Stories of interest to the Gulf Coast aerospace region during the week included an aerospace company planning to set up shop near the airport in Bay County; the first group of airman qualify to load munitions on F-35s at Eglin Air Force Base; more jobs are posted for the Airbus final assembly line in Mobile; and the MQ-8C Fire Scout built in part in Moss Point gets ready for at-sea testing.
Here's the week in review:
Economic development
Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport has landed aerospace company Edge Aerodynamix. The site was chosen in part because it will allow the company room to grow, according to company officials. That's one of the reasons the airport for Panama City was relocated from downtown to West Bay.
The project represents a $78 million capital investment and will create 120 jobs, some in manufacturing, others in research and development and marketing. The company develops products designed to save fuel, including its new BladeGuard technology designed to reduce drag. The company plans to continue R and D on additional products aimed at reducing drag and increasing efficiency, which is certainly a trend in aerospace.
According to the governor's office, the company considered a range of domestic and international sites, but opted for the airport that has over 10,000 feet of runway and over 4,000 acres for development.
"Northwest Florida has grown to be one of the top regions for aviation and aerospace companies to expand and establish operations," said Gray Swoope, president and CEO of Enterprise Florida, the state commerce department's economic development arm.
Florida is already home to more than 2,000 aerospace and aviation companies employing more than 82,000 workers across the state, according to state figures. The industry has an annual payroll impact of over $5 billion. (Post)
F-35
At Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., three airmen with the 58th Aircraft Maintenance Unit have become the first qualified operational weapons load crew for the F-35A. The F-35 training program at Eglin currently serves as the primary source of F-35 expertise to new F-35A units across the Air Force.
Ten weapons load crews are in the wings, and the plan is to bring a new crew through every month. The newly qualified teams will continue to hone their skills and become experts at their jobs so they can go train the weapons load crews at those bases receiving the F-35A. (Post)
-- Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon reached agreement on terms of a $4 billion contract for an eighth batch of 43 F-35 fighter jets. The contract will lower the cost of the plane by about 3 percent and includes jets to be built for the U.S. military, Britain and other U.S. allies. The deal was expected earlier, but talks slowed after a June engine failure on an F-35 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. It grounded the fleet several weeks. (Post)
Speaking of contracts, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded two more F-35 related contracts during the week. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity for both contracts.
In one, the company was awarded a $110.5 million delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement for procurement and installation of 281 retrofit modification kits to incorporate into designated aircraft and supporting subsystems that are critical to meeting F-35 requirements. Work will be done in Texas, Utah, North Carolina, Arizona, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Work is expected to be completed in March 2018. (Post)
In the second contract, the company was awarded a $7.7 million modification to a previously awarded contract to provide updates to the non-recurring effort required to develop a Common F-35A Air System, including the Air Vehicle and the Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment system, for the government of Israel under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be done in Orlando, Fla., (70 percent), and Fort Worth, Texas (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2017. (Post)
Airbus
In Mobile, Ala., Airbus is seeking an aircraft manager for the A320 final assembly line being built at Mobile Aeroplex. It requires three months of training abroad, and the successful candidate will have two to five years' experience in aeronautics. A bachelor's degree is preferred. Airbus also is seeking a human resource worker to support the facility’s human resources director. (Post)
-- Northrop Grumman has been selected by Airbus Helicopters to certify and deliver its new LCR-350 Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) for several helicopter platforms. LCR-350 AHRS can be used in civil and military applications on rotary- and fixed-wing platforms, providing flight control data on heading and attitude. Airbus Helicopters builds Lakotas in Columbus, Miss. (Post)
Space
Stennis Space Center, Miss., and partner Innovative Imaging and Research (I2F) of Mississippi were among four teams selected by NASA for participation in the Early Career Initiative (ECI) pilot program. The program encourages creativity and innovation among early career NASA technologists by engaging them in hands-on technology development opportunities needed for future missions.
The Stennis Space Center team will develop and demonstrate a system for high-speed, 3-D, High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging. Video imaging will be performed at the chip level using computational photography, providing NASA with advanced visualization technologies to meet future needs. (Post)
Unmanned
The MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter has wrapped up testing in California and is preparing for at-sea tests later this year. The MQ-8C is a larger version of the MQ-8B Fire Scout, which has been extensively tested at sea. The MQ-8C is utilizing the same proven autonomous system for takeoff and landings as the current MQ-8B model. Final assembly for both helicopters is done in Moss Point, Miss. (Post)
Weapons
Airmen from the 53rd Wing earned two Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) awards this year. The 2014 Air Force Outstanding Scientist/Engineer STEM award winner in the Junior Civilian category, David Barnette, 36th Electronic Weapons Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., led several electronic countermeasure testing and process improvement techniques for various pod systems. The winner of the Air Force Outstanding Scientist/Engineer Team, the 36th Electronic Weapons Squadron, led several electronic countermeasure testing and process improvement techniques for various pod systems. (Post)
Contracts
DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded an $83.4 million contract to provide organizational, intermediate, depot-level maintenance and logistics services for 53 T-34, 54 T-44, and 288 T-6 aircraft in support of the Chief of Naval Air Training. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas (50 percent); Whiting Field, Fla., (39 percent); Pensacola, Fla. (8 percent), and additional locations within the continental United States (3 percent); work is expected to be completed in September 2015. … Jacobs Technology Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was awarded a $45 million modification to a contract to provide support functions to the Army Sustainment Command Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP), and the Army Contracting Command-Rock Island LOGCAP and reachback divisions. … Whitesell-Green Inc., Pensacola, Fla., was awarded a $9.9 million contract for repairs to bachelor quarters at Corry Station, Naval Air Station Pensacola. Work is expected to be completed by May 2016. … Airbus Defense and Space Inc., Herndon, Va., was awarded an $82.9 million modification to a contract to acquire 17 72A Lakota helicopters with airborne radio communications 231 radios. Estimated completion date is Jan. 31, 2016, with work to be performed at Columbia, Miss. … Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $33.4 million contract action to a previously awarded contract for AIM-9X Configurable Rail Launcher modification to the F-22. Contractor will provide upgrade to 220 AIM-9 CRLs with AIM-9X capability. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2017. F-22 pilots are trained at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., which is also home of an operational F-22 squadron.
PERSPECTIVES: Commentary and analysis on aerospace and defense activities in the Gulf Coast
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Week in review (10/12 to 10/18)
Five counties in Northwest Florida get grants to protect bases; more jobs at Airbus in Mobile; a record A320 order; a second Triton makes its first flight; and a big F-35 engine order were among the week's Gulf Coast-related aerospace news stories.
Here's your week in review:
Military
Five counties in Northwest Florida are getting $1.15 million through Florida's Defense Infrastructure and Reinvestment Grant Program. They're among 14 counties awarded $2.45 million in the 2014-2015 Defense Grant program. The money will support community projects at 19 Florida military installations, according to state officials.
Okaloosa County is getting $300,000, Bay County $272,000, Escambia County $266,000, Santa Rosa County $250,000 and Walton County $60,000. The Florida Defense Grants Programs are administered by Enterprise Florida, and the grants are awarded annually through a competitive process to communities hosting military installations. (Post)
-- Aviation-focused military bases and sites in the Gulf Coast aerospace corridor between New Orleans and Northwest Florida saw their replacement value increase significantly this year over last, soaring to a combined $18.4 billion. One base alone, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., would cost $805 million more to replace in 2014 than in 2013. That’s an increase of more than 20.5 percent to $4.7 billion. (Post)
Airbus
Support positions are among the latest job descriptions posted by Airbus for the A320 final assembly line being built in Mobile, Ala. The company is seeking candidates for both business systems analyst and administrative assistant. (Post)
-- Airbus Americas Engineering is interested in working with the University of South Alabama’s research division. That’s according to university officials after returning home following a visit to Airbus officials in Toulouse, France, and Munich, Germany. Airbus is particularly interested in the school’s work in cybersecurity and composites, officials said. (Post)
-- The 18th annual Gulf Power Economic Symposium early in the week attracted 600 participants to discuss the region's economy. And while aerospace was not a specific topic, it did come up.
University of West Florida economist Rick Harper pointed out that Airbus in Mobile is a long-term investment for the company, which projects that in the next 20 years there’s going to be a worldwide need for about 6,000 narrow-body commercial passenger jets like the A320. He said that over time each of the 1,100 Airbus jobs in Mobile will create four additional jobs, or 4,000 to 6,000 jobs in South Alabama, South Mississippi and Northwest Florida. (Post)
Almost as a way to underscore the need for more jetliners, budget carrier IndiGo during the week agreed to buy 250 A320 jetliners from Airbus, a purchase that could be worth nearly $25.7 billion at list price. k as the largest single order of jets from the European aerospace giant. The budget airline, India’s largest, will start taking delivery of the planes from 2018, and has secured rights to buy a further 100 A320-family aircraft. (Post)
Unmanned
The second Navy MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft, a maritime version of the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk, has had its initial flight. Like the first one, it will eventually fly from Southern California to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., for testing. Data gathered from the test aircraft will be used by the Navy to decide on whether to launch production in fiscal 2017. Central fuselage work on the Triton and all other variants of the Global Hawk is done in Moss Point, Miss. (Post)
Engines
Pratt and Whitney Military Engine of East Hartford, Conn., was awarded a $592 million modification to the previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm target Low Rate Initial Production Lot VII F135 propulsion systems contract.
This modification provides for the procurement of 19 F135-PW-100 conventional take off and landing propulsion systems for the Air Force; six F135-PW-600 short take-off and vertical landing propulsion systems for the Marine Corps; and four F135-PW-100 propulsion systems for the Navy. In addition, this modification provides for five F135-PW-100 propulsion systems, one F135-PW-100 spare propulsion system and one F135-PW-600 propulsion system for international partners.
Work will be performed in Connecticut, the U.K., and Indiana. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force (41 percent); Navy/Marine Corps (40 percent); international partners (18 percent); and foreign military sales (1 percent). Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center. (Post)
-- Rolls-Royce completed the first flight test of aircraft featuring its composite carbon/titanium (CTi) fan blade. The CTi fan blades were integrated into a Trent 1000 engine of a 747, which recently completed its successful flying test at Tucson, Ariz. In September Rolls-Royce completed crosswind testing on this fan system at the company's outdoor jet engine test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Post)
Here's your week in review:
Military
Five counties in Northwest Florida are getting $1.15 million through Florida's Defense Infrastructure and Reinvestment Grant Program. They're among 14 counties awarded $2.45 million in the 2014-2015 Defense Grant program. The money will support community projects at 19 Florida military installations, according to state officials.
Okaloosa County is getting $300,000, Bay County $272,000, Escambia County $266,000, Santa Rosa County $250,000 and Walton County $60,000. The Florida Defense Grants Programs are administered by Enterprise Florida, and the grants are awarded annually through a competitive process to communities hosting military installations. (Post)
-- Aviation-focused military bases and sites in the Gulf Coast aerospace corridor between New Orleans and Northwest Florida saw their replacement value increase significantly this year over last, soaring to a combined $18.4 billion. One base alone, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., would cost $805 million more to replace in 2014 than in 2013. That’s an increase of more than 20.5 percent to $4.7 billion. (Post)
Airbus
Support positions are among the latest job descriptions posted by Airbus for the A320 final assembly line being built in Mobile, Ala. The company is seeking candidates for both business systems analyst and administrative assistant. (Post)
-- Airbus Americas Engineering is interested in working with the University of South Alabama’s research division. That’s according to university officials after returning home following a visit to Airbus officials in Toulouse, France, and Munich, Germany. Airbus is particularly interested in the school’s work in cybersecurity and composites, officials said. (Post)
-- The 18th annual Gulf Power Economic Symposium early in the week attracted 600 participants to discuss the region's economy. And while aerospace was not a specific topic, it did come up.
University of West Florida economist Rick Harper pointed out that Airbus in Mobile is a long-term investment for the company, which projects that in the next 20 years there’s going to be a worldwide need for about 6,000 narrow-body commercial passenger jets like the A320. He said that over time each of the 1,100 Airbus jobs in Mobile will create four additional jobs, or 4,000 to 6,000 jobs in South Alabama, South Mississippi and Northwest Florida. (Post)
Almost as a way to underscore the need for more jetliners, budget carrier IndiGo during the week agreed to buy 250 A320 jetliners from Airbus, a purchase that could be worth nearly $25.7 billion at list price. k as the largest single order of jets from the European aerospace giant. The budget airline, India’s largest, will start taking delivery of the planes from 2018, and has secured rights to buy a further 100 A320-family aircraft. (Post)
Unmanned
The second Navy MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft, a maritime version of the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk, has had its initial flight. Like the first one, it will eventually fly from Southern California to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., for testing. Data gathered from the test aircraft will be used by the Navy to decide on whether to launch production in fiscal 2017. Central fuselage work on the Triton and all other variants of the Global Hawk is done in Moss Point, Miss. (Post)
Engines
Pratt and Whitney Military Engine of East Hartford, Conn., was awarded a $592 million modification to the previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm target Low Rate Initial Production Lot VII F135 propulsion systems contract.
This modification provides for the procurement of 19 F135-PW-100 conventional take off and landing propulsion systems for the Air Force; six F135-PW-600 short take-off and vertical landing propulsion systems for the Marine Corps; and four F135-PW-100 propulsion systems for the Navy. In addition, this modification provides for five F135-PW-100 propulsion systems, one F135-PW-100 spare propulsion system and one F135-PW-600 propulsion system for international partners.
Work will be performed in Connecticut, the U.K., and Indiana. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force (41 percent); Navy/Marine Corps (40 percent); international partners (18 percent); and foreign military sales (1 percent). Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center. (Post)
-- Rolls-Royce completed the first flight test of aircraft featuring its composite carbon/titanium (CTi) fan blade. The CTi fan blades were integrated into a Trent 1000 engine of a 747, which recently completed its successful flying test at Tucson, Ariz. In September Rolls-Royce completed crosswind testing on this fan system at the company's outdoor jet engine test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Post)
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Week in review (10/5 to 10/11)
The October edition of the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor/Gulf Coast Reporters' League aerospace newsletter will be published Tuesday. You'll be able to find it at Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor or, if you want, you can have it delivered to your inbox. Just drop me a line and I'll put you on the list.
In this issue of the bi-monthly, Duwayne Escobedo writes about maintenance, repair and overhaul giant VT MAE, which already has a large operation in Mobile, Ala., and recently signed an agreement with the city of Pensacola, Fla., to set up another MRO at Pensacola International Airport. The decision says a lot about the value of this region for aerospace companies.
I wrote a report about what it would cost to replace the Gulf Coast region's aviation-focused military bases and sites. You'll find all the details in the story, but I can tell you that it would cost a lot more to replace the bases and sites this year than a year ago. One base’s replacement costs are up more than 20 percent.
There's also a story by Tom McLaughlin about the new Doolittle Institute of Fort Walton Beach, Fla. The institute is one of just four of its type in the nation, and its mission is to bring together experts from the military, academia and businesses to come up with cutting-edge products.
There's also an article by Lisa Monti about Optech, a sensor company with its roots in Canada that develops products that look down from their airborne platforms to chart littoral regions and more. And with this company, innovation is ongoing.
We hope you’ll enjoy this issue.
Now for your week in review:
Airbus
Three more jobs were posted during the week for the A320 final assembly line being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. The new positions are for a supply chain and logistics manager, key account manager for procurement and structural manufacturing engineer. (Post)
-- It was reported during the week that Airbus is trailing Boeing in the number of jetliner orders in the first nine months of the year, with 1,000 net for Boeing compared to 791 for Airbus. Boeing also delivered more aircraft, 528 compared to 443. Most of the orders booked by Airbus so far this year are for the fuel-efficient A320neo and A321neo, chalking up 512 orders and 146 orders, respectively. (Post)
Speaking of orders for Airbus jetliners, China Aviation Supplies Holding signed an agreement to buy 70 A320 family aircraft worth $6.6 billion at list price. Airbus has an assembly facility in Tianjin, where it has already assembled and delivered 190 A320s.
In addition, Airbus said it signed a letter of intent with its Chinese partners to build an assembly facility for A330 family aircraft. The letter of intent was signed Friday with heads of the Tianjin Free Trade Zone and AVIC, the Aviation Industry Corp. of China. AVIC owns Continental Motors in Mobile. (Post)
-- The Mobile newspaper reported Saturday that a delegation from Mobile has wrapped up a week-long visit to Europe to see Airbus officials. The newspaper says one result of the visit is that research projects between Airbus and the University of South Alabama may increase. (Story)
F-35
Norway says it will cost 20 percent more to own and operate a fleet of F-35 fighters than it does its aging F-16 fleet, but the government is moving forward. Norway’s F-35 Program Office said modern threats demand the F-35’s fast response, adding that today’s crises are "come as you are conflicts."
Norway is on its way to having one of the largest F-35 forces with plans to acquire 52. The initial aircraft are on the assembly line in Fort Worth, Texas. Four of Norway’s F-35s will remain in the U.S. to support pilot training. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the F-35 integrated training center. (Post)
-- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded two F-35-related contracts during the week. One was a $31 million modification to the previously awarded F-35 Low Rate Initial Production Lot VI contract. This modification provides for non-recurring efforts associated with the procurement of two full mission simulators in support of Israel's F-35A Conventional Take-Off and Landing Air System for pilot training. (Post)
In the second contract, the company was awarded a $37 million modification to the previously awarded F-35 Low Rate Initial Production Lot VI contract. This modification provides for non-recurring efforts associated with the procurement of training spares for Israel and Japan and two full mission simulators in support of Japan's F-35A Conventional Take-Off and Landing Air System for pilot training. This modification combines purchases for the governments of Japan (92.8 percent) and Israel (7.2 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. (Post) The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity for both the contracts.
Innovation
The Navy this month launched AIRWorks, an initiative to more quickly develop and bring to the field weapons to meet U.S. military needs. It's modeled after Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works and Boeing’s Phantom Works. Projects completed over the past year as the organization was taking shape include bulletproofing V-22 tiltrotor aircraft and adding rockets to the Fire Scout unmanned helicopter. V-22s are used by Air Force Special Operations at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and finishing work on Fire Scouts is done in Moss Point, Miss., by Northrop Grumman. (Post)
Contracts
Atlas North America LLC, Virginia Beach, Va., was awarded an $8 million contract for depot level repair, maintenance, modifications, engineering services and spare parts for the AN/ASQ-232 Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS) to support the Navy for the currently deployed Airborne Mine Countermeasures legacy systems. Work will be performed in Panama City Beach, Fla. (60 percent); Bahrain (25 percent); Virginia Beach (10 percent); South Korea (2.5 percent); and Japan (2.5 percent); and is expected to be completed by October 2015. … Jacobs Technology Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., was awarded an estimated $80 million modification to exercise an option to previously awarded contract for additional engineering, technical and acquisition support services being provided under the basic contract. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by Oct. 18, 2015. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity.
In this issue of the bi-monthly, Duwayne Escobedo writes about maintenance, repair and overhaul giant VT MAE, which already has a large operation in Mobile, Ala., and recently signed an agreement with the city of Pensacola, Fla., to set up another MRO at Pensacola International Airport. The decision says a lot about the value of this region for aerospace companies.
I wrote a report about what it would cost to replace the Gulf Coast region's aviation-focused military bases and sites. You'll find all the details in the story, but I can tell you that it would cost a lot more to replace the bases and sites this year than a year ago. One base’s replacement costs are up more than 20 percent.
There's also a story by Tom McLaughlin about the new Doolittle Institute of Fort Walton Beach, Fla. The institute is one of just four of its type in the nation, and its mission is to bring together experts from the military, academia and businesses to come up with cutting-edge products.
There's also an article by Lisa Monti about Optech, a sensor company with its roots in Canada that develops products that look down from their airborne platforms to chart littoral regions and more. And with this company, innovation is ongoing.
We hope you’ll enjoy this issue.
Now for your week in review:
Airbus
Three more jobs were posted during the week for the A320 final assembly line being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. The new positions are for a supply chain and logistics manager, key account manager for procurement and structural manufacturing engineer. (Post)
-- It was reported during the week that Airbus is trailing Boeing in the number of jetliner orders in the first nine months of the year, with 1,000 net for Boeing compared to 791 for Airbus. Boeing also delivered more aircraft, 528 compared to 443. Most of the orders booked by Airbus so far this year are for the fuel-efficient A320neo and A321neo, chalking up 512 orders and 146 orders, respectively. (Post)
Speaking of orders for Airbus jetliners, China Aviation Supplies Holding signed an agreement to buy 70 A320 family aircraft worth $6.6 billion at list price. Airbus has an assembly facility in Tianjin, where it has already assembled and delivered 190 A320s.
In addition, Airbus said it signed a letter of intent with its Chinese partners to build an assembly facility for A330 family aircraft. The letter of intent was signed Friday with heads of the Tianjin Free Trade Zone and AVIC, the Aviation Industry Corp. of China. AVIC owns Continental Motors in Mobile. (Post)
-- The Mobile newspaper reported Saturday that a delegation from Mobile has wrapped up a week-long visit to Europe to see Airbus officials. The newspaper says one result of the visit is that research projects between Airbus and the University of South Alabama may increase. (Story)
F-35
Norway says it will cost 20 percent more to own and operate a fleet of F-35 fighters than it does its aging F-16 fleet, but the government is moving forward. Norway’s F-35 Program Office said modern threats demand the F-35’s fast response, adding that today’s crises are "come as you are conflicts."
Norway is on its way to having one of the largest F-35 forces with plans to acquire 52. The initial aircraft are on the assembly line in Fort Worth, Texas. Four of Norway’s F-35s will remain in the U.S. to support pilot training. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the F-35 integrated training center. (Post)
-- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded two F-35-related contracts during the week. One was a $31 million modification to the previously awarded F-35 Low Rate Initial Production Lot VI contract. This modification provides for non-recurring efforts associated with the procurement of two full mission simulators in support of Israel's F-35A Conventional Take-Off and Landing Air System for pilot training. (Post)
In the second contract, the company was awarded a $37 million modification to the previously awarded F-35 Low Rate Initial Production Lot VI contract. This modification provides for non-recurring efforts associated with the procurement of training spares for Israel and Japan and two full mission simulators in support of Japan's F-35A Conventional Take-Off and Landing Air System for pilot training. This modification combines purchases for the governments of Japan (92.8 percent) and Israel (7.2 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. (Post) The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity for both the contracts.
Innovation
The Navy this month launched AIRWorks, an initiative to more quickly develop and bring to the field weapons to meet U.S. military needs. It's modeled after Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works and Boeing’s Phantom Works. Projects completed over the past year as the organization was taking shape include bulletproofing V-22 tiltrotor aircraft and adding rockets to the Fire Scout unmanned helicopter. V-22s are used by Air Force Special Operations at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and finishing work on Fire Scouts is done in Moss Point, Miss., by Northrop Grumman. (Post)
Contracts
Atlas North America LLC, Virginia Beach, Va., was awarded an $8 million contract for depot level repair, maintenance, modifications, engineering services and spare parts for the AN/ASQ-232 Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS) to support the Navy for the currently deployed Airborne Mine Countermeasures legacy systems. Work will be performed in Panama City Beach, Fla. (60 percent); Bahrain (25 percent); Virginia Beach (10 percent); South Korea (2.5 percent); and Japan (2.5 percent); and is expected to be completed by October 2015. … Jacobs Technology Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., was awarded an estimated $80 million modification to exercise an option to previously awarded contract for additional engineering, technical and acquisition support services being provided under the basic contract. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by Oct. 18, 2015. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Week in review (9/28 to 10/4)
The time is getting near for the first exploration flight of the Orion crew capsule. Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) will happen in December when Orion lifts off from Florida atop a Delta IV rocket. When it happens, a lot of folks in this region will have played a big role.
Engineers from United Launch Alliance recently finished integration of the three primary core elements of the rockets first stage with the single engine upper stage at ULA's Horizontal Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The December flight will not have a crew.
So what did this region do? Quite a bit. The RS-68 engines that will power the core boosters of the Delta IV were assembled and tested by Rocketdyne at Stennis Space Center, Miss., NASA's huge rocket engine test facility. And the space-bound Orion itself was built in part some 40 miles away from SSC at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans.
The Delta IV isn't the final rocket that will be used for Orion. Eventually, the multi-purpose crew vehicle will be boosted in space by NASA's powerful Space Launch System. The core stage for that rocket is being built at Michoud, and the engines that will boost that core stage will be tested at Stennis Space Center. (Post)
Airbus/Boeing
Boeing during the week said it will increase production of 737 jetliners to 52 airplanes per month in 2018 because of strong market demand worldwide. The target is more than 620 of the 737s per year. Boeing currently produces 42 airplanes per month at its Renton, Wash., factory, and the company previously announced plans to increase the production rate to 47 per month in 2017. (Post)
A competitor of the 737, the A320, will be built in Mobile, Ala., beginning in 2015 at an expected rate of 40 to 50 per year. That plant during the week issued notice that it's seeking an information technology specialist and aircraft systems installation workers for the Mobile production line. (Post)
Meanwhile, Airbus Group during the week predicted airlines will buy planes worth $4.6 trillion over the next 20 years, with Chinese domestic travel surpassing the U.S. as the largest aviation market in a decade. Airlines will need 31,400 new jetliners and freighters during the period, 7 percent more than suggested in Airbus's 20-year forecast a year ago. (Post)
One of those planes in the mix, the Airbus A350 XWB, received type certification for airworthiness from the European Aviation Safety Agency late last month. The A350-900 XWB is a mid-size long range product line. The jetliner is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The A350XWB was in the Gulf Coast region during earlier testing at the McKinley Climatic Lab at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Post)
F-35
The first general officer has qualified to fly the F-35. Maj. Gen. Jay Silveria, commander of the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., wrapped up his seven-week training program late last month at the F-35 integrated training center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The general was chosen to become qualified based on his position at the USAFWC. The center he leads is responsible for current and future F-35A operational testing, tactics development and eventual advanced training exercises and weapons school. (Post)
-- Lockheed Martin of Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $246.6 million modification to a previously awarded contract to develop, test, and certify two Drag Chute Systems for the Low Rate Initial Production Lot VII F-35. Work will be done in Fort Worth and at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (Post)
-- The Navy says it will base 100 F-35C variants, the version with a tailhook designed for use on carriers, at Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif. The joint strike fighter will be assigned in seven Navy Pacific Fleet squadrons of 10 jets each, and a Fleet Replacement Squadron will have 30 jets. The move will begin in 2016. (Post)
Airports/bases
Exelis received official certification for an electronic countermeasures and radar warning system pod for the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Exelis’ AN/ALQ-211(V)9 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare System (AIDEWS) was OKd to fly aboard Pakistani F-16 fighters. The pod is a self-contained integrated electronic countermeasures and radar warning receiver system designed to protect the F-16 from radio frequency (RF) threats. Tests were done at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Post)
-- Demand for private air travel at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport prompted fixed base operator Sheltair to seek for more space. The Airport Authority approved a new, larger lease agreement for Sheltair, which has provided general aviation services at the airport since 2010. Sheltair’s new lease adds about five acres of space, mostly paved ramp space. (Post)
Contracts
ACE Engineering Inc., La Verne, Calif., was awarded a maximum amount $20 million contract for installation and repair of asphalt and concrete pavement at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla., Naval outlying fields located in Florida and Alabama, and Naval Operations Support Center Tallahassee, Fla. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by January 2015. ... C.W. Roberts Contracting Inc., Tallahassee, Fla., was awarded a $9 million contract for paving. The work may consist of resurfacing, full depth reconstruction, and new full depth construction of bituminous concrete and portland cement concrete pavements to include airfield pavements, roadways, parking lots, and sidewalks. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 28, 2015. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity.
L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $12.3 million modification to exercise option A00053 to previously awarded contract for trainer maintenance services. Work will be performed at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, and Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2015. … Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, Calif., was awarded a $306.1 million definitive contract for Global Hawk contractor logistic services and sustainment III. Contractor will provide contractor logistics support of the Global Hawk fielded weapon system. Work will be performed at San Diego and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2015. Fuselage work on Global Hawks is done in Moss Point, Miss. … Webb Electric Co., Pensacola, Fla., was awarded a $9.2 million contract to repair airfield lighting system and to add/repair airfield lighting vault. Work will be performed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2015.
Mark Dunning Industries, Dothan, Ala., was awarded a $6.8 million modification under a previously awarded contract to exercise option three for base operations support services at Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, Ga. Work is expected to be completed September 2015. … Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Fla., was awarded a $100 million contract for Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile production support. Contractor will provide JASSM system upgrades, integration, sustainment, management and logistical support. Work will be performed at Orlando, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 29, 2019. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Northrop Grumman, Annapolis, Md., was awarded a $19 million delivery order under a previously awarded contract for the procurement of field upgradeable kits and fleet support for conversion of the AN/AQS-24A systems to the AN/AQS-24B configuration in support of the Airborne Mine Countermeasure Systems Program. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Engineers from United Launch Alliance recently finished integration of the three primary core elements of the rockets first stage with the single engine upper stage at ULA's Horizontal Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The December flight will not have a crew.
So what did this region do? Quite a bit. The RS-68 engines that will power the core boosters of the Delta IV were assembled and tested by Rocketdyne at Stennis Space Center, Miss., NASA's huge rocket engine test facility. And the space-bound Orion itself was built in part some 40 miles away from SSC at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans.
The Delta IV isn't the final rocket that will be used for Orion. Eventually, the multi-purpose crew vehicle will be boosted in space by NASA's powerful Space Launch System. The core stage for that rocket is being built at Michoud, and the engines that will boost that core stage will be tested at Stennis Space Center. (Post)
Airbus/Boeing
Boeing during the week said it will increase production of 737 jetliners to 52 airplanes per month in 2018 because of strong market demand worldwide. The target is more than 620 of the 737s per year. Boeing currently produces 42 airplanes per month at its Renton, Wash., factory, and the company previously announced plans to increase the production rate to 47 per month in 2017. (Post)
A competitor of the 737, the A320, will be built in Mobile, Ala., beginning in 2015 at an expected rate of 40 to 50 per year. That plant during the week issued notice that it's seeking an information technology specialist and aircraft systems installation workers for the Mobile production line. (Post)
Meanwhile, Airbus Group during the week predicted airlines will buy planes worth $4.6 trillion over the next 20 years, with Chinese domestic travel surpassing the U.S. as the largest aviation market in a decade. Airlines will need 31,400 new jetliners and freighters during the period, 7 percent more than suggested in Airbus's 20-year forecast a year ago. (Post)
One of those planes in the mix, the Airbus A350 XWB, received type certification for airworthiness from the European Aviation Safety Agency late last month. The A350-900 XWB is a mid-size long range product line. The jetliner is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The A350XWB was in the Gulf Coast region during earlier testing at the McKinley Climatic Lab at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Post)
F-35
The first general officer has qualified to fly the F-35. Maj. Gen. Jay Silveria, commander of the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., wrapped up his seven-week training program late last month at the F-35 integrated training center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The general was chosen to become qualified based on his position at the USAFWC. The center he leads is responsible for current and future F-35A operational testing, tactics development and eventual advanced training exercises and weapons school. (Post)
-- Lockheed Martin of Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $246.6 million modification to a previously awarded contract to develop, test, and certify two Drag Chute Systems for the Low Rate Initial Production Lot VII F-35. Work will be done in Fort Worth and at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (Post)
-- The Navy says it will base 100 F-35C variants, the version with a tailhook designed for use on carriers, at Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif. The joint strike fighter will be assigned in seven Navy Pacific Fleet squadrons of 10 jets each, and a Fleet Replacement Squadron will have 30 jets. The move will begin in 2016. (Post)
Airports/bases
Exelis received official certification for an electronic countermeasures and radar warning system pod for the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Exelis’ AN/ALQ-211(V)9 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare System (AIDEWS) was OKd to fly aboard Pakistani F-16 fighters. The pod is a self-contained integrated electronic countermeasures and radar warning receiver system designed to protect the F-16 from radio frequency (RF) threats. Tests were done at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Post)
-- Demand for private air travel at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport prompted fixed base operator Sheltair to seek for more space. The Airport Authority approved a new, larger lease agreement for Sheltair, which has provided general aviation services at the airport since 2010. Sheltair’s new lease adds about five acres of space, mostly paved ramp space. (Post)
Contracts
ACE Engineering Inc., La Verne, Calif., was awarded a maximum amount $20 million contract for installation and repair of asphalt and concrete pavement at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla., Naval outlying fields located in Florida and Alabama, and Naval Operations Support Center Tallahassee, Fla. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by January 2015. ... C.W. Roberts Contracting Inc., Tallahassee, Fla., was awarded a $9 million contract for paving. The work may consist of resurfacing, full depth reconstruction, and new full depth construction of bituminous concrete and portland cement concrete pavements to include airfield pavements, roadways, parking lots, and sidewalks. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 28, 2015. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity.
L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $12.3 million modification to exercise option A00053 to previously awarded contract for trainer maintenance services. Work will be performed at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, and Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2015. … Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, Calif., was awarded a $306.1 million definitive contract for Global Hawk contractor logistic services and sustainment III. Contractor will provide contractor logistics support of the Global Hawk fielded weapon system. Work will be performed at San Diego and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2015. Fuselage work on Global Hawks is done in Moss Point, Miss. … Webb Electric Co., Pensacola, Fla., was awarded a $9.2 million contract to repair airfield lighting system and to add/repair airfield lighting vault. Work will be performed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2015.
Mark Dunning Industries, Dothan, Ala., was awarded a $6.8 million modification under a previously awarded contract to exercise option three for base operations support services at Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, Ga. Work is expected to be completed September 2015. … Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Fla., was awarded a $100 million contract for Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile production support. Contractor will provide JASSM system upgrades, integration, sustainment, management and logistical support. Work will be performed at Orlando, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 29, 2019. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Northrop Grumman, Annapolis, Md., was awarded a $19 million delivery order under a previously awarded contract for the procurement of field upgradeable kits and fleet support for conversion of the AN/AQS-24A systems to the AN/AQS-24B configuration in support of the Airborne Mine Countermeasure Systems Program. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity.
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