Week in review (4/22 to 4/28)

BP oil spill restitution money will help fuel a surge in workforce training in Northwest Florida, notably in aerospace and aviation.

Triumph Gulf Coast, the organization charged with overseeing the distribution of the money BP is paying in the wake of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, approved $3 million in funding for Escambia County School District and Pensacola State College for workforce development.

The funding will allow both to expand its pipeline for training and certifying students for careers in fields like information technology, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing and aerospace/aviation.

The money will allow the district to build a new aviation maintenance training hangar for adult students at George Stone Technical Center and to provide aviation maintenance education at Booker T. Washington High School and more.

The grant was one of the first four projects approved in what is expected to be $1.5 billion worth of job-creating initiatives funded over the next 12 years by an economic damages settlement between the state and BP.

The Triumph board in all approved nearly $19 million in grants, including $10 million to the Port of Panama City for a major expansion of port capacity, $1.5 million to improve infrastructure and attract businesses in Okaloosa County, and almost $4 million for workforce development in Wakulla County. (Post)

Contracts

It was a busy week for Defense Department contracts impacting the region, with several involved in aerial weapons and others related to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

General Dynamics, Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Niceville, Fla., was awarded a $23.3 million initial production modification to a previously awarded contract for BLU-134/B improved lethality warhead. Work will be performed in Niceville and is expected to be complete by Oct. 26, 2019. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded an $11.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract for Joint Attack Direct Munition (JDAM) high compact telemetry modules. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be complete by October 2019. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded two contracts for aerial weapons. One was an $8.5 million modification to a previously awarded contract for Small Diameter Bomb Increment II. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. The other was a $12 million contract modification to a previously awarded contract for Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) Production Lot 32 field spares and initial depot spares. Work will be performed in Tucson and is expected to be complete by Jan. 31, 2021. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Dominance Contracting Office, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded two contracts for the F-35. One was a $38.5 million modification to the previously awarded F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter advance acquisition contract. Work will be done in Texas, California, Florida, the United Kingdom, New Hampshire, Japan and Maryland and is expected to be completed in December 2019. The other was a $10.9 million modification to a previously awarded contract. This modification provides additional funding for flight test software sustainment in support of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants. Work will be performed in Texas, the United Kingdom, Florida, California and South Carolina and is expected to be completed in April 2018. 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 and reprogramming labs. … DynCorp International, Fort Worth, Texas was awarded a $59.6 million modification to a previously awarded contract for continued contractor operated and maintained base supply support. Work will be performed at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.; Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas; Randolph Air Force Base, Texas; Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas; Vance Air Force Base, Okla.; Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.; Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla.; Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas; Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.; and Army Flight Test Directorate, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. Work is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2018. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Training Aircraft Division, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

Week in review (4/15 to 4/21)

There had been talk that SpaceX might put the manufacturing facility for its giant "BFR" Mars rocket along the Gulf Coast, specifically at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility. That seemed possible since the company is using nearby Stennis Space Center, Miss., to develop its next generation rocket engine.

But it's going to the Port of Los Angeles instead, some 20 miles from corporate headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif. The water access was key to the decision. After the Big Falcon Rocket is built and ready for launch, it will travel by barge to Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

The company during the week finalized the deal with the port to lease 19 acres, where it will build a 200,000-square-foot hangar for production of the BFR, a nearly 350-foot tall rocket and spaceship. Production of the rocket will begin in two or three years. The operation will employ up to 700 people.

This is a really big rocket. It will be powered by 31 main engines and its spaceship will be designed to carry 100 people. Yes, you read that right – 100. And it will be reuseable, which SpaceX has already proven to be practical.

In addition to California and Louisiana, SpaceX was considering Texas and Florida.

You can find stories about this in Florida Today, the Los Angeles Times and Digital Trends.

The engines that will power both stages of this rocket are the next-generation Raptor engine, which is being developed by SpaceX in part at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The company is using the E-2 test stand at SSC.

-- Speaking of space, NASA finally has a new administrator. The Senate confirmed Rep. Jim Bridenstine to be the 13th NASA administrator. The partisan vote was 50 to 39.

Democrats opposed Bridenstine, President Trump's nominee, because he's not a "space professional." Bridenstine had previously said he's an advocate of the current Space Launch System program and NASA working with commercial space companies.

NASA's acting administrator, Robert Lightfoot, is nearing retirement. Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are both involved in the SLS/Orion program as well as commercial space activities. (Post)

Military

Hypersonic weapons got a lot of press coverage in March when Russia's Putin, ahead of the elections, bragged that his country had them. He said they have unlimited range and are invincible - they simply can't be stopped. That Russia is developing the weapons is no surprise to anyone who follows defense issue. The United States is also developing them.

During the week Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Space, Huntsville, Ala., was the successful bidder for a $928 million contract for a hypersonic conventional strike weapon. The contract provides for the design, development, engineering, systems integration, test, logistics planning, and aircraft integration support of all the elements of a hypersonic, conventional, air-launched, stand-off weapon.

Work will be performed in Huntsville, but the contracting activity is the Air Force Life Cycle Management at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

The award was the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds will be obligated at the time of award on the first task order. (Post)

-- Cmdr. Stephen Audelo this week turned over command of Helicopter Training Squadron Eight (HT-8) of Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., to Cmdr. Jessica Parker during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Pensacola's Naval Aviation Museum.

HT-8 is the Navy's oldest currently active helicopter training squadron, responsible for flying more than 26,000 flight hours and graduating an estimated 168 Naval aviators every year. Cmdr. Lena Kaman became the new executive officer of HT-8. (Post)

-- The Defense Department is honoring nine winners with the 2018 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards for exceptional environmental achievements and innovative, cost-effective environmental practices.

Among the winners is Frederick A. Javier, 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla., who provided outstanding leadership by training installation staff on environmental management and engaging with the local community to promote DoD’s mission and science education.

The department has honored individuals, teams and installations each year since 1962 for remarkable achievements in these environmental management strategies that successfully support mission readiness. (Post)

Airports

Frontier Airlines and Pensacola International Airport are holding an inaugural celebration to kick off Frontier’s nonstop service to and from Denver international Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The inaugural event will be April 24, at 3 p.m. at the company’s ticket counter. (Post)

Contracts

Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colo., was awarded a $15.8 million modification to a previously awarded contract for Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., operations support services. This modification provides for exercise of the second option, and brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $32,989,794. Work will be performed at Keesler and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2019. The 81st Contracting Squadron, Keesler AFB, is the contracting activity. … L3 Communication, Vertex Aerospace, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $30 million modification to a previously awarded contract for contractor logistics support of the Air Force C-12 fleet. Work will be performed at a variety of locations, including Madison. Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity. … Rockwell Collins Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was awarded a $15.2 million modification to a previously awarded contract to support the third production lot of the Common Range Integrated Instrumentation System for upgrading the test and evaluation instrumentation at Air Force, Navy and Army test ranges. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Armament Directorate, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.

Week in review (4/8 to 4/14)

The April issue of the eight-page Gulf Coast Aerospace Newsletter will be published Monday. The cover story is about the aerospace activities in Florida, one of the leading states in the nation for aerospace and aviation.

The four-page article is the fourth and final installment in our series focusing on aerospace in the four states that are members of the Aerospace Alliance. Previous issues highlighted the aerospace footprints of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Florida is best known for its space activities in and around the Space Coast, but that's just one part of the state's vast aviation footprint. The story provides insight into the activities in four aerospace regions: Northwest, Northeast, Central and South Florida. The state, you’ll find, is the nation’s leader in maintenance, repair and overhaul operations, and the newest one is in Pensacola.

The newsletter also has an update on the Airbus-Bombardier partnership, which will bring a second aircraft assembly line to Mobile, Ala. Interestingly, Mobile is the newest hub building jetliners, but now it's about to be a trendsetter as the only city in the nation that will be building jetliners for two different companies. Kinda makes me smile when I think of the time Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said they don't build anything in Alabama. That was back in 2009 when Boeing was competing against Airbus to build Air Force tankers.

We also have an analysis on some of the key stories that occurred since the last newsletter in February, ranging from Relativity’s agreement to use the partially built E-4 Test Facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss., to a couple of stories that are important on the education front.

If you're not a newsletter subscriber, drop me a line and I'll add you to our email list. The PDF will be sent directly to your inbox when it's published. Or you can check our website, Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor, and download the PDF late Monday or Tuesday.

Now here's your week in review, which amounts to a contracts review:

Contracts
Speegle Construction Inc., Niceville, Fla., was awarded a $15.1 million foreign military sales (United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, India, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Morocco, Oman, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, and Turkey) contract for the construction of a foreign military sales facility at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Work will be performed in Eglin with an estimated completion date of Oct. 3, 2019. U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity. … Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla., was awarded a $13.9 million incentive modification to a previously awarded contract for Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) Lot 1 production. Work will be performed in Orlando and is expected to be complete by Feb. 28, 2020. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air
Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.

Week in review (4/1 to 4/7)

The death of a Thunderbird pilot who had been an F-35 pilot at Eglin Air Force Base, the expansion of a Wright Patterson education program to this region, and new leadership at for Army aviation at Fort Rucker were among the news stories of interest to the Gulf Coast aerospace corridor during the week.

Here's your week in review:

Military

It was a tough week for military aviation personnel.

The Thunderbirds pilot killed in a crash in Nevada was identified as Maj. Stephen Del Bagno, who had joined the team this season. Before joining the team, Del Bagno served as an F-35A Evaluator Pilot and Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 58th Fighter Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

He was alone in the F-16 Fighting Falcon when it left Nellis Air Force Base and crashed at the Nevada Test and Training Range. (Post)

Earlier in the week, four Marines were killed when a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crashed near El Centro, Calif. The personnel killed were identified as Capt. Samuel A. Schultz, 1st Lt. Samuel D. Phillips, Gunnery Sgt. Derik R. Holley, and Lance Cpl. Taylor J. Conrad, all with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

Three have Gulf Coast ties. Schultz, 28, of Huntington Valley, Pa., and Phillips, 27, of Pinehurst, N.C., were pilots who had previously served at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. Conrad, 24, the helicopter crew chief, is from Baton Rouge, La. (Post)

-- On a brighter note, the Army chief of staff announced the assignment of Brig. Gen. Timothy J. Daugherty, deputy chief of staff, G-3, U.S. Army Europe, Germany, to commanding general, U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center; and director of Army Safety, Fort Rucker, Ala.

Also announced was the assignment of Brig. Gen. David J. Francis, commanding general, U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center; and director of Army Safety, Fort Rucker, to director, Army Aviation, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C. (Post)

-- During the week, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., visited Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., got a bird's-eye view of the Gulf Range Training Complex, a large range used by the military in the Gulf of Mexico.

Nelson said he has protected such training areas by opposing oil drilling too close to Florida’s shore. His flight was in a T-38 Talon jet piloted by 325th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Michael Hernandez. (Post)

Education

There is nothing more important for our future than the education of our youth.

Middle school, high school and college students near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Robins Air Force Base, Ga., and the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, will get personalized, one-on-one training from leading professionals as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s Educational Outreach office expands its Leadership, Experience, Growing, Apprenticeships Committed to Youth program to those locations this summer.

The three locations began taking applications in January with coursework starting this summer. The four sites have a total of 631 student applications. Eglin, Robins and the Air Force Academy were chosen for their strong STEM programs already in place. (Post)

-- The city of Milton, Fla., is facing a bill to repair a U.S. Navy training plane that has been on static display outside Milton High School since 1976. Cleaning, painting, abating corrosion and doing other repairs will likely cost more than $25,000, said City Manager Brian Watkins.

The plane, which was loaned to the city by the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola Naval Air Station, was flagged for repairs after an inspection by the Naval History and Heritage Command. (Post)

Economic development

The acquisition of GKN Aerospace in what the British media call “a hostile takeover” is not expected to affect the company’s new manufacturing facility at VentureCrossings in West Bay.

Becca Hardin, president of the Bay Economic Development Alliance, said the new plant is poised to start making parts this summer. She said she’s been in constant contact with GKN officials. Melrose Industries, a turnaround specialist, secured an $11 billion takeover of the British engineering firm and defense contractor.

Hardin said GKN's building near Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is open now, with furniture being moved in and the 170 employees in the process of being hired. She said the undisclosed aviation products that will be manufactured here are part of a long-term federal government project. (Post)

-- The jet that Airbus and Bombardier plan to build in Mobile will bring coastal Alabama into a new front in the ongoing battle between Airbus and Boeing, the world’s two dominant jetliner builders.

Airbus and Boeing have been battling for years in the midsize single-aisle market. Mobile entered that fight when it began building A320 series jets. The new front is a fight over the single-aisle jets that seat from 100 to 150 passengers.

Now with Airbus lining up with Canada's Bombardier and Boeing considering a tie-in with Brazil’s Embraer, Mobile will be a big player in that fight as well. (Post)

-- W. Kevin Melton will be the new executive director of Chennault International Airport Authority, beginning in late April. He’s replacing Randy Robb, who steps down after 10 years at the helm.

Melton joins Chennault from American Airlines, where he was a project manager, facilitating and directing airport terminal and hangar construction projects for national and international sites. Melton retired from the U.S. Air Force as a colonel after 24 years of service.

Chennault International Airport is a major industrial airport in Lake Charles, La. The airport and its tenants employ some 1,500 persons and account for $300 million in annual economic impact. (Post)

Contracts

Lockheed Martin Aerospace Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $211.3 million contract for Block 4.1 common capabilities pre-modernization efforts in support of the F-35 Lightning II preliminary design review in support of the Air Force and international partners. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in July 2019. 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 and reprogramming labs. … L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., and other companies in Illinois, Texas, Alabama, and Florida will share in a $25.5 billion hybrid contract for aircraft and support equipment maintenance, minor modification, and supply chain management primarily for performance outside the continental U.S. to support equipment and personnel in known theaters of operations. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 3, 2028. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.