Week in review (7/7 to 7/13)

Despite the rough weather caused by Hurricane Barry, the Blue Angels performed before the crowds Friday and still planned a limited show Saturday afternoon. The storm was reclassified as a Category 1 as it approached the Louisiana coast Saturday morning.

But the system and its impact stretched to the east and west of the storm, causing rough seas and on and off rain at Pensacola Beach, where the Navy flight demonstration team was schedule to perform.

Here’s your week in review:

Airbus

Airbus delivered to Delta Air Lines its 50th A320 series aircraft produced in the Airbus U.S. production facility in Mobile, Ala. This A321 is the first of a total of 20 aircraft being delivered with a blend of sustainable jet fuel over the next year.

The jet fuel is certified compliant with the sustainability requirements of the European Union Renewable Energy Directive (EU RED) and the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC).

Delta is the second U.S customer to have aircraft delivered by Airbus from Mobile using a blend of sustainable fuel. Airbus offers this option to its customers in order to promote a more regular use of sustainable aviation fuels within the industry. (Post)

Unmanned

The Navy declared initial operational capability for the Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter on June 28. It clears the way for the unmanned air vehicle to begin fleet operations and training.

The MQ-8C is to deploy aboard the USN’s littoral combat ships in FY2021, and is intended for intelligence, and surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as precision targeting.

The airframe is the commercial Bell 407, with seats and other manned avionics equipment stripped out and replaced with remote controls and extra fuel tanks. Over the next few years, Northrop Grumman plans to deliver 38 MQ-8Cs to the Navy. Final assembly and flight testing of the MQ-8C is done in Moss Point, Miss. (Post)

Contracts

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded two contracts in connection with the F-35 during the week. In one, the company was awarded a $41.3 million modification to a previously awarded order placed against a basic ordering agreement. This modification exercises an option for the design, procurement and integration of flight test instrumentation and data processing solutions for F-35 Lightning II development test aircraft to support the Tech Refresh-3 and the Follow on Modernization Block 4 mission systems configuration. Work will be performed in Fort Worth and is expected to be completed in February 2021. In the other, the company was awarded a $21.3 million modification to a delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement. This modification provides for modification kits, special tooling and installation labor for the modification and retrofit of F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in May 2024. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity for both contracts. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of an F-35 training center, as well as reprogramming labs.