Week in review (7/23 to 7/29)

Happy birthday, NASA!

An associate reminded me it was 59 years ago today, July 29, 1958, that Congress established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in response to the Soviet Union launching the first satellite in space.

Since then NASA has sponsored space expeditions, human and mechanical, that have helped further our understanding of space, including landing the first human on the moon in July 1969. Its research has also led to many products and services that we regularly use today in non-space activities.

While NASA is important to the nation, it holds particular significance for the South. It was shortly after its establishment that NASA that in the early ‘60s it launched a program to establish manufacturing, test and launch facilities needed to take on the Soviet Union in the space race.

The South became a big winner thanks to the availability of large tracts of land and interconnected waterways needed to transport large space vehicles. Longer periods of fair weather flying also played a role, as it did for the establishment of military bases in this region. On top of that, powerful, senior Southern politicians recognized the economic benefit the space program would bring, and pushed to have NASA set up sites in this region.

Huntsville, Houston, Cape Canaveral, Bay St. Louis, and New Orleans all were chosen and formed the "Space Crescent." The Gulf Coast I-10 region is home to Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, which was tasked with building the huge space vehicles that would be needed, and a site in south Mississippi near Bay St. Louis, which would eventually become John C. Stennis Space Center, was chosen to test the huge rocket engines.

Both facilities have played a central role in the nation’s ventures into space since they were established. Today Michoud and Stennis Space Center are involved in NASA programs as well as programs of commercial space companies. So again, happy birthday, NASA.

For a closer look at space activities in this region, take a look at Chapter II of Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor 2017-2018.

OK, speaking of NASA, SSC and the space program, the agency successfully tested the third RS-25 flight controller, this one Unit 5, during a 500-second test Tuesday on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center.

Four RS-25 engines providing 2 million pounds of thrust will power the first stage of NASA's deep-space Space Launch System. A pair of solid rocket boosters will produce an additional 6 million pounds of thrust. The test involved installing the controller unit, characterized as the "brain," on an RS-25 development engine and firing it in the same manner, and for the same length of time, as needed during launch. (Post)

F-35
There were three contracts during the week that were awarded to Lockheed Martin for the F-35 Lightning II fighter. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity in all three contracts.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $3.7 billion modification to the previously awarded advanced acquisition contract for Lot 11. This modification provides for the procurement of 50 aircraft for non-Department of Defense participants and foreign military sales (FMS) customers comprised of one F-35B aircraft for the UK; one F-35A aircraft for Italy; eight F-35A aircraft for Australia; eight F-35A aircraft for the Netherlands; four F-35A aircraft for Turkey; six F-35A aircraft for Norway; and 22 F-35A aircraft for FMS customers.

Work will be performed in Texas, California, United Kingdom, Italy, New Hampshire, Maryland, Florida, Japan and other international locations, and is expected to be completed in December 2020. (Post)

In another contract, Lockheed Martin was awarded a $218.7 million modification to a previously awarded contract for recurring logistics support and sustainment services for F-35 aircraft in support of the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants, and foreign military sales customers. Sustainment services to be provided include ground maintenance activities; action request resolution; depot activation activities; Automatic Logistics Information System operations and maintenance; reliability, maintainability and health management implementation and support; supply chain management; and activities to provide and support pilot and maintainer initial training.

Work will be done in Texas, Florida, United Kingdom, California, and South Carolina and is expected to be completed in February 2018. (Post)

In addition, the company was awarded an $8 million modification to a previously awarded contract for recurring logistics support and sustainment services for F-35 aircraft in support of the government of Israel under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be done in Florida, South Carolina and Texas, and is expected to be completed in December 2017. (Post)

Military

The Navy has grounded C-130 aircraft similar to the one that crashed in Mississippi earlier this month while investigators are looking into what made the plane come down. Among the aircraft grounded is the Blue Angels’ Fat Albert, a KC-130T cargo plane that accompanies the Blue Angels to air shows.

The 15 Marines and Navy corpsman died July 10 when the KC-130T taking them from Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station in North Carolina to El Centro Naval Air Station in California crashed in rural Mississippi. (Post)

Contracts

Raytheon, Tucson, Ariz., has been awarded a $7.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract for GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II F-16 integration. The modification is for weapon integration support, travel, and integration-related hardware. Work will be done in Tucson and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2021. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Direct Attack International Branch, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Kapsuun Group LLC, Lorton, Va., was awarded a $70 million contract for linguist and analyst support services. The contractor will provide linguist and analyst support services for 25th Air Force’s 55th Wing, 70th and 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Wings, the 361st ISR Group and the 24th Air Force’s 67th and 688th Cyberspace Wings, to support the warfighter by providing near real-time intelligence and cyberspace intelligence to national decision makers, theater and combatant commanders with 1N3 ground linguists and 1A8 airborne linguists. One of the work locations is Hurlburt Field, Fla. Other sites are in the United Kingdom, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii, Alaska, and Japan. … Broadleaf Inc., Haymarket Va., was awarded a $22 million contract for base level software support services. This contract provides for services to purchase software and manage software licenses. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by July 31, 2021. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity.

Week in review (7/16 to 7/22)

Another commercial space company is using Stennis Space Center, Miss., to test rocket engines. Relativity Space of Los Angeles is still keeping mum about its work, but the co-founder and CEO Tim Ellis during a Capitol Hill meeting said the company is testing at SSC.

The meeting was before the Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competiveness and the focus was on public-private space partnerships.

"Relativity has begun testing of our liquid oxygen/liquid methane engine with over six dozen hot fires across multiple test articles at NASA Stennis Space Center, with plans for continued routine testing," said Ellis, a former engineer with Blue Origin. His partner, Jordan Noone, was formerly with SpaceX. (Post)

Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi is the largest rocket engine test facility in the nation. Engines for NASA projects, as well as those of private companies for their own projects, are conducted at the center, which has a huge buffer zone. Rolls-Royce also tests jet engines at the facility.

Bases

Rear Adm. Kyle J. Cozad took the helm of the Naval Education and Training Command during a ceremony during the week at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. Cozad, a P-3 Orion pilot who helped lead the Navy’s recent transition to the P-8 Poseidon, took over from Rear Adm. Michael S. White.

The command includes more than 12,500 military, civilian and contract employees who support 236 detachments worldwide. About 30,000 students are in training provided by the Pensacola-based command on any given day. (Post)

Airports

Frontier Airlines announced during the week that it is adding new service in New Orleans and Pensacola, Fla. The company, based in Denver, announced 21 new cities that will be served by the low-fare carrier as part of their nationwide network expansion.

Beginning in the spring of 2018, Frontier Airlines will offer non-stop service to Denver, Colo., from Pensacola International Airport. In New Orleans, the airline is adding flights to Austin and San Antonio, Texas, Islip, N.Y., and Providence, R.I. The announcement increases the number of destinations served by the carrier by 30 percent and double the number of total routes. (Post)

Contracts

Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $75 million contract for Small Diameter Bomb II technical support. Contractor will provide lifecycle technical support throughout engineering and manufacturing development, production, and sustainment phases. Work will be performed in Tucson and is expected to be complete by July 25, 2024. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Williams Electric Co. Inc., of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was among three companies awarded a $270 million contract for personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, non-personal services and other items necessary to procure, install, service and maintain electronic security systems. The other two companies are Indyne Inc., of Reston, Va., and Spectrum Solutions Inc., of Madison, Ala. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated
completion date of March 20, 2022. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Support Center, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity. … CYE Enterprises Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., was awarded a $25 million contract for the repair and/or replacement of roofs. This contract provides for the furnishing of all plant, labor, materials and equipment, and all other items or services necessary to perform all operations in connection with the repair and replacement of roofs on an as-needed basis at various facilities. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by July 31, 2022. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity.

Week in review (7/2 to 7/8)

One story that got a lot of attention during the week was the fire at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in the air-handling system of a building near the McKinley Climatic Laboratory. The fire caused the release of a toxic chemical, methylene chloride.

Just how much was released won’t be known for a while, but it did lead to a number of people going to hospitals to get checked out. The fire did cause a large, dark plume near the lab.

Methylene chloride is used to lower temperatures in the lab where tests are conducted to gauge the impact of extreme temperatures on everything from snow tires to airplanes. The refrigerant is a known carcinogen.

Bases

Naval Air Station Whiting Field secured an easement to help protect the training mission of the installation last month. The contract provides for an easement over 163 acres of undeveloped property adjacent to the northern boundary of Navy Outlying Landing Field Pace.

The easement issues protections that ensure incompatible development of the land cannot occur in the future. The property is under flight tracks for the helicopter training that occurs at NOLF Pace, helping to ensure that future construction does not occur under Accident Potential Zones (APZs) or clear zones.

The easement was purchased for $571,000, with 75 percent paid by the Navy. Santa Rosa County picked up the rest of the cost. (Post)

-- Members of Eglin’s 33rd Fighter Wing are at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to participate in a major training exercise. Officials aid 120 members of the F-35 squadron will join the Red Flag exercise. It’s the first time the Nomads have taken part in a Red Flag since the squadron began flying F-35s in 2009. (Post)

-- The first F-35A pilot has been chosen to join the Air Force Thunderbirds. He’s Capt. Stephen Del Bagno of the 58th Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., who will fly the No. 4 slot position. The commander of the Air Combat Command, Gen. Mike Holmes, officially selected seven pilots on June 30 to join the flying demonstration team for the 2018 season. The 58th FS is part of the 33rd Fighter Wing, which trains pilots and maintenance personnel. (Post)

Airports

The Mississippi congressional delegation announced 42 grants valued at $7.54 million for airports throughout the state, including at two in South Mississippi. Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport will receive $2.35 million from the Federal Aviation Administration for taxiway widening, runway rehabilitation and security enhancement.

The grant also provides partial reimbursement for work completed in 2014. The City of Picayune was awarded $162,540 for the Picayune Municipal Airport to fund Phase 2 and 3 of a taxiway construction program to improve access to aircraft hangars, including design and wetlands mitigation. (Post)

F-35

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded multiple contracts during the week, including one for $5.6 billion, related to the F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter.

The $5.6 billion contract was a modification to a previously awarded low-rate initial production Lot 11 advance acquisition contract. It provides for the procurement of 74 fiscal 2017 aircraft, comprised of 48 F-35A aircraft for the Air Force, 18 F-35B aircraft for the Marine Corps, and eight F-35C aircraft for the Navy and Marine Corps.

Work will be performed in Texas, California, Florida, New Hampshire, Maryland, the United Kingdom and Italy, and is expected to be completed in December 2020.

The company also was awarded a $50 million modification to a previously awarded contract for the F-35 fighter verification simulation (VSim) / F-35 in-a-box software model development, integration and support. Work will be performed in Texas, Maryland and California and is expected to be completed in April 2018.

The company also was awarded a $44 million modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract. It provides additional funding for long-lead time materials, parts, components, and effort for production of five additional low-rate initial production Lot 12 F-35B aircraft. Work will be performed in Texas, California, Florida, New Hampshire, Maryland, the United Kingdom and Japan, and is expected to be completed in December 2017.

Finally, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. was awarded a $30 million to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract for additional engineering and hardware assembly services in support of the F-35 low-rate initial production Lot 11 aircraft for the government of Japan under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Japan and Maryland, and is expected to be completed in December 2018.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity for all four contracts.

Week in review (6/25 to 7/1)

The first time I heard about it was back in November 2016 during the Aerospace Alliance Summit in Gulfport, Miss. The "it" I'm talking about was the plan by Gulf Power to use unmanned aerial vehicles to inspect power lines.

Now it's gone beyond a plan.

Pensacola-based Gulf Power has started using drones for inspections. Some line workers are being trained as drone pilots to get pictures or video of structures that are difficult to see, according to a story in the Santa Rosa Press Gazette.

Gulf Power's parent company, the Southern Company, started investigating drones for power line work in 2015. Gulf Power spokeswoman Kimberly Blair said the company started using the drones this year. Recently they were used to inspect the new lines that are part of the Gulf Coast Solar Center projects at Naval Air Stations Whiting Field and Pensacola, Saufley and Holley Outlying Fields and Eglin Air Force Base.

Bases

The 95th Fighter Squadron of Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., achieved a major milestone June 26 by flying its 10,000th F-22 Raptor sortie. Since its first Raptor flight Jan. 21, 2014, the 95th FS deployed to Europe in August 2015 and later saw combat action over the skies of Iraq and Syria. Tyndall has the largest contingent of F-22 Raptors in the world. (Post)

-- Instructor pilots will resume flying the T-45C with the on-board oxygen generator system in early July, with students resuming flight training later in the month. That’s the word from air boss Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, who visited bases in Kingsville, Texas, Meridian Miss., and Pensacola, Fla., during the week with the news as well as to introduce the new Chief of Naval Air Training, Rear Adm. James Bynum. Bynum assumed command of CNATRA June 23. (Post)

-- Training Squadron THREE at Naval Air Station Whiting Field was recently recognized as the top primary training squadron in the Navy for fiscal year 2016. The Chief of Naval Air Training announced the winners of the Cdr. Theodore G. Ellyson Aviator Production Excellence Awards, which recognize a unit’s ability to produce the right number of pilots, on schedule, and within the approved syllabus time. VT-3, which uses the T-6B Texan II, trains aviators and pilots for the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and several allied nations. (Post)

F-35

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $257.8 million modification to a previously awarded F-35 advance acquisition contract. This modification provides the procurement of 129 alternate mission equipment for the Air Force (54); Navy and Marine Corps (11); foreign military sales (FMS); and international partners (39); 468 pilot flight equipment for the Air Force (203); Navy and Marine Corps (131); and FMS and international partners (134); and 94 red gear for the Air Force (44); Navy and Marine Corps (11); FMS; and international partners (39), to support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production.

Work will be performed in Inglewood, Calif. (60 percent); White Plains, N.Y. (25 percent); St. Petersburg, Fla. (5 percent); Orlando, Fla. (5 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2020. This order combines purchases for the Air Force (47.7 percent); Marine Corps (15.6 percent); Navy (4.0 percent); international partners (23.4 percent); and FMS customers (9.3 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program.

Lockheed Martin Corp. also was awarded $22.8 million modification to a previously awarded contract for interim contractor support for the Navy and Marine Corps in support of F-35. Support to be provided includes capabilities and services associated with Autonomic Logistics Information System maintenance, system administration, database administration, networks administration and operational mission software administration.

Work is expected to be completed in December 2017. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity for both contracts.

Contracts

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum, Md., was awarded $10.5 million for a job order under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement. The requirement is for spare parts to be used to repair the AN/ALQ-240 Electronic Support Measures system at intermediate-level repair sites. The AN/ALQ-240 provides rapid detection, classification and geographical location of ground-based radar systems to provide situational awareness to the P-8A aircraft. Work will be performed a a variety of locations, including Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and is expected to be completed by October 2020. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity. … SA Technical Services Inc., Niceville, Fla., Advanced Concepts Enterprises Inc., Shalimar, Fla., and Streamline Defense LLC, Tampa, Fla., have each been awarded a combined $12 million modification to a previous contract for Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) V services. Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, Hurlburt Field, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Sauer Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., was awarded a $10.9 million contract for construction of a Joint Reserve Intelligence Center (JRIC) at Naval Air Station New Orleans. The work to be performed provides for a design bid build project to construct a single-story addition to existing Building 558. Work will be performed in New Orleans and is expected to be completed by February 2019. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, is the contracting activity. … The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $10,217,915 delivery order for joint direct attack munition (JDAM) high compact telemetry modules. Contractor will provide flight test instrumentation hardware, which is used to gather real-time JDAM weapon data during testing. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be complete by April 2019. This contract involves foreign military sales to Japan, Republic of Korea, Israel, and Singapore. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.