Week in review (5/8 to 5/14)

If you're a regular reader of this column, no doubt you've noticed that I've had weeks where I didn’t post anything. An explanation is in order.

Early this year we launched a new business quarterly magazine, a startup that always takes a lot of time and attention. Then we started developing internship programs with area colleges for that magazine.

This weekly column ended up suffering. And it will continue to do so for a while.

But since this column was always intended to be a recap of the week's aerospace activities, you can always get that information by signing up for the daily Gulf Coast aerospace feed. It's not like getting the column, but you'll still be kept informed.

That said, here's your week in review:


Airbus
Airbus will deliver a new A321 jetliner to American Airlines Tuesday at the Airbus campus in the Mobile Aeroplex. It's the second A321 off the assembly line at the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility. The event, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. CDT, is not open to the public. American Airlines operates the world's largest fleet of Airbus aircraft and the world's largest A321 fleet. The Airbus plant delivered its first jetliner to JetBlue in March. (Post)


Acquisition
Tyonek Services Group Inc. has acquired Selex Galileo's Avionics System Integration facility in Stennis International Airport in Kiln, Miss. The company will be named Tyonek Services Overhaul Facility – Stennis LLC (TSOF-S) and is expected to create at least 26 new jobs over the next two years. The general aviation airport is 1,691 acres with an 8,500-foot grooved runway and more than 340,000 square feet of surfaced aprons and taxiways. (Post)


New positions
The former commanding officer at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., Capt. Keith Hoskins, will join the Gulf Power team June 1. Hoskins, a former Blue Angels pilot, will serve as the major accounts and military affairs manager leading a team that serves the company’s largest customers. Hoskins is replacing Ellis Oswald who is retiring. Hoskins commanded NAS Pensacola for three years and served in the Navy for 27 years. During his Navy career, Hoskins also was commanding officer of Strike Force Squadron 15 and as national director of NROTC at Navy Service Training Command. (Post)

-- Speaking of new jobs, the Air Force chief of staff announced that Col. Sean M. Farrell, who has been selected to the grade of brigadier general, is being assigned from commander, 1st Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla., to director, strategic plans, programs and requirements, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field. Also, Col. William G. Holt II, who has been selected to the grade of brigadier general, is being assigned from commander, 352d Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, RAF Mildenhall, England, to director of operations, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field. (Post)


Contracts
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $10.6 million
modification to exercise an option on a delivery order that was previously issued against a basic ordering agreement. This option procures 61 retrofit kits to correct deficiencies that preclude aircraft mission readiness in support of the Marine F-35 Strike Fighter aircraft initial operating capabilities. One of the bases where the work will be performed is Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. … Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. also was awarded a $31.1 million incentive modification to a previously awarded advance contract. This modification provides for long lead time materials, parts, components and effort required to maintain the planned production schedule for eight F-35A low-rate initial production Lot 12 F-35A air vehicles for The Netherlands. Work will be performed in Fort Worth; El Segundo, Calif.; Warton, United Kingdom; Orlando, Fla.; Nashua, N.H.; Baltimore, Md.; and Cameri, Italy, and is expected to be completed in March 2021. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. … Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $104.6 million contract for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) program. Work will be performed at Tucson and is expected to be complete by Feb. 28, 2017. This contract involves foreign military sales to Korea, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Romania. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.