Week in review (12/22 to 12/28)

The year is rapidly drawing to a close, and this Week in Review will be the last for the year. In fact, it’s going on an indefinite hiatus as we begin 2020.

Funding from underwriters has dwindled to the point where we have to reduce our product load. It made sense to drop the Week in Review since it’s primarily a recap of news items already available on our daily news feed.

The column is not going away entirely. We’ll post columns from time to time as the need arises, likely whenever a big story in 2020 calls for additional attention. For those who have been loyal readers, we thank you.

Now for your week in review, a typically slow week during the Christmas season:

Contracts

Raytheon Missile Systems Co., Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $768.3 million contract for Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) Production Lot 33. This contract provides for the production of the AMRAAM missiles, captive air training missiles, guidance sections, AMRAAM telemetry system, spares and other production engineering support hardware. Work will be performed in Tucson with an expected completion date of Feb. 28, 2023. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Dominance Division Contracting Office, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.

Week in review (12/15 to 12/21)

Early this week the December issue of the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor Newsletter was published and is now available for your reading enjoyment. It takes a look at the key aviation-related stories in the Gulf Coast region during 2019, and also looks forward to what might happen in 2020. (Post)

There were plenty of contracts awarded during the week, most of them related to the F-35 program. That’s of interest because Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of an F-35 training center and reprogramming labs. Here's the contracts in review:

Contracts – Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $7 billion modification to a previously awarded contract for F-22 air vehicle sustainment. This modification provides for the exercise of an option for additional five year ordering period for comprehensive F-22 air vehicle sustainment. Work will be performed at five operational bases: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; Tyndall AFB, Fla.; Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.; and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; and at six support locations: Edwards AFB, Calif.; Palmdale, Calif.; Hill AFB, Utah; Tinker AFB, Okla.; Sheppard AFB, Texas; and Warner Robins AFB, Ga.; as well as at other potential stateside and overseas locations. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity. … Lockheed also was awarded a $9 million contract that provides support to establish the common reprogramming tool development network and selection of a service-oriented architecture needed to commence development of enhanced reprogramming tools, which is essential for all standing labs in support of the F-35 aircraft for the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas (97%) and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (3%), and is expected to be completed in December 2020. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. … Lockheed also was awarded a $50.2 million modification to a previously awarded contract. This modification exercises an option to procure unique F-35 Autonomic Logistics Information System hardware and support equipment for the Marine Corps. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. … Lockheed also was awarded an $8.9 million modification to a delivery order previously placed against a basic ordering agreement. This modification is for the procurement of modification kits required for modification and retrofit activities in support of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. Work will be performed in Fort Worth and is expected to be completed in December 2024. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Contracts – UTC

United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., was awarded a $455.5 million modification to a previously awarded contract. This modification provides for non-recurring engineering and tooling in support of the lot 14 production and delivery of 32 F135-PW-100 propulsion systems and one F135-PW-600 propulsion system for F-35 Joint Program Office non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants. Work will be performed in East Hartford (97%); Indianapolis, Ind. (2%); and Bristol, United Kingdom (1%), and is expected to be completed in April 2022. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. … UTC also was awarded a $58.4 million task order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement. This order provides non-recurring engineering for early identification, development and qualification of corrections to potential and actual operational issues, including safety, reliability and maintainability problems identified through fleet usage, accelerated mission testing, continues engine maturation and evaluates component life limits based on operational experience in support of the F-35 aircraft for the Navy, Air Force; non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in East Hartford (87%) and Indianapolis, Ind. (13%), and is expected to be completed in December 2024. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Contracts – Others

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, Calif., was awarded a $22.5 million contract to provide engineering, cyber security, system software, logistics and training services in support of the MQ-8 Fire Scout Unmanned Air Systems. Work will be performed at San Diego and is expected to be completed in December 2020. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. Moss Point, Miss., does final assembly work on the MQ-8 Fire Scout. … Georgia Tech Applied Research Corp., Atlanta, Georgia, was awarded an $85 million contract for the Golden Horde Science and Technology demonstration effort. The five year contract provides support for research and development of emerging munition technologies, as well as integrated weapon demonstrations. Work will be performed at Atlanta. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Boeing Aerospace Operations Inc., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $92.3 million contract action. This contract provides engineering technical services in support of Naval Aviation weapon systems and all associated systems and equipment throughout their sustainment life-cycle, to include contractor field services in support of the AV-8B, EA-18G, F/A-18, C-40, and P-8A aircraft for the Navy and the government of Kuwait. Work will be performed in Iwakuni, Japan (17.88%); Oceana, Va. (8.48%); Whidbey Island, Wash. (8.25%); New Orleans, La. (7.26%); Miramar, Calif. (6.85%); Beaufort, S.C. (5.45%); Kuwait (5.36%); Fort Worth, Texas (5.06%); North Island, Calif. (5.06%); Jacksonville, Fla.(4.61%); Pensacola, Fla. (3.63%); Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (3.63%); Patuxent River, Md. (3.63%); China Lake, Calif. (3.63%); Cherry Point, N.C. (3.63%); Yuma, Ariz., (3.63%); Fallon, Nev. (1.8%); Lemoore, Calif. (1.8%); various locations within the continental U.S. (.3%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (.06%), and is expected to be completed in December 2024. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Week in review (12/8 to 12/14)

The December issue of the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor Newsletter will be published next week. It takes a look back at the key aerospace stories during 2019, and also looks ahead at what we can expect in the coming year.

It will be sent to subscribers' inboxes, but non-subscribers can look for it next week at our webpage.

Now for your week in review:

All eight of the people injured in the Dec. 6 shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., have been released from the hospital, according to the Pensacola News Journal.

The mass shooting at the base left three sailors dead: 19-year-old Mohammed Sameh Haitham, 21-year-old Cameron Scott Walters, and 23-year-old Joshua Kaleb Watson. The Navy has since posthumously awarded all three Wings of Gold.

The investigation into the mass shooting continues. The gunman, a Royal Saudi Air Force aviation student, was killed by deputies. The Navy has grounded about 300 Saudi military trainees at NAS Pensacola, NAS Whiting Field near Milton and NAS Mayport in Jacksonville. Classroom teaching, however, is continuing.

The safety stand-down was issued pending results of an FBI investigation of the shooting. Investigators believe Second Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, 21, acted alone. (Post)

The FBI is presuming the fatal shooting was terrorism, but the agency has yet to declare an official motive. The handgun used by Alshamrani was a 9mm Glock bought legally in Florida, according to the FBI. (Post)

Contracts

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded an $18 million modification to a previously awarded contract. This modification provides for the maintenance and operation of the Australia, Canada, United Kingdom Reprogramming Laboratory (ACURL). This effort includes sustainment support for all ACURL systems to include consumables for the F-35 aircraft in support of the governments of Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be completed in February 2021. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. … DMR Consulting Inc., Panama City Beach, Fla., was awarded a $9 million modification to previously awarded contract to exercise the option for the depot level repair, overhaul and modification for the MK-105 Magnetic Minesweeping Gear. This option exercise is for depot level repair and maintenance of the MK105 Magnetic Minesweeping Gear. The MK105 Magnetic Influence Minesweeping System, better known as the "sled," is a high-speed catamaran hydrofoil platform, which is towed behind the MH-53E helicopter and is used to sweep magnetic influence mines. Work will be performed in Panama City, Fla., and is expected to be completed by December 2020. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, Panama City, is the contracting activity. … Arete Associates Inc., Northridge, Calif., was awarded a $17.6 million modification to a previously-awarded contract to exercise Option 2, to provide Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) Block I systems. Work will be performed in Destin, Fla. (35%); Tucson, Ariz. (35%); and Santa Rosa, Calif. (30%), and is expected to be completed by July 2022. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Primus, Beltsville, Md., was awarded an $8.8 million contract for cold and hot aviation refuel and defuel services, personnel, management, parts, supplies, transportation and vehicles/trucks. Work will be performed in Daleville, Ala., with an estimated completion date of June 16, 2020. U.S. Army Mission Installation Contracting Command, Fort Eustis, Va., is the contracting activity.

Week in review (12/1 to 12/7)

While there were multiple important stories during the week for the Gulf Coast aerospace corridor, the one that caught the most attention was the slaying of three people at Naval Air Station Pensacola and the death of the shooter.

The shooter has been identified as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a second lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force. Authorities are trying to determine if the shooting in the large school complex was terror-related, but even before that, there are multiple troubling reports about the shooter that have been published. The Associated Press is reporting that Alshamrani hosted a dinner party earlier in the week where he and three others watched videos of mass shootings.

NAS Pensacola, the nation’s first air station, is a key training facility for the Navy. Parts of the base look like a college campus, including Building 633, where the shootings occurred. The base is where 60,000 members of the Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard receive training each year in multiple aviation-related technical fields. Students at the base include a couple hundred from U.S. partner nations. (Post)

The shooter used a handgun to kill his victims. The FBI is leading the investigation into the shootings. Officials did not say how long the gunman had been training at the base. Building 633 where the shooting occurred is multi-story and houses schools for aviation technical training. (Post)

The eight people injured were sent to area hospitals.

The shooting occurred before 7 a.m. CST. The base has 16,000 military and 7,400 civilians and is a key Navy technical training base. It’s also home of the Blue Angels flight demonstration team, Barrancas National Cemetery, and the National Naval Aviation Museum, which is also the location of the National Flight Academy. (Post)

One of victims of the shooting has been identified by his family. Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis this year and arrived in Pensacola two weeks ago for flight training. According to his brother, he was shot multiple times but made his way outside to tell first responders where the shooter was. (Post)

Space

Over in Mississippi, Lockheed Martin is expanding its operations at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Hancock County in a $20.9 million investment that will create 30 jobs.

Lockheed Martin Mississippi Space and Technology Center’s primary activity at SSC is to design and build satellites and spacecraft for government and commercial customers. It opened in 2002 and provides thermal blankets and installs the engines that maneuver satellites in orbit.

For the expansion, Lockheed Martin is centralizing select thermal production capabilities to its Stennis location and will begin manufacturing products that are key components of all spacecraft currently manufactured by the company.

The Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance for building renovations. The project qualifies for tax abatements under the Hancock County Board of Supervisors’ current incentives program. (Post)

Education

Also in Mississippi, Pearl River Community College broke ground Tuesday on the Phil Bryant Aviation and Aerospace Workforce Academy in Hancock County, across from Stennis International Airport.

It received a $2 million grant from the Department of Economic Development Administration, matched with more than $3.9 million in state and local investments and is expected to help create 469 jobs, retain 550 jobs, and generate $5 million in private investments.

The academy will be an estimated 25,000 square feet and represents a new and expanded presence for PRCC in Hancock County. It will consist of eight classrooms, five labs, reception area, faculty and staff offices, and more.

The academy will include a hangar of some 18,000 square feet and will consist of two classrooms with labs, open hangar area with hands-on lab stations. The facility is expected to be complete in 2021.

Among other things, students will be able to study welding, precision manufacturing, instrumentation, industrial electronics, and more. (Post)

Airbus

United Airlines has placed a firm order for 50 Airbus A321XLR aircraft as it begins to phase out older models and launches an expansion of transatlantic routes from its key U.S. hubs in Newark/New York and Washington D.C.

United plans to take delivery of the first A321XLR in 2024 and expects to begin international service with the aircraft in 2025. The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step in the A320neo/A321neo series of aircraft to meet market demand for an increased range and payload in a single-aisle aircraft.

It will allow service from the U.S. East Coast to a much larger selection of European destinations. At the end of October 2019, the A320neo Family had accumulated more than 7,000 firm orders from over 110 customers worldwide. Many of these aircraft will likely be built in Mobile, Ala. (Post)

Contracts

Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla., was awarded a $988.8 million modification to a previously-awarded contract for Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon critical design review, test and production readiness support. Work will be done in Orlando and is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2022. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $153.4 million modification to a previously-awarded contract. This modification procures special tooling and special test equipment required to meet current and future F-35 Lightning II low-rate initial production as well as full-rate production rates. Work will be performed in Italy, California, Texas, Utah, Georgia, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Vermont, Norway, and New York and is expected to be completed in December 2023. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of an F-35 training center. … BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services Inc., Rockville, Md., was awarded a $12.6 million contract modification to a previously-awarded contract to exercise Option Two. The contract modification extends the contract term for an additional 12 months in order to continue providing diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages support for Air Force and non-Air Force users supporting the Air Force, to proactively reduce mission capability impacts to improve logistics support and weapon system sustainability. Work will be performed in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., as well as Utah, Georgia, and Oklahoma, and is expected to be completed by June 20, 2021. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker Air Force Base, is the contracting activity.