Week in review (9/23 to 9/29)

There are simply weeks where contracts dominate our daily news feed. And during the just ended week, that was precisely the case. Some were related to the F-35, and as you know, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center. Two contracts were for the reprogramming lab at Eglin.

Here's your week in review:

The U.S. military suffered its first crash of an F-35 when a Marine Corps variant, the F-35B, crashed late in the week outside Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C. The pilot safely ejected, and the cause of the crash is being investigated.

The F-35 belonged to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, which trains Marine pilots to fly combat missions with the stealth fighter.

Earlier in the week in an unrelated F-35 news item, two British aviators were the first to touch own on the deck of the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth, while the ship was off the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. (Post)

Those were not the only firsts for the F-35. Another Marine Corps F-35B was used in a combat mission in Afghanistan, marking the first U.S. combat use of the fighter. The F-35B jet took off from the USS Essex (LHD 2) amphibious assault ship in the Arabian Sea in support of ground clearance operations. In May, Israel became the first country to use the U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter in combat. (Post)

In another F-35-related item during the week, the Navy plans to deactivate next year the F-35C fleet replacement squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and combine it within VFA-125, the other fleet replacement squadron, at Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif. Seapower Magazine reported the information from an internal directive dated Sept. 10 said the Navy intends to deactivate Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101) on next July 1. The squadron was reactivated in 2012 and began flying F-35Cs in 2013. (Post)

There were five F-35-related contracts awarded during the week. Three were for Lockheed Martin and two were for United Technologies Corp.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded $315.8 million for a modification to a previously awarded contract to procure support equipment for F-35 Lightning low-rate initial production Lot XI aircraft in support of the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla. (31 percent); Redondo Beach, Calif. (25 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (13 percent); Hartford, Conn. (12 percent); Melbourne, Australia (8 percent); Rome, Italy (4 percent); Franklin, Ohio (4 percent); and Chatsworth, Calif. (3 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2023. … Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $29.3 million delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement to provide for the procurement of various diminishing manufacturing sources parts to protect deliveries for future F-35 Lightning II lots. Work will be performed in Fort Worth and is expected to be completed in February 2019. … Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $116.3 million delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement for the procurement of 440 low-rate initial production 11 Generation 3 Helmet Mounted Display Systems, oxygen masks, and initial spares in support of the F-35 for the Air Force (180); Navy (60); Marine Corps (69); non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants (119); and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers (12). Work will be performed in Fort Worth and is expected to be completed in October 2020. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity for all three contracts.

In two engine-related contracts, United Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney Engines, East Hartford, Conn., was awarded $209.6 million modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract for additional long-lead materials, parts, and components in support of F-35 low-rate initial production Lot 13 propulsion systems. Work will be performed in East Hartford (67 percent); Indianapolis, Ind. (26.5 percent); and Bristol, United Kingdom (6.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2021. … United Technologies also was awarded $39.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract that provides for additional long lead-time components, parts, and materials in support of Lot 13 F-35 propulsion systems. Work will be performed in East Hartford (67 percent); Indianapolis, Ind. (26.5 percent); and Bristol, United Kingdom (6.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2021. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity for both UTC contracts.

Space
There was another test of RS-25 developmental engine No. 0525 on the A-1 stand at Stennis Space Center, Miss., during the week. The hot fire of the controller also marked the seventh test of a 3D-printed pogo accumulator and the third test of a main combustion chamber fabricated using a bonding technique.

The flight controller units are a key component of the RS-25 engine, serving as the “brain” to help it communicate with the rocket and to provide control of its operation and internal health diagnostics. Engineers are testing RS-25 engines to help power the new SLS rocket, built to carry humans deeper into space than ever before. Four RS-25 engines will help power the SLS at launch. (Post)

T-X

The Boeing-Saab partnership won a $9.2 billion contract to produce a new generation of Air Force training jets. The plan ultimately is for the Air Force to buy up to 475 aircraft and 120 simulators and associated ground equipment.

Initial operating capability is planned by the end of fiscal 2024, with the first simulators arriving at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, in 2023. Full operational capability is projected for 2034.

Saab promised that, should the partnership emerge victorious, it would build a new plant in the United States for its T-X work, although a location has not been announced.

The other two teams that competed for the contract were Leonardo DRS and Lockheed Martin. Had Leonardo DRS won, the trainer based on the Leonardo M-346 trainer would have been built in Tuskegee, Ala. Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries wanted to build a modified version of KAI’s T-50 in Greenville, S.C. (Post)

Contracts reprogramming lab

Northrop Grumman was awarded two contracts related to the F-35 Reprogramming Labs at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

In one, Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Md., was awarded a $10 million contract for spare equipment, on-site technical support, repairs, upgrades, and travel to support the F-35 labs. The work will be done at Eglin and Linthicum Heights and is expected to be complete by Sept. 27, 2023. ... In the second contract, Northrop Grumman Systems Corp.-Amherst Systems Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., was awarded a $7.7 million contract for spare equipment, on-site technical support, repairs, upgrades, and travel in support of the F-35 labs. Work will be performed at Eglin and Buffalo and is expected to be completed by Sept. 28, 2024. Air Force Test Center, Specialized Contracting Branch, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity for both contracts.

Other contracts

Telspan Data LLC, Concord, Calif., was awarded a $46.2 million contract for air data recorders (ADR), ground recorder systems (GRS), data replay systems (DRS) and support services. The contract provides for spare equipment, support services, and improvement of ADR, GRS, and DRS capabilities for use by the operational and test communities in support of the Air Force Test mission. Work will be performed in Concord and multiple continental U.S. military installations, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 28, 2024. Air Force Test Center, Specialized Contracting Branch, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Cherokee Nation Management and Consulting LLC, Catoosa, Okla., was awarded a $22 million contract for civil engineering support services. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by 2023. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. … Webb Electric Co. of Florida Inc., Pensacola, Fla., was awarded a $16.5 million contract in support of the Airfield Lighting Phase 1&2 construction project. Work will be performed at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and is expected to be completed November 2019. 375th Contracting Squadron, Scott AFB, is the contracting activity. … Speegle Construction Inc., Niceville, Fla., was awarded an $8 million contract for design and construction of a new 10,134 sq. ft. two-story addition at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Work will be performed in Eglin with an estimated completion date of July 29, 2020. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity. … BCI Construction USA Inc., Pace, Fla., was awarded a $13.7 million contract for headworks intake lifting equipment. Work will be performed in Lancaster, Tenn.; Celina, Tenn.; and Jamestown, Ky., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 15, 2020. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville, Tenn., is the contracting activity. … Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, was awarded a $10.8 million modification to a previously issued delivery order placed against a basic ordering agreement to procure 12 additional MV-22 Integrated Aircraft Survivability Equipment (IASE) retrofit A-Kits Block C; 12 MV-22 IASE retrofit kit installations; IASE configuration B retrofit A and B-Kit installation; and five CV-22 IASE advanced mission computer A-Kits. Work will be performed at Ridley Park, Pa. (81.9 percent); Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (17.7 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (.4 percent), and is expected to be completed in August 2020. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. … Arete Associates Inc., Northridge, Calif., was awarded a $40.4 million contract to provide coastal battlefield reconnaissance and analysis (COBRA) systems, COBRA program systems support, and provisioned item orders/spares for the AN/DVS-1 COBRA Block 1 System. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (35 percent); Destin, Fla. (35 percent); and Santa Rosa, Calif. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2021. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Calculex Inc., Las Cruces, N.M., was awarded a $46.6 million contract for Air Data Recorders (ADR) and support services. The contract provides for spare equipment, support services, and improvement of ADR capabilities for use by the operational and test communities in support of the Air Force Test mission. Work will be performed in Las Cruces and multiple continental U.S. military installations, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 27, 2024. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … QuantiTech, Inc., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $47.4 million modification to a contract for Technical and Management Advisory Services range support. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Arnold AFB, Tenn.; Holloman AFB, N.M.; Hill AFB, Utah; Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; and Eielson AFB, Alaska, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2019. Air Force Test Center, Eglin AFB, is the contracting activity. … Torch Technologies Inc., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $44.5 million contract modification for Technical and Management Advisory Services Armament support. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Kirkland AFB, N.M.; and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2019. Air Force Test Center, Eglin AFB, is the contracting activity. … Bevilacqua Research Corp., Huntsville, Ala., was been awarded a $36 million modification to a contract for Technical and Management Advisory Services Platforms support. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Duke Field, Fla.; Hurlburt Field, Fla.; Nellis AFB, Nev.; Tinker AFB, Okla.; and Edwards AFB, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2019. Air Force Test Center, Eglin AFB, is the contracting activity. … Microsoft, Redmond, Wash., was awarded a $34.4 million other transaction agreement. This agreement provides for experimentation of a secure, reliable, measured, commercial data and voice network in order to enable access to Department of Defense data and applications from DoD facilities, as well as enable access for mobile and remotely located users. Work will be performed in Hurlburt Field, Fla.; Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.; and Maxwell AFB, Ala., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2021. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass., is the contracting activity. … DCS Corp., Alexandria, Va., was awarded a $16.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract for Technical and Management Advisory Services Electronic Warfare support. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2019. Air Force Test Center, Eglin AFB, is the contracting activity. … EMR Inc., Niceville, Fla., and Drace Anderson JV, Ocean Springs, Miss., were among companies in a multiple award contract for construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast area of responsibility. The maximum dollar value for the five year ordering period for all six contracts combined is $99 million. EMR Inc. is being awarded the initial task order at $9.8 million for the construction of K-C130J Enlisted Aircrew Training System Facility at Naval Air Station, Joint Readiness Base, Fort Worth, Texas. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by December 2019. All work on this contract will be performed within the NAVFAC Southeast AOR which includes Texas (40 percent); Louisiana (40 percent); and Mississippi (20 percent). The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. … IDSC Holdings LLC, doing business as Snap-On Industrial, Kenosha, Wisc., was awarded an $11.9 million contract for the procurement of 1,482 different brand-name commercial hand tools and toolboxes with a total overall quantity of 158,516 items for Lot 11 low-rate initial production F-35 Lightning II aircraft in support of the Joint Strike Fighter F35A/B/C Tool Control Program. Work will be performed in Kenosha and is expected to be completed in September 2019. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity. … Integrated Solutions for Systems Inc., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $17.5 million contract for the Weapons Effects Simulation Testing effort. This contract provides for research and development concepts and conventional inventory weapon systems. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 27, 2023. Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin AFB, is the contracting activity. … Global Connections to Employment Inc., Pensacola, Fla., was awarded a $13 million contract modification to extend the previously awarded contract to exercise option period two for full food and mess attendant services in support of Naval Air Station, Pensacola; and Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal School Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; and mess attendant services in support of Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, Miss. Work will be performed in Pensacola (60 percent); Eglin AFB, (20 percent); and Gulfport (20 percent), and work is expected to be completed by September 2019. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.

Week in review (9/16 to 9/22)

In the course of working on the upcoming aerospace and aviation education edition of our bimonthly newsletter, our reporting team has reached out to a range of people, from company officials and workers to students and academic officials.

I can tell you from my own experience heading up this project, there’s a good deal of enthusiasm over what we’re doing. During the week I talked to an official with the Mississippi Department of Education’s career and technical training program, and he sent word to all his contacts about our project. He was particularly excited that there was a hands-on learning center being built in the region – Flight Works Alabama. It didn’t matter that it’s in another state. It’s an opportunity for student from the entire region.

Weeks earlier, when I reached out to an academic official I’ve known for several years in Pensacola, he too was happy we are devoting the entire October issue to education and training the current and next generation of aviation workers. He reached out to his associates, and one contacted me about their programs. I passed that along to the reporter handling the Florida story.

In Louisiana, one official from Louisiana Economic Development who participated in a conference call with me and others about the project pulled together – unsolicited – and sent to me a list of some of the college aviation activities in his state.

All of which goes to show that when you decide to do a story or publication that focuses on education and training, you find there is no lack of folks who are dying to tell you about what they’re doing. The passion is there, and I feel certain this October issue will be of high interest because this issue is important.

I recently participated remotely in the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aerospace Workforce Symposium. The overall message was clear: There is a current and growing need to fill the aerospace and aviation education and training pipeline, and the need ranges from pilots to maintenance workers and more.

The problem, in part, is that with so many exciting technology fields vying for workers, the aerospace industry is facing tough competition and has to reach out early to students, as well as tap into a large pool of potential workers from demographic groups that have been under-represented in the industry.

With aerospace and aviation growing so much in our region, we hope this upcoming issue will help get the word out about the opportunities and highlight the pathways. And we may end up making this an annual research project.

Now for your week in review:

Airbus
Airbus’ A320 series production facility in Mobile, Ala., has delivered its first aircraft partially powered by sustainable jet fuel to customer JetBlue.

The A321 flew out of Mobile with a 15 percent renewable jet fuel mixture in its tanks. In total, five A321s are due to be delivered to JetBlue from Mobile using sustainable fuel by the end of 2018.

All of the fuel will be supplied and certified by Air BP. It will be loaded into the aircraft by Signature Flight Support, Airbus’ fueling services provider in Mobile.

Since May 2016, Airbus has offered customers the option of taking delivery of new aircraft from Toulouse, France, using a blend of sustainable jet fuel. Following the deliveries to JetBlue, Airbus will determine the next steps toward offering this option to more customers taking aircraft deliveries from Mobile.

Longer term, Airbus envisions supporting industrial production of sustainable fuels for aviation in the U.S. Southeast.

Renewable jet fuel is chemically equivalent to conventional jet-A fuel, with no difference in performance or safety. Thousands of commercial flights have flown on different types of renewable jet fuel. (Post)

Aircraft maintenance contracts

Two military aircraft maintenance contracts that will involve work in Northwest Florida were awarded during the week.

In one contract, DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $173.2 million modification to a previously awarded contract. It provides organizational, intermediate, and depot-level maintenance and logistics support for 16 T-34, 54 T-44, and 287 T-6 aircraft.

Thirty-nine percent of the work will be one in Milton, Fla., home of Naval Air Station Whiting Field, and another eight percent will be done in Pensacola, Fla., home of Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Most of the work, 50 percent, will be one in Corpus Christi, Texas, home of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. The remaining three percent of the work will be done in various locations within the continental U.S.

Work is expected to be completed in September 2019. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla., is the contracting activity.

In another contract, L3 Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., was awarded $16.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise an option to provide for intermediate level maintenance, repair, and logistics services in support of the Navy’s Chief of Naval Aircraft Training aircraft.

Half the work will be done at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and 5 percent at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Fla. Another 45 percent will be one at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas. Work is expected to be completed in September 2019.

The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla., is the contracting activity.

Other contracts

CAE USA Inc., Tampa, Fla., was awarded a $25.4 million modification to a contract for fixed-wing courses, academic and flight simulator, flight training and support services. Work will be performed in Dothan, Ala., home of Fort Rucker. The estimated completion date is March 9, 2024. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Rucker, is the contracting activity. … EMR Inc., Niceville, Fla., was awarded a $16 million contract for an addition/alteration to an existing commissary at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. The contract is for a 539 calendar day period based on the issuance of the notice to proceed which is expected in November 2018. The contracting activity is the Defense Commissary Agency, Enterprise Acquisition Division, Construction Design Branch, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, Texas.

Week in review (9/9 to 9/15)

Leaders in this region are clearly serious about the education and training of a workforce that can handle the growing number of aviation jobs that are coming down the pike.

During the week there was a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Mobile Aeroplex marking the start of construction of the Flight Works Alabama education center. The $6.5 million center is being built near the Airbus manufacturing facility and across from Continental Motors.

"The future of our state begins right here," said Gov. Kay Ivey about the hands-on learning center. It's designed to bolster Alabama's workforce development efforts and inspire young people.

Jeff Knittel, Airbus Americas chairman and CEO, said what the industry needs is a workforce not only for today, but one ready for the future. He said the center will help in a fun and creative way.

Of particular importance is that the center will be an education hub, with nine educational institutions, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, signing up to have programs at the center.

Under an agreement with Airbus, Embry-Riddle will offer its award-winning educational programs at Flight Works, making it the latest Embry-Riddle Worldwide Campus. It will offer targeted associates, bachelors and masters degree programs, high school dual-enrollment opportunities, specialized training and continuing education.

The other education partners are Auburn University, Bishop State Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College, Troy University, Tuskegee University, University of South Alabama, University of Alabama, and the University of West Alabama.

The center is due to open in late 2019. (Post)

The hands-on nature of the center will add yet another link to the already significant number of learning centers along the Gulf Coast I-10 region. All are designed to pique the interest of youth in science and technology careers.

Back in July 2016, I wrote about the region's learning centers, and at the time said how surprised I was that someone hadn't thought of putting them all together in a multi-day family-focused education tour. (Gulf Coast Reporters’ League Business Quarterly, pages 24-37). I still think that's a great idea that not only piques the interest of youth, but goes a long way to dispell the stereotype of this region - and the South in general. Maybe now with Airbus added to the mix that might happen.

What is really striking to me about the approach of Flight Works Alabama is the genius behind the idea of putting under one roof the hands-on experience with educational opportunities. If someone comes in and looks at the exhibits and gets fired up, it makes sense to have the educational opportunities right there to give them a sense of the pathways that will get them involved in aerospace and aviation.

If this education and training talk intrigues you, then you should know that we'll be writing about all the aviation education opportunities in the four states with a piece of the I-10 region in our October issue of the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor/Gulf Coast Reporters’ League aerospace newsletter. It will be a real eye-opener.

Unmanned

Northrop Grumman recently began flight tests for MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopters produced at the Trent Lott International Airport in Moss Point, Miss. It's a major milestone for the company and the region's aerospace economy.

The plant is key to producing and testing the MQ-8C Fire Scout, the Navy's newest autonomous helicopter that is bringing increased speed, endurance and payload capacity to maritime operations.

The Navy recently completed initial operational test and evaluation aboard the USS Coronado (LCS 4) for the MQ-8C Fire Scout, which has over 1,500 program flight hours. The aircraft is a modified Bell 407 helicopter, and final assembly is done in Moss Point at a 101,000-square-foot plant that opened in 2006 and now works on the Fire Scout and Global Hawk unmanned systems and does subassembly work for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

"Building on Northrop Grumman's recent announcement of new production capabilities in Moss Point and a 40 percent increase in employment at the site, the ability to now conduct MQ-8C Fire Scout flight tests where the production occurs will bring new efficiencies and effectiveness to our local operations and improve our ability to serve the U.S. Navy," said Melissa Packwood, program director, Fire Scout, Northrop Grumman. (Post)

-- Skyborne Technology, Inc., a designer and developer of manned and unmanned next generation aviation systems, has opened a manufacturing facility in Florida's Gulf County.

Skyborne said it chose the area to have access to employ manned and unmanned aircraft pilots, skilled manufacturing labor for composites, aircraft aluminum and high bulletproof fabrics.

The manufacturing facility is at the Gulf County Industrial Park near Wewahitchka. The company’s target markets are agriculture, communications, education, defense, border security, and more. The company plans to create up to 100 jobs. (Post)

Contracts F-35

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded an $88 million modification to a previously awarded contract. This modification exercises an option for F-35 Lightning II low-rate initial production Lot XI support equipment for the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Florida, California, Connecticut, Texas, Ohio, Maryland, Australia and Italy, and is expected to be completed in September 2022. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. ... Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., was awarded a $266 million contract for the procurement of program administrative labor for non-recurring sustainment activities; supplies, services and planning for depot activations; material and support equipment for depot maintenance facilities and mockup engines and modules for test cells in support of F-35 Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in East Hartford and is expected to be completed in October 2021. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. ... Pratt and Whitney Military Engines also was awarded a $187.6 million modification to a previously awarded contract. This modification provides for fiscal 2018 Initial Spare Modules, Parts and Afloat/Deployment Spares Package in support of the F135 Lot 12 Propulsion Production contract. Work will be performed in Connecticut, Indiana and the United Kingdom and is expected to be completed in September 2021. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Contracts munitions

The Boeing Co. Defense, St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $14 million contract for Small Diameter Bomb I focused lethality munition production assets. This contract provides for GBU-39 A/B weapons, and single weapon shipping/storage containers. Work will be performed in St. Louis and is expected to be 

completed by September 2020. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Fla., was awarded a $51 million contract for Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extreme Range (JASSM-XR). This contract effort includes all all-up round level systems engineering and programmatic activities to align and phase the work necessary to design, develop, integrate, test, and verify component and subsystem design changes to the JASSM-XR baseline electronics, hardware, firmware, and operational flight software. Work will be performed in Orlando and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2023. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.

Contract aircraft maintenance

L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $202.9 million modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise an option for organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance, logistics, and engineering support for Navy T-45 aircraft, aircraft systems, and related support equipment for flight and test and evaluation operations. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, Texas (45.7 percent); NAS Meridian, Miss. (41.7 percent); NAS Pensacola, Fla. (10.1 percent); and NAS Patuxent River, Md. (2.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2019. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, is the contracting activity.

Other contract

Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $7.4 million modification on a contract for full food services. The location of performance is Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2019. The 81st Contracting Squadron, Keesler AFB, is the contracting activity. … EMR Inc., Niceville, Fla., was awarded $7.1 million for a task order under a previously awarded contract for repairs and modifications to Building 484 at Naval Support Activity, Panama City, Fla. Work will be performed in Panama City and is expected to be completed by September 2020. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Seaside Engineering and Surveying LLC, Baker, Fla.; Gustin, Cothern and Tucker, Niceville, Fla.; Joyner Keeny PLLC, Rocky Mount, N.C.; Maptech Inc., Jackson, Miss.; Merrick and Co., Greenwood Village, Colo.; SurvTech Solutions Inc., Tampa, Fla.; and Woolpert Inc., Dayton, Ohio, will compete for each order of the $49 million contract for architect and engineering services for survey and mapping. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 12, 2021. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity.

Week in review (9/2 to 9/8)

Bay County is on its way to developing a center near the Naval Support Activity in Panama City that will give Northwest Florida its second "outside the gate" think tank designed to make it easier for companies and academia to work with the military.

Bay County commissioners accepted a $95,000 grant for a new military technology center during a meeting Wednesday. The grant is from the Florida Defense Support Task Force and was obtained through efforts by the Bay Defense Alliance (BDA).

The grant will go toward a feasibility study for the Expeditionary Innovation Center, shortened to Ex-Cell, near Naval Support Activity Panama City. It will be used to support the base's science lab, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division.

The "neutral facility" will be outside the base fence, to better collaborate with local universities and businesses. It's modeled after similar military tech innovation centers in Fort Walton Beach and Tampa. (Post)

The Fort Walton Beach center is the Doolittle Institute, a think tank that opened its doors in 2014. It's a think tank that helps find solutions for the military by cutting out a lot of the red tape and providing a center where the military, academia and companies can get together to find solutions and put innovation on the fast track.

The creation of the institute in Fort Walton Beach led to the creation of a similar operation in Tampa, SOFWERX, which works with the Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base.

Space

NASA conducted a full-duration 500-second test of an RS-25 engine flight controller Thursday at Stennis Space Center (SSC), Miss. It was the sixth test of a 3D-printed pogo accumulator assembly, a component that dampens potential engine propellant pressure oscillations that can cause a rocket to become unstable in flight.

The hot fire test on the A-1 test stand also was the second test of an RS-25 main combustion chamber fabricated using a bonding technique called hot isostatic pressing, which saves time and money over more traditional methods.

SSC, which has been conducting RS-25 engine and component tests since January 2015. NASA began testing RS-25 flight controller units in March 2017. RS-25 engines were use on the space shuttle, but are modified for use on NASA’s Space Launch System. (Post)

F-35 contracts

Hydraulics International Inc., Chatsworth, Calif., was awarded a $43.6 million contract for the procurement of up to 305 MHU-83D production units, truck, lift, aerial stores loaders for ordnance/store loading operations on AV-8B, F/A-18, AH-1W, AH-1Z, UH-1Y, and F-35 B/C aircraft in support of the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Chatsworth and is expected to be completed in September 2023. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center. … Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $39.2 million contract modification for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter annual sustainment contract. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Fort Worth and is expected to be completed in April 2019. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, is the contracting activity.

Other contracts

Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va., CACI Inc. – Federal, Chantilly, Va., Science Application International Corp., Reston, Va., Capstone Corp., Alexandria, Va., and Serco Inc., Herndon, Va., were awarded an estimated $103.4 million multiple award contracts to provide technical support services in support of the deputy chief of naval operations manpower, personnel, training and education domain. The base ordering period of the contract is expected to be completed by September 2021. Work will be performed in Millington, Tenn. (45 percent); Pensacola, Fla. (27 percent); Arlington, Va. (10 percent); various locations throughout the continental U.S. (16 percent); and various contractor facilitates (2 percent). Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Va.; and Contracting Department Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity. … General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, Calif., was awarded a $50,000 minimum, $15,000,000 maximum contract for integration and testing support for Medium Altitude, Long Endurance Tactical (MALET) MQ-9 and MQ-1C Special Operations Forces peculiar (SOF-p) modifications; procurement of GA-ASI developed and produced aircraft modification kits; and analysis and studies to inform future decisions on potential MALET MQ-9 and MQ-1C SOF-p modifications. The work will be performed in Poway, and is expected to be completed by September 2023. U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Fla., is the contracting activity. Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Fla., was chosen in November 2017 to host an MQ-9 wing, and Hurlburt Field, Fla., was chosen in May 2018 to host an MQ-9 squadron.

Week in review (8/26 to 9/1)

The unmanned aerial vehicle field just keeps notching advances.

During the week, an $805.3 million contract was awarded to Boeing to provide the design, development, fabrication, test, verification, certification, delivery, and support of four MQ-25A unmanned aerial refueling vehicles. That also includes the aircraft’s integration into the carrier air wing to provide an initial operational capability to the Navy. The work is expected to be completed in August 2024. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Post)

The award is just the latest affirmation that the military is fully embracing the vision of unmanned vehicles taking over chores previously done by humans. We’ve had unmanned systems doing surveillance for quite some time now, think of the Global Hawk in all its iterations, and the Fire Scout unmanned helicopter, both built in part in Moss Point, Miss.

They also have a long track record of being armed. Think Predator and Reaper.

It was a few years back that Northrop Grumman demonstrated the ability of using an unmanned strike fighter aboard a Navy carrier. In May 2013, the X-47B had the first catapult launch of an unmanned aircraft.

I’ve always been fascinated by what the future can hold for robotic systems. As far back as January 2007, I wrote about the possibility one day that we may have unmanned passenger jets. (Alliance Insight, January 2007, page 5). More recently, I wrote about some of the concerns associate with artificial intelligence. (Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor Newsletter, February 2018, page 5).

But lesson in all this is that technological advances keep coming. We just have to keep in mind how to use it all wisely.

Space

Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans completed construction on the spacecraft capsule structure that will return astronauts to the Moon. It was shipped to Florida and is now at Kennedy Space Center, undergoing final assembly into a full spacecraft.

The capsule structure, or pressure vessel, for NASA's Orion Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2) spacecraft was welded together over the last seven months by Lockheed Martin technicians and engineers at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

Orion is the world's only exploration-class spaceship, and the EM-2 mission will be its first flight with astronauts on board, taking them farther into the solar system than ever before. The first pressure vessel for EM-1, which will be used in an unmanned flight, was also built at Michoud and is at Kennedy. (Post)

Corporate

Gulf Power today filed an agreement with the Florida Public Service Commission seeking approval to reduce rates for 2019 and beyond by some $9.6 million on an annual basis. This reduction reflects the remaining tax savings resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Of that amount, $3.8 million will benefit businesses and industrial customers, including Northwest Florida’s military bases. (Post)

Contracts F-35

Multiple contracts were awarded during the week in connection with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center. Two were awarded to Lockheed Martin, three to Pratt and Whitney and one to Harper. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity for five of the six contracts.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $250.4 million modification to a previously awarded contract. This modification definitizes pricing for F-35 Lightning II low-rate initial production Lot 11 production non-recurring special tooling and special test equipment. Work is expected to be completed in December 2021. The company was also awarded an $81 million delivery order issued against a basic ordering agreement. This modification provides for the procurement of air vehicle initial spares for the F-35 Lightning III aircraft, including afloat spares packages, Marine Corps quick engine change kits, and associated consumables to support the air vehicle delivery schedules for Navy and Marine Corps. Work is expected to be completed in December 2023.

Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., was awarded a $10.5 million order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement for the retrofit of 14 three bearing swivel module units for Marine Corps F-35 Lightening II aircraft. Work is expected to be complete in August 2020. The company also was awarded a $10.2 million modification to a previously awarded contract for F-35 support equipment fleet modernization efforts to include the procurement of support equipment and associated site activation labor in support of the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work is expected to be completed in August 2021. In a third contract, the company was awarded a $118.2 million modification to a previously awarded contract. This modification provides for initial spares, including four F135-PW-600 (STOVL) engines for the Marine Corps; one power module and gearbox; four lift fan modules; and eight drive shafts in support of the Marine Corps’ low-rate initial production Lot 11 F-35 Lightning II aircraft. Work is expected to be completed 

in August 2021.

In the final F-35 related contract, Harper Construction Co. Inc., San Diego, Calif., was awarded $30.8 million task order under a previously awarded contract for construction of an F-35 simulator facility at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The facility will support six full mission simulators and support spaces including administrative, classroom, and conferences spaces. Work is expected to be completed by May 2020. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, is the contracting activity.

Other contracts
The Rockhill Group, Molino, Fla., was awarded an $8.4 million contract modification for the air-to-ground intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance contract. The contract modification is for exercising Option Year Two. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $76,627,660. Air Combat Command Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., is the contracting activity. … PAE Aviation and Technical Services LLC, Marlton, N.J., was awarded a $17.9 million contract modification to provide 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 for the F-22, F-35, F-16, and F-15 aircraft. Work will be performed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.; and Holloman AFB, N.M., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2019. Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., is the contracting activity. … Whitesell-Green Inc., Pensacola, Fla., was awarded $17.6 million for a task order under a previously awarded contract for the renovation of the Fleet Readiness Center Southeast Building 101 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla. Work is expected to be completed by January 2021. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, is the contracting activity. … Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Va., was awarded a $17.6 million task order under a previously awarded General Services Administration (GSA) One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services contract for Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters directorate wide professional services. New Orleans is one of the work locations. The Marine Corps Installations Command, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.