Week in review (10/23 to 10/29)

Pensacola leaders were, understandably, overjoyed Friday when they had the ceremonial groundbreaking for the $46 million aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility that will be built at Pensacola International Airport.

In addition to the construction jobs, the VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering hangar - which will be larger than the terminal building at the airport - will provide permanent jobs for some 400 aerospace workers, and it's likely to grow in the future.

About 100 invited guests showed up for the event, five years in the making, at a corner of the airport on what was a picture perfect day. The new operation at the airport is an expansion for VT MAE, owned by ST Engineering of Singapore. VT MAE has had a large operation at the Mobile Aeroplex since 1991.

Construction on the four-acre building in Pensacola will begin Monday and is scheduled to be finished by February 2018. (Post)

While it's being ballyhooed as marking Pensacola's entry into the growing aerospace segment of the economy, it's really just the latest, albeit highly publicized, addition to the Pensacola metropolitan area's aerospace sector.

For years the Pensacola MSA has been a key military aviation training center, includes the training of pilots. Pensacola and Milton have been the location for private companies that ensure the Navy can satisfy that mission. Take a look at "Keeping 'em flying still big business" in the April 2015 issue of the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor Newsletter.

You might also find interesting "The Rockhill Group continues to grow" in the February 2016 issue of the newsletter, about a former military pilot's startup that is having a high degree of success landing military contracts. Then take a look at "Small company with a big task" in the December 2014 issue of the newsletter, about Marianna Airmotive.

There's more, including "Avalex innovating in key security fields" in the February 2015 issue, a story about the Gulf Breeze-based company, and you might also find it interesting to read "TPR settles in, mulling expansion" in the August 2014 issue of the newsletter, and "Aircraft displays simplify flying" in the March 2014 issue.

And we're planning to do more stories in coming issues about these aviation-related businesses that don't get a lot of publicity, but are playing a key role.

Economic development

In Mobile, Ala., we found out during the week that France's Thales has joined the growing list of aerospace companies that have set up operations at the Mobile Aeroplex. Thales is involved in avionics, in-flight entertainment, aircraft connectivity and aircraft electrical systems.

"Our relationship with Thales spans more than a decade and when it requested a flexible and scaleable location to meet their current business case needs, we were more than happy to get to work," said Roger Wehner, executive director of the Mobile Airport Authority. (Post)

The Aeroplex is also the location of the Airbus A320 series manufacturing facility, which is now routinely building jetliners. The first U.S.-built Delta Air Lines Airbus A321 has been painted with the company's colors and has left the paint shop at the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility.

The Delta jetliner is the 15th A321 produced by Airbus in Mobile since the start of operations in July 2015. Twelve aircraft have been delivered to customers thus far. MAAS Aviation completed the painting in its facility located on the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley within the Airbus manufacturing facility campus. (Post)

Meanwhile, over in east central Mississippi, Raytheon announced Monday that it will assemble the T-100 trainer in Mississippi if the company wins the Air Force's T-X competition. The jet is a modified Aermacchi M-346. True, Meridian is a bit outside the immediate I-10 aerospace corridor, but it does show just how hot this broader region has become for aerospace.

The site in Meridian is near the airport was chosen because it has the infrastructure and is close to its customers. One newspaper said it would mean 450 jobs. Raytheon has manufactured products in Mississippi for more than three decades. Leonardo-Finmeccanica, CAE USA and Honeywell Aerospace have partnered with Raytheon to offer the T-100 to the U.S. Air Force. Also competing for the contract are Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman. (Post)

JobsA host of companies were on hand to take applications from job-seekers Friday at the 8th annual CareerSource Escarosa job fair at Pensacola State College’s Jean and Paul Amos Performance Studio. Among the companies are VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Eastridge Workforce Solutions, and Navy Federal Credit Union. EWS is hiring people to build solar energy farms that are part of a partnership between regional military bases and Gulf Power. (Post)

Contracts

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, Calif., was issued a $10.4 million modification to a previously awarded contract for production of one MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned air system. Moss Point, Miss., will do 16 percent of the work. Other work sites are San Diego, Ozark, Ala., and Fort Worth, Texas. Work will be completed in August 2019. … PAE Aviation and Technical Services LLC, Marlton, N.J., was awarded a $14.9 million modification to a previously awarded contract. The contractor will provide maintenance of aerial targets, and operations and maintenance of range instrumentation systems at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.; and maintenance of full-scale aerial targets at Holloman AFB, N.M. This includes functional and quality assurance support for the Aerial Targets Program, which directly supports live-fire weapons system testing and enables the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group in the developmental and operational weapons testing for all air-to-air missiles and for the F-22, F-35, F-16, and F-15 aircraft. Work is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2017.

Week in review (10/16 to 10/22)

The 36th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron is now at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., after moving from Pope Army Airfield, N.C., on Oct. 15. It’s now part of the Air Force Reserve's 403rd Wing.

The move allows the unit to have access to the 403rd's training missions and 20 C-130Js. The 36th AES currently has 30 personnel, but is scheduled to have 40 officers and 83 enlisted personnel.

The day before the redesignation ceremony, the 36th AES it took part in a training mission with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler. (Post)

F-35

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $743.2 million modification to the previously awarded low-rate initial production Lot 9 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter advance acquisition contract.

It provides additional funding and will establish not-to-exceed (NTE) prices for diminishing manufacturing and material shortages redesign and development, estimated post production concurrency changes and country unique requirements. In addition, this modification will establish NTE prices for one F-35A aircraft and one F-35B aircraft for a non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participant in the F-35 program.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center. (Post)

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. got another contract during the week, this one a $20.4 million modification to a previously awarded contract. Work will be done at the Ogden Depot as well as at F-22 operational bases, including Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. (Post)

Contracts

SURVICE Engineering Co., Belcamp, Md., was awarded an $15.2 million modification to a previously awarded contract for SEEK EAGLE program modeling, analysis, and tools support. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by Oct. 22, 2017. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. … Energy and Environment LLC of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was among the companies awarded a $50 million contract for environmental remediation services for the Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division. … DynCorp International, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $63.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract for continued contractor operated and maintained base supply support. Work will be performed at Naval Air Stations Pensacola and Whiting Field, both in Florida, and other bases.Work is expected to be completed by April 30, 2017. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

Week in review (10/2 to 10/8)

If you haven't had a chance to look at it, you might want to check out the latest Gulf Coast Aerospace Newsletter. The October edition was published Tuesday, and includes stories that are bound to be of interest to those who follow the region’s aerospace activities.

There's a story about the upcoming Aerospace Alliance Summit in Gulfport, Miss., and a story about areas that are attractive to aerospace manufacturers. There are also stories about NASA's unique camera that captures detail never before seen, and about new collaborative opportunities at the Mobile Aeroplex. (Post)

Unmanned

The Navy awarded Bell Helicopter a $3.3 million contract to investigate the potential for future flight strain, fatigue, and tail boom might cracking on the Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter.

The concern is whether those issues might arise because the Naval Air Systems Command is flying the MQ-8C at higher weights and altitudes than those for the civilian version of the Bell 407. Final assembly of the MQ-8C is done in Moss Point, Miss. (Post)

Corporate

Star Aviation has been acquired by Carlisle Companies Inc., of Scottsdale, Ariz. A Carlisle executive said Star will add "significant engineering resources and technology" to Carlisle's portfolio.

Carlisle designs, manufactures and markets a range of products to a range of niche markets, according to the company’s website. That includes commercial roofing, agriculture and mining to aerospace and defense electronics.

Star, which specializes in in-flight entertainment, was founded in 1999 and has an operation in Seattle. The company says it anticipates continued growth in Mobile. (Post)

Contracts

The COLSA Corp., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $44.8 million modification to exercise the option on a previously awarded contract for technical and management advisory services including command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR); and cyber support. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is one of the work locations, and the work is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2017. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. … Bevilacqua Research Corp., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $25.9 million modification to exercise an option on a previously awarded contract for technical and management advisory services. Work locations include Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. … QuantiTech Inc., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $25.7 million modification to exercise an option on a previously awarded contract for technical and management advisory services for range support. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and other locations and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2017. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. … The Torch Technologies Inc., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $24.3 million modification to exercise an option on a previously awarded contract for technical and management advisory services for armament support. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and Kirkland AFB, N.M., and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2017. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. … M1 Support Services, Denton, Texas, was awarded a $10.5 million modification to exercise an option on a previously awarded contract for ground instructional training aircraft, historical static display aircraft, trainers, support equipment, aerospace ground equipment, and munitions trainer maintenance services. Work will be performed at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, and Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2017.