an operational readiness inspection along with several other
excellence awards. Merchant said the 46th Test Wing verified the performance of
multiple Air Force and Joint weapon systems, aircraft avionics, aircraft
survivability, and command, control, communication and computer systems. It
oversaw about 15,000 ground, flight test, and training missions supporting 689
programs. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 01/17/12) Note: Previous post on changes
at Eglin
Florida targets UAVs
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Two speakers at the Okaloosa County Economic
Development Council’s symposium Friday said the field of unmanned aerial
systems is a target area for the state and Northwest Florida. Gray Swoope,
president and CEO of Enterprise Florida, the agency responsible for attracting
new businesses, said the development and operation of unmanned vehicles is
one of the fastest growing fields in the country. Mark Bontrager, vice president of
Space Florida, said the federal government soon will designate six areas around
the country for unmanned air flights, and he hopes one or more will be in Florida.
The EDC already has made unmanned vehicles a priority and created a group last
year focused on bringing more development to the area. (Source: Northwest
Florida Daily News, 01/13/12)
Two agencies push STEM training
For NASA and the Navy, ensuring there's a pool of talent versed in science,
technology, engineering and math is crucial, and both agencies have programs in
place to pique the interest of the next generation of workers. The National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, with a center at Stennis Space Center,
Miss., and the Navy, a tenant at SSC, are reaching Mississippi students through
several programs. Between January and November 2011, nearly 1,000 educators
and 10,000 students have been served through SSC programs. And this year the
Navy will launch "Mission Ocean," a year-long submarine-related program.
(Source: Alliance Insight, "NASA, Navy push STEM training," January 2012)
Interest in SSC increasing
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The announcement in early December that Blue
Origin of Kent, Wash., would test its engines at NASA's Stennis Space Center,
Miss., was the latest in a series of stories over the past few months that point to
an intriguing future for the rocket propulsion test center. Stennis Space Center
Director Patrick Scheuermann said word is getting out about the test stands, the
land available for development and the expertise at SSC, and commercial
companies are showing interest. "We had been hearing on sort of an infrequent
basis,” Scheuermann said about companies interested in working with SSC, "but in
the last couple of years the frequency has picked up quite a bit." SSC is home not
only to NASA, but a host of other federal and state science and technology
operations. (Source: Alliance Insight, Companies looking at SSC, January 2012)
Would-be astronauts sign up
Applications close at the end of the month for a new group of astronauts to fly
NASA's Orion capsule to points still to be decided. So far more than 1,300 people
have applied, comparable to the response NASA received from its calls for space
shuttle crews, according to Aviation Week. The capsule, along with the heavy-lift
Space Launch System, is envisioned as being able to support missions to a variety
of destination. The first Orion flight on an SLS, tentatively set for 2017, probably
will go around the Moon, and the first flight with a crew, in 2021, may follow suit.
It's also possible that the capsule will dock with the International Space Station, as
a backup crew-transport vehicle to the private spacecraft under development.
(Source: Aviation Week, 01/13/12) Gulf Coast note: Orion and portions of the SLS
are being built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans; the propulsion systems
for SLS are being tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
Two rivals have record year
Boeing and Airbus had a record year for aircraft deliveries in 2011, with combined
deliveries totaling more than 1,000 jets for the first time. The latest orders
included confirmation of a 44-plane Airbus deal from Mexican low-cost carrier
Volaris and an order for 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliners from an unidentified buyer. The
two rivals increased deliveries to airlines by around 3 percent versus 2010, and
have set out plans for record production of short-haul passenger jets to meet
demand from emerging markets. (Source: Reuters, 01/12/12) Previous post on
expected growth. Gulf Coast note: Boeing and Airbus both have operations in the
region.
Engine moves under way
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - The relocation of the RS-25D space shuttle main
engine inventory from Kennedy Space Center's Engine Shop in Cape Canaveral,
Fla., to Stennis Space Center, Miss., is under way. The RS-25D flight engines will
be used in NASA's Space Launch System, the new heavy-lift launch vehicle that will
expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and enable new missions of
exploration across the solar system. SLS will carry the Orion spacecraft, its crew,
cargo, equipment and scientific experiments to destinations in deep space. "The
relocation of RS-25D engine assets represents a significant cost savings to the
SLS Program by consolidating SLS engine assembly and test operations at a single
facility," said William Gerstenmaier, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Human
Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The 15 RS-25D engines at
Kennedy are being transported on the 700-mile journey using existing
transportation and processing procedures that were used to move engines
between Kennedy and Stennis during the Space Shuttle Program. (Source: NASA,
01/12/12)
SAIC gets NASA contract
Science Applications International Corp. was awarded a prime contract to build out
the Facilities Management Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, Ala. The award is for construction phase services, value engineering
and total building commissioning services. The follow-on contract has a one-year
base period of performance, four one-year options, and a contract value of more
than $11 million if all options are exercised. Work will be done at MSFC and NASA's
Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La. SAIC is based in McLean, Va.
(Source: PRNewswire, Washington Technology, 01/11/12)
39 Lakotas ordered
The Army has awarded EADS North America a $212.7 million contract for 39 UH-72A
Lakota Light Utility Helicopters. Thirty-two of them will be produced in the Army's
Security and Support Battalion configuration and will be used by the National
Guard nationwide. EADS North America has already delivered 198 UH-72A Lakotas
to the Army along with five H-72A versions to the Navy for test pilot training. The
Lakotas are built at EADS North America's American Eurocopter facility in
Columbus, Miss. The S&S Battalion MEP was integrated and tested at American
Eurocopter's Grand Prairie, Texas facility. The program of record calls for 345 UH-
72A Lakotas to be delivered to the Army and Army National Guard through 2015,
along with five already delivered to the Navy. (Source: EADS, 01/10/12) Gulf Coast
note: EADS also has operations in Mobile, Ala.
Marine F-35s now at Eglin
The first two Lockheed Martin production model F-35B short takeoff/vertical
landing (STOVL) aircraft were delivered to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Wednesday.
The two jets are assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's Marine Fighter/Attack
Training Squadron 501 residing with the host 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin. The
aircraft, BF-6 and BF-8, made a 90-minute flight from Fort Worth, Texas. Both
fighters will be used for pilot and maintainer training at the new F-35 Integrated
Training Center. Eglin now has eight F-35s. (Source: PRNewswire, 01/11/12)
Keesler announces more cuts
BILOXI, Miss. – Keesler Air Force Base is eliminating another 38 civilian positions,
base officials said Wednesday. In November the base announced the elimination
of 68 positions from the 1,607 civilian authorizations in the 81st Training Wing and
403rd Wing. The Air Force is offering another round of voluntary separation
incentive pay and voluntary early retirement authority programs. Keesler is a major
technical training center for the Air Force, including cyber security. (Sources: Sun
Herald, WLOX-TV, 01/11/12)
Task force meets
A task force formed to protect Florida's military bases, in particular its role in
research, development, test and evaluation, met for the first time Monday in
Tallahassee. Northwest Florida's David Goetsch was named to chair the 12-
member Florida Defense Support Task Force when Gov. Rick Scott isn't available.
The group decided it needs to move quickly in light of the announced
consolidation of the Air Force Material Command. Among other things, the
consolidation eliminates Eglin Air Force Base's Air Armament Center and places
the base's 46th Test Wing under the command of a two-star general at Edwards Air
Force Base, Calif. The overriding concern is these are steps towards moving the
wing to Edwards. The task force wants to ensure Eglin maintains its valuable
RDT&E mission. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 01/09/12)
Engine prepped for SSC
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Kennedy Space Center has invited the media to be on
hand Thursday, Jan. 12, for a photo opportunity as one of the space shuttle man
engines is prepared for shipment to Stennis Space Center, Miss. Each engine,
built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, is 14 feet long and more than 7 feet in
diameter at the end of the nozzle. All 15 of the SSMEs will be sent to SSC, where
they’ll be stored for use on NASA's new heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch
System. (Source: Kennedy Space Center, 01/09/12)
KSC takes on new role
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Work is ramping up at the Orion spacecraft facility at
Kennedy Space Center, Fla., expanding the spaceport's role beyond launch
operations to include final assembly. Tooling to assemble the spacecraft is being
put in place in the renovated high bay, first erected for the Apollo project. About
260 people already work on Orion at KSC. The number will increase to about 400 by
June in preparations for the first flight test in early 2014. (Source: Florida Today,
01/07/12) Gulf Coast note: Technicians at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans,
are putting the finishing touches on the second Orion capsule, and will also be
doing work on portions of the Space Launch System. “Orion will use MAF for
construction of the crew module and other portions. KSC will be used for final
assembly of the entire spacecraft,” said Jennifer Morcone Stanfield, public affairs
officer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
RR to add new test stand
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Rolls-Royce North America is adding a second jet
engine test stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center, a company investment of at
least $50 million. The announcement was made Monday by Gov. Haley Barbour.
Rolls-Royce currently employs 45 workers at the initial test stand operation, and
the new stand will add 35 additional jobs. James M. Guyette, chairman, president
and chief executive officer of Rolls-Royce North America, said this type of public-
private partnership "make it possible for us to invest in America and compete in a
global economy." Headquartered in Reston, Va., Rolls-Royce North America
opened its Outdoor Jet Engine Testing Facility at SSC in 2007, the first outside the
United Kingdom. Testing at SSC includes noise, crosswind, thrust reverse, cyclic
and endurance testing on all current Rolls-Royce engine types. (Source:
Mississippi Development Authority, 01/09/12)
Contract: Raytheon, $11M
Raytheon Co., El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded an $11,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-
fee contract for robust navigation technology. This contract supports anti-jam
Global Positioning System development for the High Velocity Penetrating Weapon
Program. The objective of this program is to study, investigate, simulate, develop,
design, build, and demonstrate technologies capable of operating in a GPS
degraded environment. This effort shall provide enough design flexibility to allow
for integration with other advanced technologies to help maintain position,
navigation, and timing when GPS is denied. The location of the performance is El
Segundo, Calif., and is expected to be completed during December 2013.
AFRL/RWK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD,
01/06/12)
Contract: UT, $194M
United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn.,
is being awarded a $194,097,296 advance acquisition contract with fixed-price line
items for long lead components, parts, and materials required for the delivery of
37 propulsion systems for the Lot VI F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program (18
conventional take-off and landing for the Air Force; six short take-off and vertical
landing for the Marine Corps; seven carrier variant for the Navy; four CTOL for the
Italian Air Force; two CTOL for the Royal Australian Air Force; and associated
spares). Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn.; Bristol, United Kingdom;
and Indianapolis, Ind., and is expected to be completed in September 2012. This
contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy (19.1 percent), the U.S. Marine
Corps (43.6 percent), the U.S. Air Force (28.3 percent), and the governments of
Italy (6 percent) and Australia (3 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command,
Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/06/12)
F-35 runway decision delayed
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Air Force has postponed until 2013 where at the
Eglin reservation the F-35 training will take place and which runways will be used.
The reassessment of the impact of flight training is due to changes in operational
tables, or how aircraft will be used, including the number and types of takeoffs,
landing and sorties. The reassessment will include a second Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement and another round of public hearings. The first
SEIS in 2010 listed Duke Field, Choctaw Field and Eglin main as possible locations
for the bed-down. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 01/05/12)
New defense strategy released
The new U.S. military strategy calls for a leaner military, reducing lower-priority
forces and duplicative operations and ending the practice of maintaining a force
that can fight and win in two theaters. The report, released at a press conference
Thursday, calls for investments in special forces and technological innovation,
including cyber defense. The new strategy streamlines the military in an era of
tighter budgets and reassesses defense priorities in light of China's rise and
other global changes. Some leaders on Capitol Hill were critical. Rep. Randy
Forbes, R-Va., said it's not the strategy for a superpower but "more a menu for
mediocrity." Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said the announcement sends a signal to
friend and foe alike about "America's diminished ability to project power on a
global scale." (Sources: multiple, including CBS/AP, USA Today, Palm Beach Post,
01/05/12) Gulf Coast note: The Gulf Coast region has multiple military bases,
including those involved in cyber security and special operations.
F-35 program set for restructure
The Pentagon is set to restructure F-35 program for a third time in three years,
sources told Reuters, with production of more than 120 planes delayed to save
money and allow more time for development. The Pentagon had planned for 423
planes from 2013 through 2017, excluding international orders. Those foreign
orders could offset the impact of the restructuring on Lockheed. Japan plans to
buy 42 F-35s and Turkey said Thursday it will buy two, according to Bloomberg.
Israel also said it would buy F-35s. Lockheed is building the F-35 for the United
States and eight international partners: Britain, Australia, Norway, Denmark,
Turkey, the Netherlands, Italy and Canada. Lockheed estimates it could sell 800 to
1,500 F-35s internationally. (Sources: Reuters, 01/04/12, Bloomberg, 01/05/12) Gulf
Coast note: A spokesman for the Pentagon's F-35 program office said an F-35B, the
first short-takeoff production plane, is scheduled to arrive Friday at Eglin Air Force
Base, Fla. It had been expected to arrive last month. Previous post
F-15 deal brings in Saudi students
Saudi Arabia's $29.4 billion deal to buy 84 F-15SA fighters and upgrade a fleet of 70
F-15S aircraft will bring additional students to three bases in the Gulf Coast:
Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and Naval Air Station
Pensacola, Fla. The Saudi students also will train at Sheppard Air Force Base,
Texas, and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., and will receive English
language training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. In 2012, the service expects
to train more than 300 Saudi airmen under the agreement. The Air Force has been
training members of the Royal Saudi Air Force on U.S. soil for more than 25 years.
(Source: AFNS and 81st Training Wing, 01/04/12)
35 years of accreditation
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training at Naval Air
Station Pensacola is celebrating 35 years of accreditation by the Council on
Occupational Education. The council is a nonprofit serving post-secondary
education and training institutions to provide quality assurance reviews of
workforce training programs. CNATT provides operational and maintenance
training, including all facets of aviation maintenance and support. Courses cover
maintenance and repair of avionics and electronics; rotary and fixed wing aircraft
engines and structures; ordnance maintenance and support, flight deck
operations and firefighting, crash and salvage training; shore and shipboard air
traffic control; and radar operations and repair. (Source: NNS, 01/04/12)
Creativity saved AEHF
For months military personnel tried to save the Advanced Extremely High
Frequency 1 satellite after it failed to launch into geosynchronous orbit in 2010.
Valued at over $1 billion, AEHF 1 is the first in a series of nuclear-survivable
spacecraft designed to ensure American leadership with communications. It was
launched in August 2010. But when debris in the propellant line prevented the
Liquid Apogee Engine from firing, the satellite seemed doomed to remain in the
transfer orbit. But after more than a year, the satellite was coaxed into orbit thanks
to engineering creativity. The team used smaller hydrazine thrusters to lift the
orbit a bit, then electric thrusters were used in a way never planned: fired for
days, weeks and months to push AEHF 1 into a circular geosynchronous orbit on
Oct. 24, 2011. (Source: Spaceflight, 01/03/12) Gulf Coast note: The Lockheed Martin
AEHF satellite's core propulsion module is built at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
Airport air centers sold
MOBILE, Ala. -- Florida-based Signature Flight Support Corp. has acquired Azalea
Aviation's operations at Mobile Regional Airport and Downtown Air Center at
Brookley Aeroplex from Taylor and Harris Morrissette. Taylor Morrissette will
remain with Signature to oversee the two centers. Azalea Aviation, which operates
executive terminals at both locations, has fueling infrastructure and more than
100,000 square feet of hangar space between its two locations. (Source: Mobile
Press-Register, 01/04/12)
Boeing leaving Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. -- Boeing plans to close its Wichita facility by the end of 2013 and
move the work to other sites, employees were told Wednesday, according to the
Wichita Eagle. Boeing, which has been in Wichita 80 years, had previously said
Wichita would become the finishing center for Air Force tankers if Boeing beat
EADS in the contest for the contract. Kansas officials supported Boeing over
EADS, which planned to build the tankers in Mobile, Ala. (Source: Wichita Eagle
01/04/12)
Larger Fire Scout funded
Congressional appropriators set aside $191 million for the Navy to buy a dozen
long-range variants of the Northrop Grumman Fire Scout unmanned helicopter.
Called the Fire-X during development, the Fire Scout MQ-8C uses a Bell 407
airframe in place of the smaller Schweizer 333 of the MQ-8B. The newer Fire Scout
uses many of the systems of the smaller version, which is now a part of the Navy
fleet. The Navy and Northrop are working out details of the deal to buy the C
model, which can fly further and carry a larger payload. (Source: AOL Defense,
01/03/11) Gulf Coast note: The MQ-8B version is built in part in Moss Point, Miss.
Blue Angels back in El Centro
EL CENTRO, Calif. - The Blue Angels are back in El Centro, Calif., for winter training.
The flight demonstration squadron left their home base at Naval Air Station
Pensacola, Fla., Tuesday and arrived at El Centro after a three-hour flight. The
team will train in Southern California over the next couple of months. (Source:
Imperial Valley Weekly, 01/03/12)
More flights to DC slated
US Airways is expanding jet service in Northwest Florida with three new flights
beginning March 25. The airline will provide two daily nonstop flights from
Pensacola International Airport and one daily flight from Fort Walton Beach's
Northwest Florida Regional Airport to Washington Reagan National Airport. The
airline said the new service is the result of more than two years of negotiations
with the FAA and DOT. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, WEAR-TV, 01/03/12)
UT shakes up aerospace field
United Technologies made some bold business moves in 2011, analysts say. It
acquired Goodrich, creating a "super-supplier" with a vast product line, and
unveiled a joint venture between subsidiary Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce. One
analyst said the Goodrich buy is a sizable bet on commercial aerospace. UT CEO
Louis R. Chenevert was chosen by Aviation Week editors as the person who had
the most impact on the industry in 2011. (Source: Aviation Week, 12/30/11) Gulf
Coast note: Goodrich operates the Alabama Service Center in Foley, Ala.; Pratt &
Whitney Rocketdyne assembles and tests rocket engines at Stennis Space Center,
Miss., and Rolls-Royce tests commercial aircraft engines at SSC.
Major cuts require notice
The Defense Department will be required to provide Congress two weeks notice
before reducing by more than 1,000 the number of military personnel at an
installation, under language in the final version of the fiscal 2012 defense
authorization bill approved by Congress last month. DoD also will need to submit a
justification and evaluation of the local strategic and operational impact of the
reduction in forces. The requirement will not apply during a BRAC round. (Source:
Defense Communities 360, 01/02/12) Gulf Coast note: The Gulf Coast is home to
multiple military bases, including aviation-related activities.
AF picks Super Tucano
The Air Force chose the A-29 Super Tucano as the light air support aircraft,
according to Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks, Nev., and Brazil's Embraer. The planes
will be built at Jacksonville International Airport in Jacksonville, Fla. The $355
million contract is for 20 aircraft, training and support. The single-engine
turboprop planes will be used in Washington’s partner building efforts in
Afghanistan and other nations. The planes are for advanced flight training, aerial
reconnaissance and light air support. Embraer also has a facility in Melbourne,
Fla., that assembles executive jets. Last week Hawker Beechcraft of Wichita, Kan.,
filed suit against the Air Force to negate a November decision to excluse the
Beechcraft AT-6 from the competition. (Source: PRNewswire, 12/30/11) Gulf Coast
note: Jacksonville is on the eastern end of Interstate 10.