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.
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.
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