Major contracts were awarded during the week in connection with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Three were awarded to Lockheed Martin and two to engine-maker Pratt and Whitney. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting authority for all five of the contracts.
A $492 million contract modification was awarded to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., of Fort Worth, Texas, to provide non-air vehicle spares, support equipment, Autonomic Logistics Information System hardware and software upgrades, supply chain management, mission simulators and non-recurring engineering services to support Low Rate Initial Production Lot VII F-35 aircraft for the Air Force, Marines, Navy and international partners. Work will be done in Orlando, Fla.; El Segundo, Calif.; Fort Worth, Texas; Owego, N.Y.; and Samlesbury, United Kingdom. (Post)
Lockheed Martin also was awarded a $64.3 million contract for the modification of 13 F-35A air vehicles for the Air Force and one for the Netherlands, as well as 13 F-35B air vehicles for the Marines and two for the United Kingdom. It includes procurement for 528 modification kits, installation, and labor. Three percent of the work will be done at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Other work sites are in Florida, Texas, North Carolina, California, Iowa, New Hampshire, Utah, South Carolina, Arizona, United Kingdom, Maryland and New York. (Post)
Lockheed Martin also was awarded a third contract, this one for $7 million. It's a modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise an option for interim contractor support for the F-35 Low-Rate Initial Production Lot VII air systems. Work will be performed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. (Post)
Two contracts were awarded to United Technologies Corp.'s Pratt and Whitney Military Engines of East Hartford, Conn. One is a $105.5 million modification to a previously awarded contract. It exercises an option for sustainment efforts and operations and maintenance services in support of Low Rate Initial Production Lot VIII F135 propulsion systems, including hardware, training materials and equipment. Work will be done in Connecticut, California, Oklahoma, and various other locations throughout the continental United States. This contract combines purchase for the Marines, Air Force, Navy and international partners. (Post)
Pratt and Whitney also was awarded an $11.5 million modification to a previously awarded contract for annualized sustainment, procuring operations and maintenance services for Low Rate Initial Production VIII F-135 propulsion systems. It includes supply chain management, inventory optimization, flight service representatives at operational sites, oversight and planning of training activities, and aircraft retrofit activities. The contract combines purchases for the Air Force, Navy and international partners. (Post)
Engines
Speaking of engines, Rolls-Royce won a $5 billion order for Trent engines to power 50 new Airbus planes ordered by Delta Air Lines. Trent XWB engines will power 25 Airbus A350s and Trent 7000 engines will power 25 Airbus A330neo aircraft. Rolls Royce is the only supplier of engines for both aircraft. Rolls-Royce tests Trent engines at its outdoor test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Post)
Bases
The 801st Special operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., received the Secretary of Defense Maintenance Award for superior aircraft maintenance during the period of Oct.1, 2012 through Sept. 30, 2013. The squadron, comprised of more than 480 Air Commandos, maintained 16 CV-22 Osprey and nine MC-130H Talon II aircraft during that period. (Post)
Contracts
Bering Sea Environmental LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, was awarded a $7.1 million modification to exercise an option on a previously awarded contract to provide program support for Air Combat Command's Air Combat Training System Operations and Maintenance support services. Among the work locations is Eglin Air Force Base and Tyndall Air Force Base, both in Florida. Work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2015.
PERSPECTIVES: Commentary and analysis on aerospace and defense activities in the Gulf Coast
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Week in review (11/16 to 11/22)
A big purchase of F-35 jet fighters and the decision to pick Airbus to provide a service module for NASA's Orion spacecraft were just two of the stories of interest to the Gulf Coast aerospace region during the week.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $4.1 billion modification to a previously awarded contract for the production of 43 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot VIII F-35 aircraft.
The deal includes 29 jets for the United States and 14 for five other countries. Broken down another way, that's 19 F-35A models for the U. S. Air Force, four for Japan and two each for Italy, Norway and Israel; six F-35B models for the U.S. Marine Corps and four for the United Kingdom; and three F-35C jets for the U.S. Navy and one for the Marines.
The contract combines purchases for the Air Force (41 percent); Marines (14 percent); Navy (12 percent); international partners (19 percent); and foreign military sales (14 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting authority. (Post)
The new contract reduces the cost of the A-model airframe without the engine to $94.8 million, the cost of the B-model would be $102 million without an engine while the Navy's C-model would be $115.7 million, also not counting the engine.
The Pentagon last month signed a separate contract for an eighth batch of engines built by Pratt and Whitney. The company said the contract would lower the cost of the engines between 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent.
-- Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, the Navy's first F-35C carrier variant squadron, reached a milestone in November by surpassing 1,000 mishap-free flight hours. As the F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron, VFA-101 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., trains Navy aircrew and maintenance personnel to fly and repair the aircraft. The unit became the Navy's first F-35C squadron after receiving the aircraft June 22, 2013, from Lockheed Martin, and completed the first check flight, Aug. 14. (Post)
-- Four F-22 Raptors from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., were deployed to Eglin Air Force Base earlier this month for the unit's first operational integration training mission with the F-35A jets of the 33rd Fighter Wing. The training was to improve integrated employment of fifth-generation assets and tactics. The F-35s and F-22s flew offensive counter air, defensive counter air and interdiction missions together, exploring ways to maximize their fifth-generation capabilities. (Post)
Airbus
There was a major first during the week for Airbus, and it involves a program important to the Gulf Coast region. Airbus Group will build a service module for the U.S. space capsule, Orion. It's the first time a European firm will provide system-critical elements for a U.S. space project. Airbus Defense and Space said the contract is worth around $488 million.
The service module will provide propulsion, power supply, thermal control and the central elements of the life support system of the capsule designed for deep space missions. It’s based on the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) developed and constructed by Airbus on behalf of ESA as a supply craft for the International Space Station.
The first space-bound Orion, slated to launch next month atop a Delta IV, was built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans. The Delta IV's RS-68 engines were tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Future Orion launches will be aboard NASA's massive Space Launch System, being built in part at Michoud Assembly Facility. The SLS's RS-25 engines will be tested at Stennis Space Center. Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., where it also has an engineering center and an Airbus Military operation. (Post)
Speaking of that final assembly line, four classifications of hourly manufacturing positions at the Airbus final assembly line were posted Monday, and more were posted as the week drew to a close. To keep up to date on jobs at the plant, visit the Alabama Industrial Development Training website. (Post)
Bases
In Alabama, the Baldwin County Commission during the week endorsed vacating a portion of a county owned road near Barin Field so the Navy can extend the east-west runway for a new, more capable Navy training aircraft. In return, the federal government will build a new road for residences and businesses located nearby. The Navy believes the nearly $30 million project can be finished by summer. (Post)
Meanwhile near Panama City, Fla., a beachfront neighborhood of up to 195 homes could be allowed in the flight path of Tyndall Air Force Base after the Bay County Commission OK’d a land-use plan amendment. The request from developers to amendment its comprehensive land-use plan for 165 acres would increase the maximum number of units from the current 16 residential units. Base officials said the best protection for the base's mission would be leaving the zoning as it is, but recommended several changes if the amendment is approved, including height restrictions and buildings with enhanced noise and vibration restriction standards. (Post)
Contracts
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $32.2 million modification to previously awarded contract for Enhanced Paveway II guided bomb unit kits and a 10-year warranty for each kit. Contractor will provide 500 Enhanced Paveway II guided bomb units 49 and 50 kits (each kit includes an enhanced computer control group and an air foil group) and a 10-year warranty for each kit to be supplied to the Royal Saudi Air Force. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Kaman Precision Products Inc., Orlando, Fla., was awarded a $28.9 million modification to exercise the option for Lot 11 production of joint
programmable fuze systems. Contractor will provide an additional quantity of 7,846 state-of-the-art fuze systems being produced under the basic contract. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2016. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. … Boeing of St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $64.4 million contract for research and development leading to the procurement of 60 long delay fuzes and development of an embedded fuze system. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Airbus Defense and Space Inc., Herndon, Va., was awarded an $18.5 million contract modification for logistic support to include flying hours, mission equipment packages and direct labor support. Work will be performed in Columbus, Miss.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $4.1 billion modification to a previously awarded contract for the production of 43 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot VIII F-35 aircraft.
The deal includes 29 jets for the United States and 14 for five other countries. Broken down another way, that's 19 F-35A models for the U. S. Air Force, four for Japan and two each for Italy, Norway and Israel; six F-35B models for the U.S. Marine Corps and four for the United Kingdom; and three F-35C jets for the U.S. Navy and one for the Marines.
The contract combines purchases for the Air Force (41 percent); Marines (14 percent); Navy (12 percent); international partners (19 percent); and foreign military sales (14 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting authority. (Post)
The new contract reduces the cost of the A-model airframe without the engine to $94.8 million, the cost of the B-model would be $102 million without an engine while the Navy's C-model would be $115.7 million, also not counting the engine.
The Pentagon last month signed a separate contract for an eighth batch of engines built by Pratt and Whitney. The company said the contract would lower the cost of the engines between 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent.
-- Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, the Navy's first F-35C carrier variant squadron, reached a milestone in November by surpassing 1,000 mishap-free flight hours. As the F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron, VFA-101 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., trains Navy aircrew and maintenance personnel to fly and repair the aircraft. The unit became the Navy's first F-35C squadron after receiving the aircraft June 22, 2013, from Lockheed Martin, and completed the first check flight, Aug. 14. (Post)
-- Four F-22 Raptors from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., were deployed to Eglin Air Force Base earlier this month for the unit's first operational integration training mission with the F-35A jets of the 33rd Fighter Wing. The training was to improve integrated employment of fifth-generation assets and tactics. The F-35s and F-22s flew offensive counter air, defensive counter air and interdiction missions together, exploring ways to maximize their fifth-generation capabilities. (Post)
Airbus
There was a major first during the week for Airbus, and it involves a program important to the Gulf Coast region. Airbus Group will build a service module for the U.S. space capsule, Orion. It's the first time a European firm will provide system-critical elements for a U.S. space project. Airbus Defense and Space said the contract is worth around $488 million.
The service module will provide propulsion, power supply, thermal control and the central elements of the life support system of the capsule designed for deep space missions. It’s based on the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) developed and constructed by Airbus on behalf of ESA as a supply craft for the International Space Station.
The first space-bound Orion, slated to launch next month atop a Delta IV, was built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans. The Delta IV's RS-68 engines were tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Future Orion launches will be aboard NASA's massive Space Launch System, being built in part at Michoud Assembly Facility. The SLS's RS-25 engines will be tested at Stennis Space Center. Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., where it also has an engineering center and an Airbus Military operation. (Post)
Speaking of that final assembly line, four classifications of hourly manufacturing positions at the Airbus final assembly line were posted Monday, and more were posted as the week drew to a close. To keep up to date on jobs at the plant, visit the Alabama Industrial Development Training website. (Post)
Bases
In Alabama, the Baldwin County Commission during the week endorsed vacating a portion of a county owned road near Barin Field so the Navy can extend the east-west runway for a new, more capable Navy training aircraft. In return, the federal government will build a new road for residences and businesses located nearby. The Navy believes the nearly $30 million project can be finished by summer. (Post)
Meanwhile near Panama City, Fla., a beachfront neighborhood of up to 195 homes could be allowed in the flight path of Tyndall Air Force Base after the Bay County Commission OK’d a land-use plan amendment. The request from developers to amendment its comprehensive land-use plan for 165 acres would increase the maximum number of units from the current 16 residential units. Base officials said the best protection for the base's mission would be leaving the zoning as it is, but recommended several changes if the amendment is approved, including height restrictions and buildings with enhanced noise and vibration restriction standards. (Post)
Contracts
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $32.2 million modification to previously awarded contract for Enhanced Paveway II guided bomb unit kits and a 10-year warranty for each kit. Contractor will provide 500 Enhanced Paveway II guided bomb units 49 and 50 kits (each kit includes an enhanced computer control group and an air foil group) and a 10-year warranty for each kit to be supplied to the Royal Saudi Air Force. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Kaman Precision Products Inc., Orlando, Fla., was awarded a $28.9 million modification to exercise the option for Lot 11 production of joint
programmable fuze systems. Contractor will provide an additional quantity of 7,846 state-of-the-art fuze systems being produced under the basic contract. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2016. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. … Boeing of St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $64.4 million contract for research and development leading to the procurement of 60 long delay fuzes and development of an embedded fuze system. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Airbus Defense and Space Inc., Herndon, Va., was awarded an $18.5 million contract modification for logistic support to include flying hours, mission equipment packages and direct labor support. Work will be performed in Columbus, Miss.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Week in review (11/9 to 11/15)
The powerhouse for the A320 assembly line is finished; a team from Germany visits Continental Motors; the F-35C conducts its first night flight from a carrier; a contract is awarded for Global Hawk; and the securing of the Orion atop the Delta IV launch vehicle were among the stories of interest to the Gulf Coast aerospace region during the week.
Here's the week in review:
Mobile Aeroplex
The powerhouse for the Airbus A320 final assembly line is now finished. It will provide utility services for the plant being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. Honeywell designed and built the powerhouse, which will require five full-time technicians when it reaches full operation. The $600 million plant opens next year. (Post)
Meanwhile, Airbus posted two more jobs for the assembly line. One is for an aircraft conformity manager, the other for a flight line and ground handling manager. (Post)
Also at the Aeroplex, German light sport aircraft maker Flight Design sent a team to the Continental Motors engine manufacturing plant for a weeklong session to give them detailed operational knowledge about the Continental IO-360-AF powerplant. That engine was selected for the all-composite C4 that will be built by Flight Design. (Post)
While I'm on the subject of aircraft and engine production, a new helicopter that will be built in the Gulf Coast region, the Bell 505 Jet Ranger, had a successful 30-minute first flight at the company's Mirabel, Quebec, manufacturing facility. The 505 is a five-seat, single-engine turbine helicopter that will be built at Bell's new 82,300 square-foot helicopter assembly plant in Lafayette, La., about 135 miles west of New Orleans. (Post)
NASA
NASA's Orion spacecraft is now joined with the Delta IV heavy rocket at Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Orion is slated to travel almost 60,000 miles into space Dec. 4 during an unmanned flight designed to test many of the spacecraft's systems. Orion was built at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, and the Delta IV is powered by Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68 engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Post)
Closer to the ground, NASA started testing a aircraft wing surface that can change its shape in flight and make future jetliners quieter and more fuel-efficient. It's called the Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge, or ACTE. It replaces the current trailing edge with an assembly that bends and twists – thanks to internal actuators -- to maneuver an aircraft. The vision is it could be retrofitted to existing wings or integrated into new ones. That would be of high interest to Airbus, which will build A320 family aircraft in Mobile, Ala., as well as Boeing. Both companies use winglets on the end of wings to improve fuel efficiency by reducing drag. (Post)
Unmanned
Two aircraft built in part in Moss Point, Miss., were in the news during the week.
Northrop Grumman was awarded a $306 million contract from the Department of Defense to continue logistics and sustainment services on the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system. This contract comes on the heels of Global Hawk winning the Dr. James G. Roche Sustainment Excellence Award for the second year in a row. Global Hawk fuselages are built in Moss Point. (Post)
The other news item: When the USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) departs next week for a deployment to the Western Pacific, it will be the first deployment of the Navy's manned MH-60R Seahawk helicopter with the unmanned MQ-8B Fire Scout helicopter. Detachment 1 of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 35 (HSM-35) is the Navy's first squadron to operate both the MH-60R and MQ-8B. Final assembly of Northrop Grumman Fire Scouts is done in Moss Point, Miss. (Post)
F-35
The Navy variant of the F-35 fighter made its first night flight off an aircraft carrier on Thursday. Two F-35C jets on board the USS Nimitz have been conducting a variety of tests aboard the carrier and are proving to be more reliable and performing better than expected, Navy test pilots told reporters. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center. (Post)
Here's the week in review:
Mobile Aeroplex
The powerhouse for the Airbus A320 final assembly line is now finished. It will provide utility services for the plant being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. Honeywell designed and built the powerhouse, which will require five full-time technicians when it reaches full operation. The $600 million plant opens next year. (Post)
Meanwhile, Airbus posted two more jobs for the assembly line. One is for an aircraft conformity manager, the other for a flight line and ground handling manager. (Post)
Also at the Aeroplex, German light sport aircraft maker Flight Design sent a team to the Continental Motors engine manufacturing plant for a weeklong session to give them detailed operational knowledge about the Continental IO-360-AF powerplant. That engine was selected for the all-composite C4 that will be built by Flight Design. (Post)
While I'm on the subject of aircraft and engine production, a new helicopter that will be built in the Gulf Coast region, the Bell 505 Jet Ranger, had a successful 30-minute first flight at the company's Mirabel, Quebec, manufacturing facility. The 505 is a five-seat, single-engine turbine helicopter that will be built at Bell's new 82,300 square-foot helicopter assembly plant in Lafayette, La., about 135 miles west of New Orleans. (Post)
NASA
NASA's Orion spacecraft is now joined with the Delta IV heavy rocket at Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Orion is slated to travel almost 60,000 miles into space Dec. 4 during an unmanned flight designed to test many of the spacecraft's systems. Orion was built at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, and the Delta IV is powered by Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68 engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Post)
Closer to the ground, NASA started testing a aircraft wing surface that can change its shape in flight and make future jetliners quieter and more fuel-efficient. It's called the Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge, or ACTE. It replaces the current trailing edge with an assembly that bends and twists – thanks to internal actuators -- to maneuver an aircraft. The vision is it could be retrofitted to existing wings or integrated into new ones. That would be of high interest to Airbus, which will build A320 family aircraft in Mobile, Ala., as well as Boeing. Both companies use winglets on the end of wings to improve fuel efficiency by reducing drag. (Post)
Unmanned
Two aircraft built in part in Moss Point, Miss., were in the news during the week.
Northrop Grumman was awarded a $306 million contract from the Department of Defense to continue logistics and sustainment services on the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system. This contract comes on the heels of Global Hawk winning the Dr. James G. Roche Sustainment Excellence Award for the second year in a row. Global Hawk fuselages are built in Moss Point. (Post)
The other news item: When the USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) departs next week for a deployment to the Western Pacific, it will be the first deployment of the Navy's manned MH-60R Seahawk helicopter with the unmanned MQ-8B Fire Scout helicopter. Detachment 1 of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 35 (HSM-35) is the Navy's first squadron to operate both the MH-60R and MQ-8B. Final assembly of Northrop Grumman Fire Scouts is done in Moss Point, Miss. (Post)
F-35
The Navy variant of the F-35 fighter made its first night flight off an aircraft carrier on Thursday. Two F-35C jets on board the USS Nimitz have been conducting a variety of tests aboard the carrier and are proving to be more reliable and performing better than expected, Navy test pilots told reporters. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center. (Post)
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Week in review (11/2 to 11/8)
The crash of an F-16 in the Gulf of Mexico; the posting of more jobs for the Airbus plant in Mobile; the historic arrested landing of an F-35C aboard an aircraft carrier; and the possible end of the use of AJ26 rocket engines to power the Antares rocket were among the stories of interest to the Gulf Coast aerospace region during the week.
Here's the week in review:
Military
The pilot who died when his F-16C crashed into the Gulf of Mexico has been identified as Matthew J. LaCourse, a civilian pilot assigned to the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron. The plane went down 50 to 75 miles south of Panama City during a routine training mission.
LaCourse, 58, retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel in 2000. In 2012 he marked 2,000 flying hours in an F-4. Tyndall provides air dominance training and, along with nearby Eglin Air Force Base, performs weapons evaluation missions. (Post)
-- The Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team is wrapping up its show season with a homecoming at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. The team performed Friday and Saturday, with plans for a Sunday performance as well.
-- A scientist from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., was named the Air Force’s 2013 Senior Civilian Scientist and Engineer of the Year. He’s Dr. Don Grundel. The Systems Integration and Interface branch of the Armament Directorate under his leadership was responsible for cost-saving initiatives and enhancing the way warfighters operate. Grundel was recognized at an Oct. 23 ceremony. (Post)
Airbus
Airbus is seeking procurement professionals for its A320 final assembly line being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. The buyer positions will be responsible for the acquisition of goods and services and maintaining vendor relationships. The new final assembly line will open next year and will produce its first jet, an A321, for JetBlue. (Post)
-- China Aircraft Leasing Co. signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for 100 A320 family aircraft. The agreement involves 74 A320neo, 16 A320ceo and 10 A321ceo jetliners. (Post)
F-35
An F-35C performed the historic first arrested landing aboard an aircraft carrier Nov. 3 off the coast of San Diego. Navy test pilot Cmdr. Tony Wilson landed F-35C test aircraft CF-03 aboard the USS Nimitz flight deck. The arrested landing is part of initial at-sea testing program expected to last two weeks. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center. (Post)
-- Foreign nations buying F-35s will be able to customize the mission data packages loaded onto their aircraft. That may be a solution to a long-standing bone of contention among partners developing the F-35. The compromise involves labs where partner nations will be able to do their own software work in cooperation with the U.S. In addition to the lab at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., there will be another operated by the Navy at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif., and an entirely new lab designed to be used by the partners. (Post)
-- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $50 million contract modification for operational and engineering support required to integrate the F-35 operations with the Queen Elizabeth Class carrier for the government of the United Kingdom. Work will be done in the U.K., Fort Worth, Texas, and Orlando, Fla. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Post)
Space
Orbital Sciences Corp. has decided it will likely discontinue using the Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 engine to power future Antares space launch vehicles. A preliminary review of the data from the explosion of an Antares rocket after liftoff from Wallops Island, Va., indicates a probable turbopump-related failure in one of the two AJ26 engine.
Orbital said it still plans to fulfill its contract commitments to NASA to resupply the International Space Station through one or two non-Antares launches of the company's Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the ISS in 2015-2016.
Aerojet tests the AJ26 engine at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Post)
Airports
United Airlines said this week that it will begin serving Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport near Panama City, Fla., March 5 2015. It will provide twice-daily, year-round service to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Operated by United’s regional branch, United Express, it will use 50-seat Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft. (Post)
Corporate
Rolls-Royce will shed 2,600 jobs over the next 18 months as part of a program to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. The cuts will come principally in the aerospace division. A company spokesman said through an email that he could not specify where cuts would occur, but said a union in the U.K. has said they expect two-thirds to be in the U.K. Rolls-Royce has an engine test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Post)
Contracts
The Air Force chose Booz Allen Hamilton Engineering Services LLC to provide technical support to the 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The value of the contract is $53 million. The 96th Test Wing is the test and evaluation center for Air Force delivered weapons; navigation and guidance systems; command and control systems, and Air Force Special Operations Command systems. … Airbus Defense and Space Inc., Herndon, Va., was awarded a $71.4 million contract modification to acquire UH72A Lakota helicopters with ARC 231 radios. Work will be performed in Columbus, Miss. … Raytheon Co. Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded an $85.5 million contract for Griffin missiles and support. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … L3 Communications Corp., Systems Field Support, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $22.4 million contract modification to exercise the option for C-12 contractor logistics support. … Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $7.3 million contract modification for F-22 sustainment training systems hardware retrofits. Work will be performed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and other locations. … Five companies are each being awarded contracts for various medical services that include the labor categories of Allied Health, Technologist, Technician and Assistant services at Military Treatment Facilities in the Southeastern Region of the United States. The combined amount is $99.7 million. The five companies will have the opportunity to bid on each individual task order. Among the work locations are Naval Hospital Pensacola and Navy Medicine Operational Training Center Pensacola.
Here's the week in review:
Military
The pilot who died when his F-16C crashed into the Gulf of Mexico has been identified as Matthew J. LaCourse, a civilian pilot assigned to the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron. The plane went down 50 to 75 miles south of Panama City during a routine training mission.
LaCourse, 58, retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel in 2000. In 2012 he marked 2,000 flying hours in an F-4. Tyndall provides air dominance training and, along with nearby Eglin Air Force Base, performs weapons evaluation missions. (Post)
-- The Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team is wrapping up its show season with a homecoming at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. The team performed Friday and Saturday, with plans for a Sunday performance as well.
-- A scientist from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., was named the Air Force’s 2013 Senior Civilian Scientist and Engineer of the Year. He’s Dr. Don Grundel. The Systems Integration and Interface branch of the Armament Directorate under his leadership was responsible for cost-saving initiatives and enhancing the way warfighters operate. Grundel was recognized at an Oct. 23 ceremony. (Post)
Airbus
Airbus is seeking procurement professionals for its A320 final assembly line being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. The buyer positions will be responsible for the acquisition of goods and services and maintaining vendor relationships. The new final assembly line will open next year and will produce its first jet, an A321, for JetBlue. (Post)
-- China Aircraft Leasing Co. signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for 100 A320 family aircraft. The agreement involves 74 A320neo, 16 A320ceo and 10 A321ceo jetliners. (Post)
F-35
An F-35C performed the historic first arrested landing aboard an aircraft carrier Nov. 3 off the coast of San Diego. Navy test pilot Cmdr. Tony Wilson landed F-35C test aircraft CF-03 aboard the USS Nimitz flight deck. The arrested landing is part of initial at-sea testing program expected to last two weeks. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center. (Post)
-- Foreign nations buying F-35s will be able to customize the mission data packages loaded onto their aircraft. That may be a solution to a long-standing bone of contention among partners developing the F-35. The compromise involves labs where partner nations will be able to do their own software work in cooperation with the U.S. In addition to the lab at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., there will be another operated by the Navy at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif., and an entirely new lab designed to be used by the partners. (Post)
-- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $50 million contract modification for operational and engineering support required to integrate the F-35 operations with the Queen Elizabeth Class carrier for the government of the United Kingdom. Work will be done in the U.K., Fort Worth, Texas, and Orlando, Fla. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Post)
Space
Orbital Sciences Corp. has decided it will likely discontinue using the Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 engine to power future Antares space launch vehicles. A preliminary review of the data from the explosion of an Antares rocket after liftoff from Wallops Island, Va., indicates a probable turbopump-related failure in one of the two AJ26 engine.
Orbital said it still plans to fulfill its contract commitments to NASA to resupply the International Space Station through one or two non-Antares launches of the company's Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the ISS in 2015-2016.
Aerojet tests the AJ26 engine at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Post)
Airports
United Airlines said this week that it will begin serving Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport near Panama City, Fla., March 5 2015. It will provide twice-daily, year-round service to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Operated by United’s regional branch, United Express, it will use 50-seat Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft. (Post)
Corporate
Rolls-Royce will shed 2,600 jobs over the next 18 months as part of a program to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. The cuts will come principally in the aerospace division. A company spokesman said through an email that he could not specify where cuts would occur, but said a union in the U.K. has said they expect two-thirds to be in the U.K. Rolls-Royce has an engine test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Post)
Contracts
The Air Force chose Booz Allen Hamilton Engineering Services LLC to provide technical support to the 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The value of the contract is $53 million. The 96th Test Wing is the test and evaluation center for Air Force delivered weapons; navigation and guidance systems; command and control systems, and Air Force Special Operations Command systems. … Airbus Defense and Space Inc., Herndon, Va., was awarded a $71.4 million contract modification to acquire UH72A Lakota helicopters with ARC 231 radios. Work will be performed in Columbus, Miss. … Raytheon Co. Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded an $85.5 million contract for Griffin missiles and support. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … L3 Communications Corp., Systems Field Support, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $22.4 million contract modification to exercise the option for C-12 contractor logistics support. … Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $7.3 million contract modification for F-22 sustainment training systems hardware retrofits. Work will be performed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and other locations. … Five companies are each being awarded contracts for various medical services that include the labor categories of Allied Health, Technologist, Technician and Assistant services at Military Treatment Facilities in the Southeastern Region of the United States. The combined amount is $99.7 million. The five companies will have the opportunity to bid on each individual task order. Among the work locations are Naval Hospital Pensacola and Navy Medicine Operational Training Center Pensacola.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Week in review (10/26 to 11/1)
It was a rough week for the nation's commercial space programs. First, Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket exploded just after liftoff early in the week at Wallops Island, Va. The rocket and 2.5 tons of cargo bound for the International Space Station were destroyed, and the launch pad and surrounding buildings at NASA's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport were damaged. But nobody was killed. (Post)
The same can't be said for another catastrophic accident later in the week, this one over California's Mojave Desert. In that case, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, designed to ferry passengers to the edge of space, crashed and killed one pilot and injured the other. The accident is under investigation.
The two accidents, though separate missions, threw some cold water on the nation's hot commercial space programs. There have already been several successful resupply missions to the International Space Station by both Orbital Sciences and SpaceX, and other companies are working hard on separate efforts to carry humans into space.
In the case of the Antares explosion, the culprit appears to be the first stage Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ-26 engines, modified Russian-built NK-33s that were originally were designed and built to boost Russian cosmonauts to the moon. That was more than 40 years ago.
Folks in the Gulf Coast region are familiar with those engines. They are tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and most of those tests have gone by without much notice. The last time one of those engines made headlines in this region was back in May, when one failed during a test. But as officials said at that time, that's the reason for the testing – have 'em fail on the ground. But sometimes, failures can occur in flight.
Those engines have caused some headaches for Aerojet Rocketdyne parent at GenCorp Inc. The company singled out the AJ-26 as a major reason for its fiscal third quarter loss of $9.5 million and net loss of the year to date of $61.8 million.
GenCorp said it took a pretax contract loss of $17.5 million on the program last quarter, and $31.4 million loss on the program for the year to date. GenCorp blamed the loss on the cost to repair or replace engines after the test failure, apparently the one at SSC in May. Orbital Sciences, which has enough AJ-26 engines to complete its contract with NASA, has been looking for alternative engines for a while now. Space News reported in March that the several alternatives all are Russian engines.
In the SpaceShipTwo accident, the spacecraft was carried to 45,000 feet by the four-engine, twin fuselage White Knight Two, then released and fired its engines. It wasn't long after that release that something went wrong with the aircraft built by Scaled Composites, a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman. Officials said the spacecraft was using a new fuel formula the company switched to in May. While this region is not involved in the Virgin Galactic program, it is involved in other commercial space activities.
SSC was chosen by SpaceX to do research and development on its next generation engine, and at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Lockheed Martin has done composite structures work for Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser spacecraft.
While the success of NASA programs has always been of high interest here, so, too, is the success of commercial endeavors. While the two accidents won’t kill commercial space activities, it does underscore the dangers inherent in space flight.
Airbus
The first plane that will come out of the Airbus final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., will be an A321 rather than an A320 as originally planned. That's what Airbus Americas President Barry Eccleston told an audience in Seattle during the week. The A321ceo, or “current engine option,” will come out of the plant at the Mobile Aeroplex in April 2016 for customer JetBlue.
The change is a reflection on the growing interest in the larger version of the A320 family. In the year through September, Airbus has booked 311 gross orders for the A321, which seats about 185 passengers in a two-class configuration but can accommodate up to 220 for economy carriers. (Post)
F-35
The head of the F-35 program office said that by the end of December he expects to have decided on a permanent solution for a design issue that caused an F-35A engine to fail in June at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., home of the F-35 integrated training center.
Engine-maker Pratt and Whitney has offered several potential fixes, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan. The engine failure and subsequent fire were the result of micro fractures in one of the three-stage fan sections. These sections are lined with a polyimide material that is designed to rub against the fan blades to reduce pressure loss. In the Eglin incident, the third fan rubbed in excess of tolerance during maneuvers several weeks before the failure, causing the blades to heat to 900 more than ever expected. This led to micro fractures in the titanium part of the rotor, which grew over the next few weeks of flying before finally failing. (Post)
-- There were multiple contracts and modifications awarded during the week in connection with the F-35 program. In each the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., was awarded a $793 million modification to the previously awarded Low Rate Initial Production Lot VIII F135 propulsion systems contract. It provides for the procurement of engines for the Air Force, Marines, Navy and international partners. Work will be done in Connecticut, the United Kingdom and Indiana and is expected to be completed in March 2018. (Post)
Lockheed Martin Aeronaucics Co. of Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded three contracts. In one, it was awarded a $411.1 million modification to a previously awarded contract for the repair and replenishment of government-owned F-35 fighters, including spare parts for the Navy, Marines, Air Force and international partners. Work will be done in Texas, California, the United Kingdom, Florida, New Hampshire and Maryland and is expected to be completed by November 2015. (Post)
In another, it was awarded a $391.6 million contract to provide recurring sustainment support for delivered air systems for the F-35 program including, but not limited to: ground maintenance activities; action request resolution; depot activation activities; and more, including activities to provide and support pilot and maintainer initial training for the Air Force, Marines, Navy and international partners. Work will be performed in Texas, California, the United Kingdom, Florida, New Hampshire and Maryland and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2015. (Post)
The company also was awarded a $220.7 million modification to a previously awarded contract that provides for the System Development and Demonstration Phase I Increment 2, to continue support of F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) air system for the government of Israel under the foreign military sales program. This modification includes the development and demonstration of the hardware and software for the Israel F-35A CTOL air system. Work will be performed at Fort Worth and is expected to be completed in March 2019. (Post)
Bases
Military aircraft and vessels from across the country are participating in a two-week training exercise at the National Guard’s Trent Lott Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport, Miss. More than 52 units are reportedly involved in Southern Strike. The exercise has grown each of its first three years and now involves units from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, FBI and Special Operations Forces. (Post)
-- Fleet helicopters gathered at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., during the week for the 25th annual Fleet Fly-In. The event is designed to let military student pilots see the aircraft they will fly once they go out in the fleet. Some two dozen Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft were involved. (Post)
-- Drone Aviation Corp of Jacksonville, Fla., has been hired to expand the capabilities of the state-of-the-art lighter-than-air balloon it provided to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., earlier this year. At Eglin, they’re used to gather information about weapons tests. The company has other contracts with the Army, but Eglin’s is the only current Air Force contract. (Post)
Training
Alabama Aviation Center held a career fair and open house Saturday at the Aeroplex in Mobile, Ala. Employers are seeking current and future A/P mechanics, composite technicians, avionic technicians and mechanics and lead mechanics, sheet metal assemblers, design engineers, master structure technicians, IT specialists, ground test engineers, flight test engineers and team leaders. (Post)
Contracts
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $486.5 million modification to exercise an option year to a previously awarded contract for F-22 sustainment activities. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2015. F-22 pilots are trained at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. … Raytheon Technical Services Co. LLC, Indianapolis, Ind., was awarded a $35 million contract for Joint Miniature Munitions Bomb Rack Unit (JMM BRU) aircraft integration and lifecycle technical support. Contractor will provide aircraft integration and life cycle technical support throughout the technology development and engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD); and EMD F-15 flight test and production phases. Work will be performed at Indianapolis and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2021. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.
The same can't be said for another catastrophic accident later in the week, this one over California's Mojave Desert. In that case, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, designed to ferry passengers to the edge of space, crashed and killed one pilot and injured the other. The accident is under investigation.
The two accidents, though separate missions, threw some cold water on the nation's hot commercial space programs. There have already been several successful resupply missions to the International Space Station by both Orbital Sciences and SpaceX, and other companies are working hard on separate efforts to carry humans into space.
In the case of the Antares explosion, the culprit appears to be the first stage Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ-26 engines, modified Russian-built NK-33s that were originally were designed and built to boost Russian cosmonauts to the moon. That was more than 40 years ago.
Folks in the Gulf Coast region are familiar with those engines. They are tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and most of those tests have gone by without much notice. The last time one of those engines made headlines in this region was back in May, when one failed during a test. But as officials said at that time, that's the reason for the testing – have 'em fail on the ground. But sometimes, failures can occur in flight.
Those engines have caused some headaches for Aerojet Rocketdyne parent at GenCorp Inc. The company singled out the AJ-26 as a major reason for its fiscal third quarter loss of $9.5 million and net loss of the year to date of $61.8 million.
GenCorp said it took a pretax contract loss of $17.5 million on the program last quarter, and $31.4 million loss on the program for the year to date. GenCorp blamed the loss on the cost to repair or replace engines after the test failure, apparently the one at SSC in May. Orbital Sciences, which has enough AJ-26 engines to complete its contract with NASA, has been looking for alternative engines for a while now. Space News reported in March that the several alternatives all are Russian engines.
In the SpaceShipTwo accident, the spacecraft was carried to 45,000 feet by the four-engine, twin fuselage White Knight Two, then released and fired its engines. It wasn't long after that release that something went wrong with the aircraft built by Scaled Composites, a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman. Officials said the spacecraft was using a new fuel formula the company switched to in May. While this region is not involved in the Virgin Galactic program, it is involved in other commercial space activities.
SSC was chosen by SpaceX to do research and development on its next generation engine, and at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Lockheed Martin has done composite structures work for Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser spacecraft.
While the success of NASA programs has always been of high interest here, so, too, is the success of commercial endeavors. While the two accidents won’t kill commercial space activities, it does underscore the dangers inherent in space flight.
Airbus
The first plane that will come out of the Airbus final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., will be an A321 rather than an A320 as originally planned. That's what Airbus Americas President Barry Eccleston told an audience in Seattle during the week. The A321ceo, or “current engine option,” will come out of the plant at the Mobile Aeroplex in April 2016 for customer JetBlue.
The change is a reflection on the growing interest in the larger version of the A320 family. In the year through September, Airbus has booked 311 gross orders for the A321, which seats about 185 passengers in a two-class configuration but can accommodate up to 220 for economy carriers. (Post)
F-35
The head of the F-35 program office said that by the end of December he expects to have decided on a permanent solution for a design issue that caused an F-35A engine to fail in June at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., home of the F-35 integrated training center.
Engine-maker Pratt and Whitney has offered several potential fixes, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan. The engine failure and subsequent fire were the result of micro fractures in one of the three-stage fan sections. These sections are lined with a polyimide material that is designed to rub against the fan blades to reduce pressure loss. In the Eglin incident, the third fan rubbed in excess of tolerance during maneuvers several weeks before the failure, causing the blades to heat to 900 more than ever expected. This led to micro fractures in the titanium part of the rotor, which grew over the next few weeks of flying before finally failing. (Post)
-- There were multiple contracts and modifications awarded during the week in connection with the F-35 program. In each the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., was awarded a $793 million modification to the previously awarded Low Rate Initial Production Lot VIII F135 propulsion systems contract. It provides for the procurement of engines for the Air Force, Marines, Navy and international partners. Work will be done in Connecticut, the United Kingdom and Indiana and is expected to be completed in March 2018. (Post)
Lockheed Martin Aeronaucics Co. of Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded three contracts. In one, it was awarded a $411.1 million modification to a previously awarded contract for the repair and replenishment of government-owned F-35 fighters, including spare parts for the Navy, Marines, Air Force and international partners. Work will be done in Texas, California, the United Kingdom, Florida, New Hampshire and Maryland and is expected to be completed by November 2015. (Post)
In another, it was awarded a $391.6 million contract to provide recurring sustainment support for delivered air systems for the F-35 program including, but not limited to: ground maintenance activities; action request resolution; depot activation activities; and more, including activities to provide and support pilot and maintainer initial training for the Air Force, Marines, Navy and international partners. Work will be performed in Texas, California, the United Kingdom, Florida, New Hampshire and Maryland and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2015. (Post)
The company also was awarded a $220.7 million modification to a previously awarded contract that provides for the System Development and Demonstration Phase I Increment 2, to continue support of F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) air system for the government of Israel under the foreign military sales program. This modification includes the development and demonstration of the hardware and software for the Israel F-35A CTOL air system. Work will be performed at Fort Worth and is expected to be completed in March 2019. (Post)
Bases
Military aircraft and vessels from across the country are participating in a two-week training exercise at the National Guard’s Trent Lott Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport, Miss. More than 52 units are reportedly involved in Southern Strike. The exercise has grown each of its first three years and now involves units from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, FBI and Special Operations Forces. (Post)
-- Fleet helicopters gathered at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., during the week for the 25th annual Fleet Fly-In. The event is designed to let military student pilots see the aircraft they will fly once they go out in the fleet. Some two dozen Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft were involved. (Post)
-- Drone Aviation Corp of Jacksonville, Fla., has been hired to expand the capabilities of the state-of-the-art lighter-than-air balloon it provided to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., earlier this year. At Eglin, they’re used to gather information about weapons tests. The company has other contracts with the Army, but Eglin’s is the only current Air Force contract. (Post)
Training
Alabama Aviation Center held a career fair and open house Saturday at the Aeroplex in Mobile, Ala. Employers are seeking current and future A/P mechanics, composite technicians, avionic technicians and mechanics and lead mechanics, sheet metal assemblers, design engineers, master structure technicians, IT specialists, ground test engineers, flight test engineers and team leaders. (Post)
Contracts
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $486.5 million modification to exercise an option year to a previously awarded contract for F-22 sustainment activities. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2015. F-22 pilots are trained at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. … Raytheon Technical Services Co. LLC, Indianapolis, Ind., was awarded a $35 million contract for Joint Miniature Munitions Bomb Rack Unit (JMM BRU) aircraft integration and lifecycle technical support. Contractor will provide aircraft integration and life cycle technical support throughout the technology development and engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD); and EMD F-15 flight test and production phases. Work will be performed at Indianapolis and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2021. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.
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