The most significant news to come down the pike during the week for the Gulf Coast region may have been President Barack Obama's $3.55 trillion budget. It includes $533.7 billion in fiscal year 2010 for the Defense Department and $18.7 billion for NASA. Both agencies play major roles in the economic health of the Gulf Coast, and both budgets represent increases over the previous fiscal year. More on the budget later.
First, last week we told you about the growth expected in the field of unmanned aerial systems. So it makes sense to take a look at another field of robotics that's likely to grow. In this case, think bionic man or woman.
At the Association of the United States' Army Winter Symposium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., during the week, Lockheed Martin debuted a robotic exoskeleton designed to improve a soldier's strength and endurance. It's called the Human Universal Load Carrier – not much of a name until you pronounce it as an acronym: HULC.
Under a licensing agreement with Berkeley Bionics of California, Lockheed Martin will advance the development of the HULC design to provide soldiers a powerful advantage in ground operations. Rich Russell, director of Sensors, Data Links and Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin, said that with the company's enhancements to the HULC system, soldiers will be able to carry loads of up to 200 pounds with minimal effort.
HULC transfers the weight from heavy loads to the ground through the battery-powered, titanium legs of the lower-body exoskeleton. An advanced micro-computer ensures the exoskeleton moves with the individual. HULC hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton allows for deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minor exertion.
Lockheed is also exploring exoskeleton for industrial and medical applications. (Story)
It was years ago that Ken Ford, director of the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola, Fla., told me to keep an eye on this field. IHMC is heavily involved in doing research in a range of artificial intelligence fields, including giving humans some machine-like capabilities. These systems fit the human and machine components together in ways that exploit their respective strengths and mitigate their respective weaknesses.
Military
Now back to the budget. The Defense Department would get a baseline budget of $533.7 billion in fiscal year 2010, up from $513.3 billion appropriated by Congress in 2009, under Obama's proposed budget. The DoD budget is important to this region, which is home to military bases as well as large and small defense contractors. For an administration that has made it a key aim to keep people working, funding of DoD does just that.
- The development of the F-35 is continuing on track. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is no doubt interested in progress of the F-35, since it will be the home of the Joint Strike Fighter training center beginning in 2010. During this past week Lockheed Martin's second short takeoff/vertical landing F-35B Lightning II accomplished its first flight. The aircraft, known as BF-2, joins a conventional takeoff and landing F-35A and another F-35B that already have logged a combined total of 84 flights.
- At Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., the base announced during the week that Brig. Gen. Greg Touhill will turn over command of the 81st Training Wing to Col. Ian Dickinson April 6. Dickinson, who reports to Keesler Air Force Base by March 31, is Joint Staff deputy chief information officer at the Pentagon. Touhill’s new assignment is Chief, Office of Military Cooperation, U.S. Central Command, Kuwait.
Tanker
Twice during the week Air Force officials said that the aerial tankers remain the Air Force's top priority. Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, told a joint hearing of the seapower and air and land forces subcommittees of the House Armed Services Committee that the tanker is his No. 1 modernization priority.
And during a military conference in Orlando, Fla., sponsored by the Air Force Association, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley also said the replacement is the top priority. Defense Secretary Robert Gates expects to issue a new request for bids this spring.
Boeing is competing against a Northrop Grumman/EADS for the $40 billion project to replace the fleet of KC-135s. Northrop/EADS won the competition in February 2008 and planned to assemble them in Mobile, Ala. But a Boeing protest was upheld by the Government Accountability Office and later the Pentagon decided to wait for the new administration.
Some, most notably Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, are calling for a split buy. During his visit to Mobile, Murtha has said he was pleased to learn EADS would build cargo planes in Mobile if it won the tanker contract. EADS, parent of Airbus, said last year that it would produce a cargo version of the A330 airliner if it won the Air Force competition.
During the week Aviation Week wrote that Airbus is preparing to birth a new generation of freighter aircraft just as the industry is seeing declines in demand. But Airbus is looking beyond the immediate crisis and making a long-term bet on creating freighters that could compete with rival Boeing. This could be big for Mobile – should EADS win the Air Force contract. And if it doesn’t? EADS’ push with freighters could still be important to Mobile’s aviation future.
At the end of the week, the Mobile Press-Register reported that Northrop Grumman and EADS North America have been asked by Mobile officials to hire Bay Haas, the retired airport authority executive director, to coordinate local support for the effort to win the contract to assemble aerial refueling tankers in Mobile.
The newspaper said the request was made in a Feb. 18 letter. A spokesman said Northrop Grumman is giving the suggestions "active consideration."
When Haas retired in November, he was expected to continue to do work for the airport authority as a consultant for $10,000 a month for 19 months. But that never happened because of questions raised about whether it was a violation of part of the state ethics law that bars agencies from hiring former executives for two years after they leave. (Story)
Space
Extra money, especially in these hard economic times, is always welcome. And now NASA is looking at how to use some extra money coming to the agency thanks to the stimulus plan.
The agency found out during the week that the Obama Administration wants to provide NASA with a budget of $18.7 billion in the 2010 fiscal year. When combined with the $1 billion provided for NASA in the Recovery Act, the funding is more than $2.4 billion above the 2008 level.
NASA managers are looking at options for spending an extra $400 million from the stimulus. Among the possibilities: extra flight-test to speed up development of the Ares I, or advancing development work on Ares I and Orion.
- NASA during the week awarded an interim letter contract to Oceaneering International Inc. of Houston to begin work on the design, development and production of a new spacesuit system for the Constellation Program.
- At the end of the week, Boeing submitted a proposal to NASA for Altair lunar lander design support. NASA is expected to award multiple contracts this spring. The lunar lander will launch aboard the Ares V heavy-lift rocket. Recently Boeing submitted proposals for the Ares V Phase 1 Design Support Contracts.
Sci-tech parks
Northwest Florida's Santa Rosa County Commission during the week voted to use $3.1 million to buy 90 acres not far from Interstate 10 to use for industrial development. Pullum Park will join the nearby Santa Rosa County Industrial Park and the planned Whiting Aviation Park as county-owned property available for industrial development.
At another science and technology park in the region, growth seems to be at hand.
Six years after its opening, the University of South Alabama's Research and Technology Park has filled current buildings and an expansion is being considered. Ker Ferguson, the park's director, said the university is negotiating costs for new building construction and is talking with prospective tenants. The park already has land available for new construction, and now might be a good time considering lower construction costs.
The Research and Technology Park, which opened on 35 acres in 2003, is intended to give companies an opportunity to gain access to students and collaborate on research efforts with students and faculty. It now has almost 300,000 square feet of space leased to 16 different companies with more than 600 employees. (Story)
Contracts
There were two contracts awarded during the week with a Gulf Coast connection. The Air Force modified a contract with Textron Systems Corp. for $9.5 million to provide additional sensor fuzed weapons. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. The Air Force also modified a contract with Northrop Grumman for $5.8 million to provide engineering, manufacturing and development infrastructure activates in support of the Global Hawk Program. Global Hawk fuselage work is done in part in Moss Point, Miss.
PERSPECTIVES: Commentary and analysis on aerospace and defense activities in the Gulf Coast
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Week in review (2/15 to 2/21)
Those who follow the aerospace industry already knew it, and a study by the Teal Group simply confirmed it - and gave it some numbers. The most dynamic growth sector in the aerospace industry: unmanned aerial vehicles.
A 2009 market study by the Teal Group, of Fairfax, Va., estimates spending on unmanned aerial vehicles – or if you prefer, unmanned aerial systems – will nearly double to $8.7 billion annually over the next decade. That’s more than $62 billion in the next 10 years.
The 364-page study says the United States will account for 72 percent of the worldwide research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) spending on UAV technology over the next decade and some 61 percent of the procurement. Europe is the second largest market, followed by Asia-Pacific.
The study also examined UAV payloads, including electro-optic/infrared sensors, synthetic aperture radars and more. That portion of the sector is forecast to increase to nearly $5 billion in a decade from the current $2 billion. (Story)
What's striking about this field is that it has both military and commercial applications, and in addition to sensors, it involves everything from computer science to advanced materials and more. And it's not just aerospace – there are also unmanned land and sea vehicles that will likely grow.
The Gulf Coast region is fortunate to have a foot in the door.
A few years back Jackson County, Miss., started working with Northrop Grumman to get a Fire Scout helicopter drone plant in Moss Point. I recall the head economic development saying it would be hard to get residents to look beyond the immediate number of jobs and see it as a building block for the future.
A 2009 market study by the Teal Group, of Fairfax, Va., estimates spending on unmanned aerial vehicles – or if you prefer, unmanned aerial systems – will nearly double to $8.7 billion annually over the next decade. That’s more than $62 billion in the next 10 years.
The 364-page study says the United States will account for 72 percent of the worldwide research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) spending on UAV technology over the next decade and some 61 percent of the procurement. Europe is the second largest market, followed by Asia-Pacific.
The study also examined UAV payloads, including electro-optic/infrared sensors, synthetic aperture radars and more. That portion of the sector is forecast to increase to nearly $5 billion in a decade from the current $2 billion. (Story)
What's striking about this field is that it has both military and commercial applications, and in addition to sensors, it involves everything from computer science to advanced materials and more. And it's not just aerospace – there are also unmanned land and sea vehicles that will likely grow.
The Gulf Coast region is fortunate to have a foot in the door.
A few years back Jackson County, Miss., started working with Northrop Grumman to get a Fire Scout helicopter drone plant in Moss Point. I recall the head economic development saying it would be hard to get residents to look beyond the immediate number of jobs and see it as a building block for the future.
But it didn't take long before Northrop decided to build Global Hawks at what it eventually named the Unmanned Systems Center. They also did some work on Hunter UAVs. The plant is capable of doing a lot more, and Northrop has said it expects to send more work to the plant. The company also has divs on another 30 acres at the Moss Point’s Trent Lott Aviation Technology Park. This year Northrop will be flying Fire Scout unmanned helicopters over South Mississippi.
Santa Rosa County, Fla., is also involved in this aerospace sector. AeroVironment of Monrovia, Calif., which has developed a series of highly successful, small UAVs, including the Raven, has its training and support operations in Navarre, between Pensacola and Eglin Air Force Base. It's grown from a six-person operation in 2004 to more than 40 employees today.
There's a day in the future when pilots will find their role diminished if not eliminated. Think that unrealistic? There likely was a time in the past when people could not picture going on an elevator without someone at the controls. Maj. Lee Kloos of Eglin, chosen to become an F-35 instructor, considered it a privilege to be chosen, especially since Air Force aviation is moving toward unmanned aerial systems. "This is a unique opportunity and there won't be many more like it," he said. Perhaps prophetic words.
It's possible to envision armed UAVs in the future using Eglin to test some of the munitions being developed at the base. Oddly enough, the pilots flying those drone may not even be based at Eglin. Some of the UAVs may be flying autonomously, thanks to advances in computer intelligence systems. And the Gulf Coast has an operation that's a leader in artificial intelligence systems: The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola, Fla.
These robots aren’t just airborne. A short time ago in Panama City, Fla., engineers at Tyndall Air Force Base came up with a robot that can refuel aircraft with minimum human intervention.
During the past week Northrop Grumman's relative navigation system was selected by the Air Force for the Automated Aerial Refueling program follow-on contract. Relative navigation, the ability to measure the relative motions of two vehicles, is crucial to the aerial refueling of drones. The AAR is designed to work with the existing tanker fleet, but is there any doubt plans call for being able to adapt it to unmanned aerial tankers?
The Navy also has a keen interest in UAVs. Like the Air Force, it's interested in relative navigation. And the Navy is also interested in surface and underwater unmanned systems. An analyst from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments recently said he's concerned the Navy's 30-year modernization plan leaves some gaps. Robert Work recommends more R&D work on smaller, manned and unmanned undersea vehicles and autonomous systems. The Gulf Coast has a group that's involved in underseas vehicle: The Undersea Vehicles Technology Center at Stennis Space Center, part of the National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology.
This is an opportunity our economic development officials need to continue to pursue.
- There was also a bit of news during the week related to Mobile, Ala., and its bid to become home to a Northrop-EADS aircraft assembly complex. You’ll recall that a few weeks ago U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., toured the site in Mobile where the facility would be located. At the time he said he was impressed that EADS would also build cargo planes in Mobile if it wins the contract. He also said he's in a favor of buying some planes from Northrop-EADS, and some from competitor Boeing.
He made the same comment after touring the 767 final assembly facility in Everett, Wash. The visit was part of a fact-finding mission. Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, was invited by Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash. Murtha also toured the 737 and P-8A Poseidon aircraft facilities in Renton.
Despite Murtha's comment, he has a long way to go to convince others. The Pentagon doesn't like the idea, and Boeing's allies may well see the current environment as more conducive to Boeing winning this next competition. But Boeing also likely understand that Northrop and EADS would not let a Boeing win go without a protest. The loser in all of this will be the warfighter who have to continue to rely on aging tankers.
For an administration that wants to save jobs in this country, a split buy would not only save jobs in Washington State and Kansas, but would create new ones as well in Alabama and the Gulf Coast region.
Military
Santa Rosa County, Fla., is also involved in this aerospace sector. AeroVironment of Monrovia, Calif., which has developed a series of highly successful, small UAVs, including the Raven, has its training and support operations in Navarre, between Pensacola and Eglin Air Force Base. It's grown from a six-person operation in 2004 to more than 40 employees today.
There's a day in the future when pilots will find their role diminished if not eliminated. Think that unrealistic? There likely was a time in the past when people could not picture going on an elevator without someone at the controls. Maj. Lee Kloos of Eglin, chosen to become an F-35 instructor, considered it a privilege to be chosen, especially since Air Force aviation is moving toward unmanned aerial systems. "This is a unique opportunity and there won't be many more like it," he said. Perhaps prophetic words.
It's possible to envision armed UAVs in the future using Eglin to test some of the munitions being developed at the base. Oddly enough, the pilots flying those drone may not even be based at Eglin. Some of the UAVs may be flying autonomously, thanks to advances in computer intelligence systems. And the Gulf Coast has an operation that's a leader in artificial intelligence systems: The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola, Fla.
These robots aren’t just airborne. A short time ago in Panama City, Fla., engineers at Tyndall Air Force Base came up with a robot that can refuel aircraft with minimum human intervention.
During the past week Northrop Grumman's relative navigation system was selected by the Air Force for the Automated Aerial Refueling program follow-on contract. Relative navigation, the ability to measure the relative motions of two vehicles, is crucial to the aerial refueling of drones. The AAR is designed to work with the existing tanker fleet, but is there any doubt plans call for being able to adapt it to unmanned aerial tankers?
The Navy also has a keen interest in UAVs. Like the Air Force, it's interested in relative navigation. And the Navy is also interested in surface and underwater unmanned systems. An analyst from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments recently said he's concerned the Navy's 30-year modernization plan leaves some gaps. Robert Work recommends more R&D work on smaller, manned and unmanned undersea vehicles and autonomous systems. The Gulf Coast has a group that's involved in underseas vehicle: The Undersea Vehicles Technology Center at Stennis Space Center, part of the National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology.
This is an opportunity our economic development officials need to continue to pursue.
- There was also a bit of news during the week related to Mobile, Ala., and its bid to become home to a Northrop-EADS aircraft assembly complex. You’ll recall that a few weeks ago U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., toured the site in Mobile where the facility would be located. At the time he said he was impressed that EADS would also build cargo planes in Mobile if it wins the contract. He also said he's in a favor of buying some planes from Northrop-EADS, and some from competitor Boeing.
He made the same comment after touring the 767 final assembly facility in Everett, Wash. The visit was part of a fact-finding mission. Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, was invited by Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash. Murtha also toured the 737 and P-8A Poseidon aircraft facilities in Renton.
Despite Murtha's comment, he has a long way to go to convince others. The Pentagon doesn't like the idea, and Boeing's allies may well see the current environment as more conducive to Boeing winning this next competition. But Boeing also likely understand that Northrop and EADS would not let a Boeing win go without a protest. The loser in all of this will be the warfighter who have to continue to rely on aging tankers.
For an administration that wants to save jobs in this country, a split buy would not only save jobs in Washington State and Kansas, but would create new ones as well in Alabama and the Gulf Coast region.
Military
Just when you thought it was settled, the F-35 noise issue heated up again during the week. The City of Valparaiso, Fla., voted to sue the Air Force over the F-35 Record of Decision. Two commissioners, both of whom had opposed a previous Freedom of Information Act suit against the Air Force, were absent for the vote.
The Air Force earlier this month signed a record of decision that allows construction to begin for the Joint Strike Fighter training center. To address noise concerns, the Air Force is limiting use of one runway. But Valparaiso officials feel the noise issue will destroy home values and be the end of the city.
The Air Force earlier this month signed a record of decision that allows construction to begin for the Joint Strike Fighter training center. To address noise concerns, the Air Force is limiting use of one runway. But Valparaiso officials feel the noise issue will destroy home values and be the end of the city.
We'll of course keep an eye on this one.
- Brig. Gen. Greg Touhill, 81st Training Wing commander at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., has been selected for a new assignment as Chief, Office of Military Cooperation, U.S. Central Command, Kuwait. Touhill came to Keesler in October 2007. Announcement of his replacement is expected soon.
- Lt. Col. Brenda Cartier has assumed command of the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Cartier is the first female flying squadron commander for the Air Force Special Operations Command. She replaced Lt. Col. Jim Rodriquez.
Airports
We should mention a rift that's playing out in Northwest Florida pitting Okaloosa County against Bay County. Media reports say officials from Okaloosa County accuse rivals of spreading lies that Northwest Florida Regional Airport – the former Okaloosa County Regional Airport – will close.
It apparently goes back to a January 2008 e-mail by Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce claiming the airport's lease with Eglin Air Force Base would end after 2010. At the time, the chamber was trying to get support behind the Panama City-Bay County International Airport project. Eglin, in fact, renewed the lease until 2032, and the chamber apologized for the misunderstanding. But apparently rumors have continued. (Story)
The odd part about all of this is that, yes, the airports in the region compete with their immediate neighbors for passengers and flights, but there are some real benefits having airports in New Orleans, Gulfport, Mobile, Pensacola, Okaloosa County and Panama City. While there was talk in the past about combined airports – Pensacola and Mobile, for instance, sharing an airport in Baldwin County – that thinking eventually faded away. Offering visitors the option of multiple airports has been the defacto mindset. The loss of any one of the region's airports would hurt the entire region.
- Okaloosa County Airport Director Greg Donovan presented an updated master plan for Northwest Florida Regional Airport at a public meeting during the week. The biggest news was a discussion about a six-acre site east of a new rental car and overflow parking area that has been designated for commercial development – perhaps a hotel and restaurant.
- In Pensacola, a new radar approach control facility at Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport is nearing completion. The $21 million Terminal Radar Approach Control facility is replacing the current 31-year-old building. In Milton at Whiting Field Naval Air Station, construction wrapped up on a new $4 million control tower replacing one built in 1972.
Space
NASA signed a five-year, $45 million contract during the week with American Tank and Vessel Inc. of Mobile, Ala., for installation of a test cell diffuser and associated systems in the A-3 test stand at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The test stand will test the J-2X engine that will power the upper stage of the Ares I crew exploration vehicle and the Earth departure stage of the Ares V cargo launch vehicle. Construction began on the A-3 stand in summer 2007, with the first test scheduled for 2012.
- Boeing's Space Exploration division submitted proposals for the Ares V Phase 1 Design Support Contracts. The proposals are for design support of the Ares V cargo launch vehicle's payload shroud; the Earth-departure stage; the liquid-fueled central booster element core state; and avionics and software. The two-stage, vertically stacked Ares V will be NASA's primary rocket for delivery of large-scale hardware to space.
- NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite left California during the week for its trip to Kennedy Space Center. The satellite's mission is to search for water ice on the moon in a permanently shadowed crater near one of the lunar poles. LCROSS is a companion mission to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO. At Kennedy the two spacecraft will be integrated with an Atlas V launch vehicle and tested for final flight worthiness. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020.
- NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite left California during the week for its trip to Kennedy Space Center. The satellite's mission is to search for water ice on the moon in a permanently shadowed crater near one of the lunar poles. LCROSS is a companion mission to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO. At Kennedy the two spacecraft will be integrated with an Atlas V launch vehicle and tested for final flight worthiness. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Week in review (2/8 to 2/14)
It's an intriguing question. Would the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. build an aircraft plant in the region even if it fails to win the Air Force tanker competition?
Donald Epley, director of the Mitchell College of Business Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of South Alabama, thinks so. According to the Pensacola News Journal, Epley said during the week that the exchange rate is killing EADS, and he thinks the company will bring about 1,000 jobs to the region, tanker or no tanker. He made the comment at the annual Real Estate Trends Report and Forecast Conference in Pensacola.
Epley makes a good point, and he's not alone in that thinking. This is a relatively low cost area of the country, and no doubt economic development officials from this region bend over backwards to welcome new businesses, major and minor players alike.
Donald Epley, director of the Mitchell College of Business Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of South Alabama, thinks so. According to the Pensacola News Journal, Epley said during the week that the exchange rate is killing EADS, and he thinks the company will bring about 1,000 jobs to the region, tanker or no tanker. He made the comment at the annual Real Estate Trends Report and Forecast Conference in Pensacola.
Epley makes a good point, and he's not alone in that thinking. This is a relatively low cost area of the country, and no doubt economic development officials from this region bend over backwards to welcome new businesses, major and minor players alike.
The Gulf Coast region between New Orleans and Northwest Florida has a wide range of aerospace capabilities, from space programs in the west portion of the corridor to weapons development in the east, and a range of activities in between. Every major aerospace company has an operation in the region, and over the past few years economic development officials have been cooperating regularly to promote not only their own area, but the broader region.
Northrop/EADS won the competition last year to build the next generation of Air Force tankers in Mobile, Ala. The decision was overturned after a Boeing protest, and a new round of competition will begin this year. And while the company would certainly like to win that tanker contest, Mobile remains a viable location for any number of EADS projects where the primary customer is in the United States. EADS has shown a good deal of interest in Mobile. It set up an EADS-CASA maintenance center and Airbus engineering center in Mobile, and it did say as far back as January 2008 that it would build cargo planes in Mobile if it won the tanker project.
Northrop/EADS won the competition last year to build the next generation of Air Force tankers in Mobile, Ala. The decision was overturned after a Boeing protest, and a new round of competition will begin this year. And while the company would certainly like to win that tanker contest, Mobile remains a viable location for any number of EADS projects where the primary customer is in the United States. EADS has shown a good deal of interest in Mobile. It set up an EADS-CASA maintenance center and Airbus engineering center in Mobile, and it did say as far back as January 2008 that it would build cargo planes in Mobile if it won the tanker project.
Epley's comment seemed right on the mark.
- Speaking of Mobile, the Mobile Press-Register reported during the week that Teledyne Continental Motors is recalling 9,600 cylinders from piston aircraft engines because of a metal-casting problem that can cause the cylinder heads to crack. The company expects the recall to cost as much $18 million.
- The first operational Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Global Hawk is now in Southwest Asia with the Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. In a concept of operations called remote-split operations, the Navy Global Hawks' arrival marks the culmination of more than five months of joint effort to stand up a maritime surveillance presence in the region.
Prior to arrival in Southwest Asia, the Navy Global Hawk has been in service for non-wartime missions during its test and development phase, including spying on Hurricane Ike. Fuselage work on the Global Hawk is done at the Northrop Grumman Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss.
Joint Strike Fighter
Aviation Week reported during the week that four defense oversight committees in Congress approved the Navy's reprogramming request in fiscal 2009 for funds to secure purchases of the first Joint Strike Fighter for carrier operations. The $40 million will pay for long lead parts for three Lockheed Martin F-35Cs.
The F-35 has three variants: a traditional version for the Air Force that takes off from runways, a carrier version for the Navy and a vertical takeoff and landing version for the Marines. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., will be the joint training site for the F-35 program.
Eglin will see one of its own as an instructor in the F-35 program. Maj. Lee Kloos, who has nearly 2,000 flying hours, is in the initial cadre of F-35 instructors. He has worked with the Joint Strike Fighter Site Activation Task Force program.
- Eglin is scheduled to get some additional personnel because of a reorganization effort. Federal Computer World reported during the week that the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center will move about 70 personnel in the next 18 months to support its cyber operations. In addition to Eglin, other bases receiving the new personnel are Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
Military training
A team that works closely with Navy SEALs has moved into a new, $9.7 million complex at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Special Boat Team 22, which specializes in riverine missions, has grown in the last four years. There are 400 sailors assigned to SBT 22. It also operates a training school for foreign sailors.
- The Air Force Special Operations Command has wrapped up an exercise designed to train forces in combat scenarios. Emerald Warrior took place at Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Training included troop insertions, air-ground support and convoy active-defense scenarios.
- Eglin officials and contractors are preparing to conduct visual surface surveys on private property in Santa Rosa County to ensure former weapon test ranges are clear of old munitions. Eglin sent right of entry requests to 13 private property owners in an area that was formerly part of now defunct Range 30, where aerial gunnery testing was conducted in the 1940s-50s.
Space
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is now at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. The spacecraft, slated to launch April 24, will spend at least one year in a low polar orbit on its primary lunar exploration mission, with the possibility of three more years to collect additional detailed scientific information about the moon and its environment. Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi are involved in the Constellation Program, the return of astronauts to the moon and beyond.
Airports
Passenger traffic at New Orleans' Louis Armstrong International Airport grew slightly in 2008 but still has not reached levels seen before Hurricane Katrina. Officials said that 7.9 million people passed through the Kenner airport in 2008, up 5.5 percent from 2007. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that a board created by the legislature to evaluate a possible state takeover of the city-owned airport is unlikely to be ready to offer a recommendation by this year's legislative session.
- Speaking of Mobile, the Mobile Press-Register reported during the week that Teledyne Continental Motors is recalling 9,600 cylinders from piston aircraft engines because of a metal-casting problem that can cause the cylinder heads to crack. The company expects the recall to cost as much $18 million.
- The first operational Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Global Hawk is now in Southwest Asia with the Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. In a concept of operations called remote-split operations, the Navy Global Hawks' arrival marks the culmination of more than five months of joint effort to stand up a maritime surveillance presence in the region.
Prior to arrival in Southwest Asia, the Navy Global Hawk has been in service for non-wartime missions during its test and development phase, including spying on Hurricane Ike. Fuselage work on the Global Hawk is done at the Northrop Grumman Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss.
Joint Strike Fighter
Aviation Week reported during the week that four defense oversight committees in Congress approved the Navy's reprogramming request in fiscal 2009 for funds to secure purchases of the first Joint Strike Fighter for carrier operations. The $40 million will pay for long lead parts for three Lockheed Martin F-35Cs.
The F-35 has three variants: a traditional version for the Air Force that takes off from runways, a carrier version for the Navy and a vertical takeoff and landing version for the Marines. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., will be the joint training site for the F-35 program.
Eglin will see one of its own as an instructor in the F-35 program. Maj. Lee Kloos, who has nearly 2,000 flying hours, is in the initial cadre of F-35 instructors. He has worked with the Joint Strike Fighter Site Activation Task Force program.
- Eglin is scheduled to get some additional personnel because of a reorganization effort. Federal Computer World reported during the week that the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center will move about 70 personnel in the next 18 months to support its cyber operations. In addition to Eglin, other bases receiving the new personnel are Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
Military training
A team that works closely with Navy SEALs has moved into a new, $9.7 million complex at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Special Boat Team 22, which specializes in riverine missions, has grown in the last four years. There are 400 sailors assigned to SBT 22. It also operates a training school for foreign sailors.
- The Air Force Special Operations Command has wrapped up an exercise designed to train forces in combat scenarios. Emerald Warrior took place at Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Training included troop insertions, air-ground support and convoy active-defense scenarios.
- Eglin officials and contractors are preparing to conduct visual surface surveys on private property in Santa Rosa County to ensure former weapon test ranges are clear of old munitions. Eglin sent right of entry requests to 13 private property owners in an area that was formerly part of now defunct Range 30, where aerial gunnery testing was conducted in the 1940s-50s.
Space
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is now at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. The spacecraft, slated to launch April 24, will spend at least one year in a low polar orbit on its primary lunar exploration mission, with the possibility of three more years to collect additional detailed scientific information about the moon and its environment. Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi are involved in the Constellation Program, the return of astronauts to the moon and beyond.
Airports
Passenger traffic at New Orleans' Louis Armstrong International Airport grew slightly in 2008 but still has not reached levels seen before Hurricane Katrina. Officials said that 7.9 million people passed through the Kenner airport in 2008, up 5.5 percent from 2007. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that a board created by the legislature to evaluate a possible state takeover of the city-owned airport is unlikely to be ready to offer a recommendation by this year's legislative session.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Week in review (2/1 to 2/7)
F-35, training: There was a sense of relief, no doubt, in economic development circles when the Air Force sealed the deal during the week and affirmed Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., as the future home to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter training center. This is a big deal for the region, adding another piece to the substantial aerospace-related activities between New Orleans and Northwest Florida.
Back in November the Air Force decided to delay signing a "record of decision" establishing the center because residents were concerned about the noise. The city of Valparaiso, right outside the Eglin gates, feared the jet, twice as loud as an F-15, would hurt property values that have already been pounded by the housing market.
Some had been concerned that the complaints would prompt the Air Force to look elsewhere, but that was never really in the cards. The Air Force took the additional time to try to address some of those concerns, most notably by limiting the use of one runway. And the Air Force will continue to explore ways to reduce the noise impact. That makes sense, considering other Air Force, Navy and Marine bases eventually will be hosting F-35s, designated Lightning II.
The signing of the record of decision means construction can now get under way in preparation for 59 F-35s that will arrive beginning March 2010. Nine construction projects worth $170 million are in the bidding process and construction is expected to begin before October. The total value of construction is placed at $250 million.
The Eglin center is designed to train Air Force, Navy and Marine pilots who will then train other instructors and students to fly the F-35. The goal is to open the squadron in October and begin training students in 2010. The squadron's first mission will be instructing other groups of pilots assigned to be trainers. The Air Force expects to field more than 1,750 Joint Strike Fighters over the next two decades.
No doubt a lot of eyes were watching the Eglin-noise debate. In addition to the locations in the United States that hope to get the planes, a host of foreign military organizations will also be buying F-35. This next generation plane was jointly developed by the United States and foreign partners, and a lot of money has been invested in its development.
The F-35 has three variants – a traditional version for the Air Force that takes off from runways, a carrier version for the Navy and a vertical takeoff and landing version for the Marines. It can carry all its weapons and fuel inside the fuselage, creating less wind resistance than an F-16 flying with bombs, missiles and fuel tanks under its wings.
The F-35’s avionics and sensors are 20 years beyond what F-16 pilots now use. An F-16 pilot spends a lot of time fusing together cockpit information collected by 1970s and ’80s technology, but the F-35’s avionics do much of the fusing itself, collecting and analyzing information from its digital sensors and other sources. The F-35 avionics are even more advanced than the F-22 Raptor. (The Air Force Times had a story during the week on the advanced F-35 systems)
- During the same week where the Air Force signed the deal on the training center, development of the aircraft has moved forward. The Pratt & Whitney F135 engine that will power the Marine version of the F-35 has been cleared for flight testing. Approval follows a review of design changes made to eliminate vibration that caused turbine blade failures in ground tests. Testing of aircraft BF-1, the short take-off and landing F-35, is expected to begin this month at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, facility.
- In another Eglin-related story during the week, three Okaloosa County men were indicted on federal charges for violations committed while working at or contracting with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base. The indictment claims one of the three, while employed as a senior engineer at the federal lab, steered programs to Schaller Engineering, or SEI, in which he had a financial interest.
- In another training-related news item during the week, Boeing won a $28.3 million contract for two Virtual Mission Training System retrofit kits that will integrate realistic radar training into the Navy T-45. The VMTS is designed for the training of flight officers who operate weapons and electronic warfare systems. The work involves T-45C aircraft and ground-station systems assigned to Training Air Wing 6, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
Space: The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and the National Science Foundation have each entered agreements with Google Earth to provide data for the popular program.
According to NSF, a feature called "Oceans in Google Earth" enables users to dive beneath the surface of the sea and explore oceans. It includes videos, photos, diagrams and texts that illustrate glacial, geological and ocean processes influencing the behavior of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in Antarctica.
The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command entered a cooperative research agreement to share with Google Earth unclassified information about oceans. The CRADA allows Google to use unclassified bathymetric data sets and sea surface temperatures from the Naval Oceanographic Office as well as meteorological data from Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, both subordinate commands of NMOC.
Back in November the Air Force decided to delay signing a "record of decision" establishing the center because residents were concerned about the noise. The city of Valparaiso, right outside the Eglin gates, feared the jet, twice as loud as an F-15, would hurt property values that have already been pounded by the housing market.
Some had been concerned that the complaints would prompt the Air Force to look elsewhere, but that was never really in the cards. The Air Force took the additional time to try to address some of those concerns, most notably by limiting the use of one runway. And the Air Force will continue to explore ways to reduce the noise impact. That makes sense, considering other Air Force, Navy and Marine bases eventually will be hosting F-35s, designated Lightning II.
The signing of the record of decision means construction can now get under way in preparation for 59 F-35s that will arrive beginning March 2010. Nine construction projects worth $170 million are in the bidding process and construction is expected to begin before October. The total value of construction is placed at $250 million.
The Eglin center is designed to train Air Force, Navy and Marine pilots who will then train other instructors and students to fly the F-35. The goal is to open the squadron in October and begin training students in 2010. The squadron's first mission will be instructing other groups of pilots assigned to be trainers. The Air Force expects to field more than 1,750 Joint Strike Fighters over the next two decades.
No doubt a lot of eyes were watching the Eglin-noise debate. In addition to the locations in the United States that hope to get the planes, a host of foreign military organizations will also be buying F-35. This next generation plane was jointly developed by the United States and foreign partners, and a lot of money has been invested in its development.
The F-35 has three variants – a traditional version for the Air Force that takes off from runways, a carrier version for the Navy and a vertical takeoff and landing version for the Marines. It can carry all its weapons and fuel inside the fuselage, creating less wind resistance than an F-16 flying with bombs, missiles and fuel tanks under its wings.
The F-35’s avionics and sensors are 20 years beyond what F-16 pilots now use. An F-16 pilot spends a lot of time fusing together cockpit information collected by 1970s and ’80s technology, but the F-35’s avionics do much of the fusing itself, collecting and analyzing information from its digital sensors and other sources. The F-35 avionics are even more advanced than the F-22 Raptor. (The Air Force Times had a story during the week on the advanced F-35 systems)
- During the same week where the Air Force signed the deal on the training center, development of the aircraft has moved forward. The Pratt & Whitney F135 engine that will power the Marine version of the F-35 has been cleared for flight testing. Approval follows a review of design changes made to eliminate vibration that caused turbine blade failures in ground tests. Testing of aircraft BF-1, the short take-off and landing F-35, is expected to begin this month at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, facility.
- In another Eglin-related story during the week, three Okaloosa County men were indicted on federal charges for violations committed while working at or contracting with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base. The indictment claims one of the three, while employed as a senior engineer at the federal lab, steered programs to Schaller Engineering, or SEI, in which he had a financial interest.
- In another training-related news item during the week, Boeing won a $28.3 million contract for two Virtual Mission Training System retrofit kits that will integrate realistic radar training into the Navy T-45. The VMTS is designed for the training of flight officers who operate weapons and electronic warfare systems. The work involves T-45C aircraft and ground-station systems assigned to Training Air Wing 6, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
Space: The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and the National Science Foundation have each entered agreements with Google Earth to provide data for the popular program.
According to NSF, a feature called "Oceans in Google Earth" enables users to dive beneath the surface of the sea and explore oceans. It includes videos, photos, diagrams and texts that illustrate glacial, geological and ocean processes influencing the behavior of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in Antarctica.
The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command entered a cooperative research agreement to share with Google Earth unclassified information about oceans. The CRADA allows Google to use unclassified bathymetric data sets and sea surface temperatures from the Naval Oceanographic Office as well as meteorological data from Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, both subordinate commands of NMOC.
- A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket successfully boosted a NOAA satellite into orbit during the week from a base in California. The satellite will be used to track fast-breaking storms and monitor climate changes. A Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-27A engine powered the rocket, and three Alliant Techsystems GEM-40 solid propulsion strap-on boosters ignited with the first-stage main engine. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has a facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; ATK has an operation in Shalimar, Fla.
- Speaking of Alliant Techsystems, that company will expand its northeast Mississippi plant to make composite structures for commercial aircraft. The Minneapolis-based company will keep the 176 jobs it already has in Iuka. Barbour said the plant will have 800 jobs by 2017 with an average salary of about $53,000.In another Mississippi-related development, the Army awarded EADS North America a contract for five additional UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopters, bringing the total on contract to 128. The Army expects to acquire a total of 345 Lakotas, built at the American Eurocopter facility in Columbus, Miss., through 2016.
- More than 50 UH-72As have been delivered by EADS North America, and some 8,000 flight hours have been logged to date. Lakotas are in operation at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.; Fort Eustis, Va.; Fort Polk, La.; Fort Irwin, Calif.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Morrisville, N.C.; Pineville, La.; Tupelo, Miss.; and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
EADS is not just of interest to Mississippi. The company also has the Airbus Engineering Center and EADS CASA operation in Mobile, Ala.
Contracts: Four defense contracts of interest to the Gulf Coast region were awarded during the week. The Boeing Co. won a $19.1 million contract for AC-130U gunship operational flight and simulation software maintenance, field service support, configuration, data and obsolescence management and intermediate-level repairs. The work will be done by Boeing SOF at Hurlburt Field, Fla.; DRS C3 Systems Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was awarded a $13.9 million contract for new work modification for Driver’s Vision Enhancer TWV A-Kits for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Program and 224 DVE CV A-Kits and cable assemblies. Work will be done in Fort Walton Beach; AeroVironment, Simi Valley, Calif., was awarded a $39 million contract for contractor logistics support for the Raven RQ-11B Unmanned Aircraft System. AeroVironment has an operation in Navarre, Fla.; Concurrent Technology Corp., Johnstown, Pa., was awarded an $11.5 million contract to provide technical and engineering services for continued carriage, stream, tow, and recovery system development, test, and analysis. About 12 percent of the work will be done in Panama City, Fla. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City, was the contracting activity.
Earnings: Two companies with operations in the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor released fourth-quarter earnings reports during the week. Northrop Grumman, hurt by a $3.06 billion charge connected to past acquisitions, posted a fourth-quarter loss of $2.54 billion; Goodrich announced a 31 percent increase in net income.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Now that's a gun
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - You have your guns and then you have your guns. And one of the guns tested at Eglin Air Force Base is the GAU-8/A - a rather non-descript name for a cannon that's so big and bad, it accounts for 16 percent of an A-10's weight.
Here's some details, according to a story by Eglin's public affairs office: Mounted on an A-10 Thunderbolt II, the cannon can fire 4,000 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity of 3,500 feet per second. The percussion is so loud that two sets of ear protection must be worn during testing, which rattles the doors of the facility.
The GAU-8/A is nearly 20 feet long and weighs about two tons – some 16 percent of the A-10’s weight. It's one of the largest, heaviest and most powerful aircraft cannon in the U.S. military.
The Air Force buys the 30 mm ammunition from two vendors, which bid for each year's order. Before a purchase, a 500-round batch of the ammo must be tested to ensure there are no flaws. That's done by a team of engineers at the Gun and Ammunition test facility on Range A-22 at Eglin Air Force Base.
The team fires the weapon in bursts of 2.3 seconds, pumping out more than 150 rounds, and checks for fragmentation of the rounds with high-speed cameras. Bullet velocity and dispersion is another aspect of testing.
Once all the data is collected, the team sends the information to analysts at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Upon approval, the ammunition is then introduced to the supply system.
Big and bad seems to be a favorite at Eglin. This is the same base that tested the "mother of all bombs" back in 2003. The MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast) was dropped from a C-130.
Here's some details, according to a story by Eglin's public affairs office: Mounted on an A-10 Thunderbolt II, the cannon can fire 4,000 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity of 3,500 feet per second. The percussion is so loud that two sets of ear protection must be worn during testing, which rattles the doors of the facility.
The GAU-8/A is nearly 20 feet long and weighs about two tons – some 16 percent of the A-10’s weight. It's one of the largest, heaviest and most powerful aircraft cannon in the U.S. military.
The Air Force buys the 30 mm ammunition from two vendors, which bid for each year's order. Before a purchase, a 500-round batch of the ammo must be tested to ensure there are no flaws. That's done by a team of engineers at the Gun and Ammunition test facility on Range A-22 at Eglin Air Force Base.
The team fires the weapon in bursts of 2.3 seconds, pumping out more than 150 rounds, and checks for fragmentation of the rounds with high-speed cameras. Bullet velocity and dispersion is another aspect of testing.
Once all the data is collected, the team sends the information to analysts at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Upon approval, the ammunition is then introduced to the supply system.
Big and bad seems to be a favorite at Eglin. This is the same base that tested the "mother of all bombs" back in 2003. The MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast) was dropped from a C-130.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Week in review (1/25 to 1/31)
It's an activity in the Gulf Coast region you don't hear about very much. It's not high profile like Stennis' rocket engine test stands, Keesler's Hurricane Hunters, Pensacola's Blue Angels or the weapons testing programs at Eglin. But it’s been keeping an eye on space for 40 years.
It's Eglin Air Force Base’s “Site C-6.” A rededication ceremony for the site was held this month marking four decades of space surveillance with its Phased Array Radar. The vice commander of Air Force Space Command was in town for the event.
Construction of the site got underway in 1962, and in 1968 the 20th Surveillance Squadron began tracking satellites. From 1971 to 1984 the squadron was the Alternative Space Surveillance Center and provided computational support to Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, Colo. In 1975 the 20 SURS began to monitor for submarine-launched ballistic missiles and space surveillance was a secondary mission, and in 1988 it began tracking deep space satellite.
The unit was renamed the 20th Space Control Squadron in 2003, and the next year it assumed responsibility for 20 SPCS Detachment-1 in Dahlgren, Va., and the AN/FPS-133 Space Surveillance Radar Fence located along the 33d parallel of the United States. The 20th Space Control Squadron today tracks more than 16,000 near-Earth and deep-space objects for the 21st Space Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. (Story)
- TANKER: The aerial tanker project came back into the news during the past week when Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., visited Mobile, Ala., to take a look at the Brookley Industrial Complex site where Northrop Grumman and teammate EADS hope to build tankers for the Air Force. One of the more notable comments he made after the visit was learning that cargo planes would also be built in Mobile if Northrop/EADS wins the contract.
Murtha said that the Pentagon is moving forward and expects to have a request for proposals in the spring, but he said some alternatives are being considered on Capitol Hill. The Mobile Press-Register reported that during the luncheon, Murtha said the Air Force should buy aircraft from both Boeing and Northrop/EADS to break the stalemate. Murtha said he's convinced that's the best alternative, but he has to convince others.
The $40 billion tanker project has been hanging around for a long time now. The Northrop/EADS team won the contract last February to build the tankers in Mobile, but a Boeing protest was upheld. The Pentagon later decided to let the new administration take on the issue. Aviation Week during the week reported that the option of a split buy has been picking up steam on Capitol Hill. The Pentagon has opposed duel-sourcing, but some are beginning to think a split buy is the only politically palatable way to move forward.
One thing that occurred during the week that may make it more palatable for Boeing to split the tanker project was EADS' decision not to bid on the contract to supply the wide-body jets that will serve as Air Force One. The Pentagon invited the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. to submit a bid, but EADS said during the week that it wants to remain focused on military contracts. In this region, EADS builds helicopters for the U.S. Army in Columbus, Miss., and EADS CASA has a maintenance center in Mobile and an Airbus Engineering Center.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he plans to meet with top Air Force officials in the next few weeks to begin planning for a rematch to replace the KC-135 tankers. This promises to be a major story throughout the year.
- SPACE: The first Space-Based Infrared System geosynchronous orbit satellite, built by Lockheed Martin for the Air Force, has completed a key test using new flight software. The SBIRS program provides early warning of missile launches, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness. The spacecraft eventually will be launched aboard an Atlas V. One of the SBIRS work locations is the Lockheed Martin Space & Technology Center at Stennis Space Center, Miss., which provides the core system for the satellite.
Incremental steps forward also occurred during the week for the Constellation Program, a crucial program for both Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne’s Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine successfully demonstrated capabilities required for NASA’s Altair lunar lander during ground testing in West Palm Beach, Fla. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has an operation at Stennis.
The High Bay Facility of the Operations & Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., is getting closer to building the new Orion crew exploration vehicle. Built in 1964, the O&C facility has been the final integration and checkout building for manned spacecraft. The State of Florida, Lockheed Martin and NASA invested $55 million renovate the facility for the Constellation Program. Flight hardware being fabricated nationwide will be integration at the O&C facility. Among the hardware will be large structures and composite parts for Orion fabricated at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
There was also a setback of sorts during the week for an innovative program being developed at Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist asked for an inspector general's inquiry to see if the director of a new space-tourism medical program at the institute got his job after setting up the $500,000 in state grants to create it.
- MILITARY: Naval Air Station Pensacola had a $1.15 billion economic impact on local communities, according to an impact report. The base employed more than 21,000 military, civilian and contract employees in 2008. The report combined salaries for military, civilian and contract personnel along with local contract spending to reach the total. Other bases in the region include NAS Whiting Field in Milton, Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, near Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. The Navy is also the largest tenant at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
The Navy held a public meeting during the week in Summerdale, Ala., to discuss how the Navy’s new training aircraft may impact residents who live near outlying fields. About 200 people showed up at the Summerdale Community Center. The Navy is upgrading its trainer to a more powerful T-6B, and that will require more runway space at outlying fields.
Two pilots from F-16 Fighting Falcon squadrons at Luke Air Force Base, Texas, are among the pilots tapped to form the initial cadre for the F-35 Lightning II. The Marine Corps earlier this month selected six pilots for their version of the F-35 and will arrive at Eglin later this year or early next.
Keesler Air Force Base airmen and two WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft deployed to Anchorage, Alaska, in early January for a month-long mission in support of the 2009 Winter Storm Reconnaissance Program. The 403rd Wing team includes Reserve aircrews, operations, maintenance, aerial porters, and others to improve winter storm forecast models.
- EARNINGS: Three companies with operations in the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor released fourth-quarter earnings reports during the week. Massachusetts-based Raytheon Co., which has operations in Northwest Florida, reported $466 million in adjusted income from continuing operations; Chicago-based Boeing, which has operations in New Orleans and Northwest Florida, reported fourth quarter revenues declined 27 percent to $12.7 billion; Virginia-based General Dynamics, which has operations in Northwest Florida and Stone County, Miss., reported fourth quarter revenue increased to $7.9 billion.
- CONTRACTS: Three defense contracts of interest to the Gulf Coast region were awarded during the week. The largest was a $276 million contract awarded by the Air Force to Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman for operations and maintenance support of the RQ-4 Global Hawk. The UAVs are made in part in Moss Point, Miss.; Orlando, Fla.-based Hensel Phelps Construction was awarded a $121.1 million contract for construction of the Special Forces Complex at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Kentucky-based L3 Communications Corp., Integrated Systems Joint Operations won a $6.1 million Air Force contract exercising an option for the production and installation of dual rails to the MC-130P. The work will be performed in Crestview and Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
- TEAMING UP: Companies with ties to this region also signed contracts with one another. Minnesota-based Alliant Techsystems agreed to a $200 million contract with Rolls-Royce to produce composite aft fan cases for the new Trent XWB engine that will power the Airbus A350 XWB. Trent XWB engines will be tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss., beginning in 2010 or 2011. Both ATK and Rolls-Royce have operations in the Gulf Coast; Airbus selected Goodrich for two projects. In one, Goodrich will supply wheels and carbon brakes for the A350 XWB. Another agreement calls for Goodrich to provide maintenance support Singapore Airlines’ fleet of 19 leased Airbus A330 aircraft. Goodrich has a service center in Foley, Ala., and Airbus parent, EADS, has two operations in Mobile, Ala. – the CASA service center and Airbus Engineering Center. It also operates American Eurocopter in Columbus, Miss.
It's Eglin Air Force Base’s “Site C-6.” A rededication ceremony for the site was held this month marking four decades of space surveillance with its Phased Array Radar. The vice commander of Air Force Space Command was in town for the event.
Construction of the site got underway in 1962, and in 1968 the 20th Surveillance Squadron began tracking satellites. From 1971 to 1984 the squadron was the Alternative Space Surveillance Center and provided computational support to Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, Colo. In 1975 the 20 SURS began to monitor for submarine-launched ballistic missiles and space surveillance was a secondary mission, and in 1988 it began tracking deep space satellite.
The unit was renamed the 20th Space Control Squadron in 2003, and the next year it assumed responsibility for 20 SPCS Detachment-1 in Dahlgren, Va., and the AN/FPS-133 Space Surveillance Radar Fence located along the 33d parallel of the United States. The 20th Space Control Squadron today tracks more than 16,000 near-Earth and deep-space objects for the 21st Space Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. (Story)
- TANKER: The aerial tanker project came back into the news during the past week when Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., visited Mobile, Ala., to take a look at the Brookley Industrial Complex site where Northrop Grumman and teammate EADS hope to build tankers for the Air Force. One of the more notable comments he made after the visit was learning that cargo planes would also be built in Mobile if Northrop/EADS wins the contract.
Murtha said that the Pentagon is moving forward and expects to have a request for proposals in the spring, but he said some alternatives are being considered on Capitol Hill. The Mobile Press-Register reported that during the luncheon, Murtha said the Air Force should buy aircraft from both Boeing and Northrop/EADS to break the stalemate. Murtha said he's convinced that's the best alternative, but he has to convince others.
The $40 billion tanker project has been hanging around for a long time now. The Northrop/EADS team won the contract last February to build the tankers in Mobile, but a Boeing protest was upheld. The Pentagon later decided to let the new administration take on the issue. Aviation Week during the week reported that the option of a split buy has been picking up steam on Capitol Hill. The Pentagon has opposed duel-sourcing, but some are beginning to think a split buy is the only politically palatable way to move forward.
One thing that occurred during the week that may make it more palatable for Boeing to split the tanker project was EADS' decision not to bid on the contract to supply the wide-body jets that will serve as Air Force One. The Pentagon invited the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. to submit a bid, but EADS said during the week that it wants to remain focused on military contracts. In this region, EADS builds helicopters for the U.S. Army in Columbus, Miss., and EADS CASA has a maintenance center in Mobile and an Airbus Engineering Center.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he plans to meet with top Air Force officials in the next few weeks to begin planning for a rematch to replace the KC-135 tankers. This promises to be a major story throughout the year.
- SPACE: The first Space-Based Infrared System geosynchronous orbit satellite, built by Lockheed Martin for the Air Force, has completed a key test using new flight software. The SBIRS program provides early warning of missile launches, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness. The spacecraft eventually will be launched aboard an Atlas V. One of the SBIRS work locations is the Lockheed Martin Space & Technology Center at Stennis Space Center, Miss., which provides the core system for the satellite.
Incremental steps forward also occurred during the week for the Constellation Program, a crucial program for both Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne’s Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine successfully demonstrated capabilities required for NASA’s Altair lunar lander during ground testing in West Palm Beach, Fla. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has an operation at Stennis.
The High Bay Facility of the Operations & Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., is getting closer to building the new Orion crew exploration vehicle. Built in 1964, the O&C facility has been the final integration and checkout building for manned spacecraft. The State of Florida, Lockheed Martin and NASA invested $55 million renovate the facility for the Constellation Program. Flight hardware being fabricated nationwide will be integration at the O&C facility. Among the hardware will be large structures and composite parts for Orion fabricated at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
There was also a setback of sorts during the week for an innovative program being developed at Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist asked for an inspector general's inquiry to see if the director of a new space-tourism medical program at the institute got his job after setting up the $500,000 in state grants to create it.
- MILITARY: Naval Air Station Pensacola had a $1.15 billion economic impact on local communities, according to an impact report. The base employed more than 21,000 military, civilian and contract employees in 2008. The report combined salaries for military, civilian and contract personnel along with local contract spending to reach the total. Other bases in the region include NAS Whiting Field in Milton, Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, near Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. The Navy is also the largest tenant at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
The Navy held a public meeting during the week in Summerdale, Ala., to discuss how the Navy’s new training aircraft may impact residents who live near outlying fields. About 200 people showed up at the Summerdale Community Center. The Navy is upgrading its trainer to a more powerful T-6B, and that will require more runway space at outlying fields.
Two pilots from F-16 Fighting Falcon squadrons at Luke Air Force Base, Texas, are among the pilots tapped to form the initial cadre for the F-35 Lightning II. The Marine Corps earlier this month selected six pilots for their version of the F-35 and will arrive at Eglin later this year or early next.
Keesler Air Force Base airmen and two WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft deployed to Anchorage, Alaska, in early January for a month-long mission in support of the 2009 Winter Storm Reconnaissance Program. The 403rd Wing team includes Reserve aircrews, operations, maintenance, aerial porters, and others to improve winter storm forecast models.
- EARNINGS: Three companies with operations in the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor released fourth-quarter earnings reports during the week. Massachusetts-based Raytheon Co., which has operations in Northwest Florida, reported $466 million in adjusted income from continuing operations; Chicago-based Boeing, which has operations in New Orleans and Northwest Florida, reported fourth quarter revenues declined 27 percent to $12.7 billion; Virginia-based General Dynamics, which has operations in Northwest Florida and Stone County, Miss., reported fourth quarter revenue increased to $7.9 billion.
- CONTRACTS: Three defense contracts of interest to the Gulf Coast region were awarded during the week. The largest was a $276 million contract awarded by the Air Force to Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman for operations and maintenance support of the RQ-4 Global Hawk. The UAVs are made in part in Moss Point, Miss.; Orlando, Fla.-based Hensel Phelps Construction was awarded a $121.1 million contract for construction of the Special Forces Complex at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Kentucky-based L3 Communications Corp., Integrated Systems Joint Operations won a $6.1 million Air Force contract exercising an option for the production and installation of dual rails to the MC-130P. The work will be performed in Crestview and Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
- TEAMING UP: Companies with ties to this region also signed contracts with one another. Minnesota-based Alliant Techsystems agreed to a $200 million contract with Rolls-Royce to produce composite aft fan cases for the new Trent XWB engine that will power the Airbus A350 XWB. Trent XWB engines will be tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss., beginning in 2010 or 2011. Both ATK and Rolls-Royce have operations in the Gulf Coast; Airbus selected Goodrich for two projects. In one, Goodrich will supply wheels and carbon brakes for the A350 XWB. Another agreement calls for Goodrich to provide maintenance support Singapore Airlines’ fleet of 19 leased Airbus A330 aircraft. Goodrich has a service center in Foley, Ala., and Airbus parent, EADS, has two operations in Mobile, Ala. – the CASA service center and Airbus Engineering Center. It also operates American Eurocopter in Columbus, Miss.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The value of field work
A Congressman who will play an influential role in the contest between Boeing and the Northrop Grumman/EADS team over the aerial tanker said Thursday that you get a different perspective when you get out of Washington and go out in the field.
Indeed.
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, visited Mobile, Ala., Thursday to talk to officials and see the site where EADS North America hopes to assemble the tankers to replace the Air Force's aging fleet. He also visited a Mobile shipyard involved in building next-generation warships. No doubt it was all designed to show Murtha the critical role Mobile plays in the nation's defense.
Murtha, who said the visit was very helpful, said before departing that he was particularly impressed with the teamwork he saw in Mobile. But he also said he learned something he apparently didn’t know – that the tanker contest may impact another major Mobile project: building Airbus cargo planes.
“If we work the contract out for the tankers, you not only do a tanker there but you do a cargo airplane there,” Murtha said about the EADS tanker site, currently just an empty piece of land at Brookley Industrial Complex. The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. said last year that it will build a cargo version of its A330 in Mobile if it wins the tanker contest. But that has been lost in the sometimes heated debate over the tanker.
The visit to Mobile is not all that Murtha has on his agenda. He also plans to visit Washington State soon to get a better sense of the project from that state’s and Boeing’s perspective. Little doubt he’ll find it’s just as important there, especially in light of the announcement that Boeing expects to cut 10,000 positions because of the ailing world economy.
Murtha said the Pentagon is moving forward and expects to have a request for proposals in the spring, but he said that during the appropriations process his committee is looking at alternatives. He did not provide details, but at least one option is widely known: a split buy. That option is apparently gaining traction. (Story)
It might, in fact, be the only remaining option to a battle that has been going on for years. In its most recent iteration, the Northrop/EADS team won the contract in February 2008, but a Boeing protest was upheld by the Government Accountability Office. The Pentagon later decided to let the new administration take on the issue.
The split buy option has been rejected by the Pentagon as too costly, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates has continued to hold that position. But political pressure might wind up changing that position. In an era where the economy is in a tailspin and the new administration has made clear its desire to do what it can to save jobs, a split buy might be the best of both worlds.
It would save jobs in Washington State - they likely are already thrilled that EADS decided not to compete to build Air Force One - while at the same time create jobs in Mobile and the Gulf Coast region that did not exist. And the possibility of building cargo planes in Mobile means even more jobs in this country. That likely doesn't sit well with EADS workers in Europe, but that's the global economy.
A split buy would also make it so much easier for Alabama political leaders who, no doubt, have been torn in two directions. While they would like to get EADS, they can't afford to alienate Boeing. The Chicago-based company is a major player in Alabama, and its health of upmost importance to the state. Boeing is the largest aerospace company in Alabama, and contributes about $1.2 billion each year to the state economy.
Boeing is so important to Huntsville, the company was recognized this month for its long-time commitment to the city and named the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce's Industry of the Year. Boeing, which first set up operations in Huntsville in 1962, is the No. 3 employer in Huntsville/Madison County with some 3,100 employees at 17 locations. The company’s main facility is 690,000-square-foot, four-building complex on 110 acres at the Jetplex Industrial Park, near the airport. (Story)
Mobile officials little doubt envision something that significant – if not more so – resulting from this initial EADS project. And if a split buy is the way to help make that happen, so be it.
Indeed.
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, visited Mobile, Ala., Thursday to talk to officials and see the site where EADS North America hopes to assemble the tankers to replace the Air Force's aging fleet. He also visited a Mobile shipyard involved in building next-generation warships. No doubt it was all designed to show Murtha the critical role Mobile plays in the nation's defense.
Murtha, who said the visit was very helpful, said before departing that he was particularly impressed with the teamwork he saw in Mobile. But he also said he learned something he apparently didn’t know – that the tanker contest may impact another major Mobile project: building Airbus cargo planes.
“If we work the contract out for the tankers, you not only do a tanker there but you do a cargo airplane there,” Murtha said about the EADS tanker site, currently just an empty piece of land at Brookley Industrial Complex. The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. said last year that it will build a cargo version of its A330 in Mobile if it wins the tanker contest. But that has been lost in the sometimes heated debate over the tanker.
The visit to Mobile is not all that Murtha has on his agenda. He also plans to visit Washington State soon to get a better sense of the project from that state’s and Boeing’s perspective. Little doubt he’ll find it’s just as important there, especially in light of the announcement that Boeing expects to cut 10,000 positions because of the ailing world economy.
Murtha said the Pentagon is moving forward and expects to have a request for proposals in the spring, but he said that during the appropriations process his committee is looking at alternatives. He did not provide details, but at least one option is widely known: a split buy. That option is apparently gaining traction. (Story)
It might, in fact, be the only remaining option to a battle that has been going on for years. In its most recent iteration, the Northrop/EADS team won the contract in February 2008, but a Boeing protest was upheld by the Government Accountability Office. The Pentagon later decided to let the new administration take on the issue.
The split buy option has been rejected by the Pentagon as too costly, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates has continued to hold that position. But political pressure might wind up changing that position. In an era where the economy is in a tailspin and the new administration has made clear its desire to do what it can to save jobs, a split buy might be the best of both worlds.
It would save jobs in Washington State - they likely are already thrilled that EADS decided not to compete to build Air Force One - while at the same time create jobs in Mobile and the Gulf Coast region that did not exist. And the possibility of building cargo planes in Mobile means even more jobs in this country. That likely doesn't sit well with EADS workers in Europe, but that's the global economy.
A split buy would also make it so much easier for Alabama political leaders who, no doubt, have been torn in two directions. While they would like to get EADS, they can't afford to alienate Boeing. The Chicago-based company is a major player in Alabama, and its health of upmost importance to the state. Boeing is the largest aerospace company in Alabama, and contributes about $1.2 billion each year to the state economy.
Boeing is so important to Huntsville, the company was recognized this month for its long-time commitment to the city and named the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce's Industry of the Year. Boeing, which first set up operations in Huntsville in 1962, is the No. 3 employer in Huntsville/Madison County with some 3,100 employees at 17 locations. The company’s main facility is 690,000-square-foot, four-building complex on 110 acres at the Jetplex Industrial Park, near the airport. (Story)
Mobile officials little doubt envision something that significant – if not more so – resulting from this initial EADS project. And if a split buy is the way to help make that happen, so be it.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Week in review (1/18 to 1/24)
If there’s one thing you can take for granted in the global aerospace industry, it's that today's competitor might very well be tomorrow's partner.
Last week in Paris, Eurocopter CEO Lutz Bertling said the company is looking for American partners on a proposed European heavy-lift helicopter and its bid for the U.S. Army's Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter. The European helicopter maker, an EADS subsidiary, is in early talks with Boeing and Sikorsky, a United Technologies company, as potential partners for a Future Transport Helicopter. (Story)
Boeing is, of course, EADS' rival in the bid for the U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tanker project. But that clearly doesn't stop its subsidiary, Eurocopter, from possibly working with Boeing on this project.
Aerospace companies that hope to win lucrative contracts will team up with others that offer them the best chance to win. It's something political leaders who get too closely aligned with one company and bad-mouth another need to keep in mind.
- Rep. John Murtha, who could play a key role in the battle over the Air Force refueling tanker contract, will be in Mobile Jan. 29 to tour the proposed Northrop Grumman/EADS assembly site. The Pennsylvania Democrat chairs the House Defense Appropriations Committee and was invited by Reps. Artur Davis and Jo Bonner.
Northrop/EADS was awarded the tanker contract last February, but Boeing's protest was upheld and the Pentagon later opted to cancel the contract and let the new administration decide.
Murtha right now likely has other things on his mind. Federal agents last week raided two small Pennsylvania defense contractors – Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems – that were given millions of dollars in federal funding by Murtha. The two operations were raided by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI and IRS as part of an ongoing investigation.
Pentagon auditors have been looking at the use of earmarks, special-interest spending items directed to a specific company by members of Congress. An Oct. 30, 2007 story in The Wall Street Journal identified Murtha as the largest earmarker in the House.
- While on the subject of Mobile, the Federal Aviation Administration during the week awarded $1.4 million to the Mobile Regional Airport for upgrades, according to Sen. Richard Shelby. The money will be used to repair storm drainage systems, replace the beacon and tower and other projects.
- The Marine Corps recently selected six pilots to become some of the first instructors for the Marine version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Marines will travel to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where the training detachment for the F-35B will be located, by the end of this year or beginning of next.
The three variants of the JSF are the Air Force F-35A, Navy F-35C and Marine Corps F-35B. A short takeoff/vertical landing F-35s rolled off the line at the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas, during the week and will be used to test the avionics systems in the summer of 2009. The aircraft, designated BF-4, will carry Northrop Grumman radar and integrated communications, navigation and identification suite and the BAE Systems electronic warfare system. Five F-35s are already undergoing testing.
- The officer who will become commander of Eglin Air Force Base’s Air Armament Center, Maj. Gen. Charles Davis, said this month that the F-35 Lightning II is on track despite an earlier budget shortfall. At a roundtable discussion in Washington, the departing program chief for the F-35 Lightning II also predicted that Israel, Singapore, Spain and Japan will join eight other international partners in the JSF program. At Eglin Davis is replacing Maj. Gen. David Eidsaune, who will become director of operations at headquarters Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
- Eglin Air Force Base wants to use some of a 17-acre beachfront test site as a military resort. The proposed Emerald Breeze Resort could provide a revenue stream. Test Site A-5 is a mostly bare parcel next that has a small storage building with antennae only occasionally used to support test missions. The military pictures a 250-room resort. The Air Force will accept public comments until March 12.
- A classified spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station last week onboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV powered by three Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68 engines and one upper-stage RL10B-2 engine. The National Reconnaissance Office is responsible for operating overhead reconnaissance missions for the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has an RS-68 operation at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
- The Air Force announced this past week the finalists for headquarters of 24th Air Force, a new numbered Air Force focused on the cyber mission – protecting the nation from attacks on computers and other communications systems. The bases are Barksdale Air Force Base, La.; Lackland, Texas; Langley, Va.; Offutt, Neb.; Peterson, Colo.; and Scott, Ill. A final selection will be made in June. Original plans called for a Cyberspace Command, but last fall the Air Force opted to make it a numbered Air Force. Keesler Air Force Base, in Biloxi, Miss., was among the candidates for the command.
- Three companies with operations in the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor released earnings reports during the week, and one released information that sets the stage for its report early next month. Northrop Grumman said it will record a fourth quarter loss of $3 billion to $3.4 billion, due to a drop in the book value of its shipbuilding and space technology activities. The company determined that the book value of the former Litton Shipbuilding and TRW, both purchased at the start of the decade, exceeded the fair value. Teledyne Technologies profits rose 24 percent for 2008 to $122.2 million, with fourth quarter profit up 16 percent to $30.8 million. The company's Mobile subsidiary, Teledyne Continental Motors, lost $2.8 million in the fourth quarter compared to a $3 million profit in the same three months of 2007. Lockheed Martin reported fourth quarter 2008 net earnings of $823 million - $2.05 per diluted share - compared to $799 million in 2007. Net sales were $11.1 billion, compared to fourth quarter 2007 sales of $10.8 billion. Cash from operations for the fourth quarter of 2008 was $997 million, compared to $425 million in 2007. Growth in the aerospace activities of Sikorsky and Pratt & Whitney boosted United Technologies’ fourth quarter 2008 income by 8 percent to $1.15 billion. That compares with $1.1 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share were up 14 percent to $1.23.
- There were at least four contracts awarded during the week with ties to the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor. Northrop Grumman won a $40 million modification to a previously awarded contract for procurement of three low rate initial production Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicle units and associated items. The final assembly work will be done at the Northrop Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss. Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, was awarded a contract with an estimated value of $581.4 million to provide Joint Performance Based Logistics support for the Marine Corps, Air Force, and Special Forces aircraft during the production and deployment phase of the V-22 Program. Some 6 percent of the work will be performed in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. EADS North American Defense, Arlington, Va., was awarded a $25.6 million contract for funding of the Army's Light Utility Helicopter contract for five UH-72A and supporting mission kits and equipment packages. Work will be performed at Columbus, Miss. EADS North America also has operations in Mobile, Ala. AeroVironment Inc., Simi Valley, Calif., was awarded a $17 million contract to procure a digital data link upgrade for the Raven RQ-11B Unmanned Aircraft System and FY 09 engineering services and accounting for contract services. Work will be performed at Simi Valley, Calif. AeroVironment has an operation at Navarre, Fla.
Last week in Paris, Eurocopter CEO Lutz Bertling said the company is looking for American partners on a proposed European heavy-lift helicopter and its bid for the U.S. Army's Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter. The European helicopter maker, an EADS subsidiary, is in early talks with Boeing and Sikorsky, a United Technologies company, as potential partners for a Future Transport Helicopter. (Story)
Boeing is, of course, EADS' rival in the bid for the U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tanker project. But that clearly doesn't stop its subsidiary, Eurocopter, from possibly working with Boeing on this project.
Aerospace companies that hope to win lucrative contracts will team up with others that offer them the best chance to win. It's something political leaders who get too closely aligned with one company and bad-mouth another need to keep in mind.
- Rep. John Murtha, who could play a key role in the battle over the Air Force refueling tanker contract, will be in Mobile Jan. 29 to tour the proposed Northrop Grumman/EADS assembly site. The Pennsylvania Democrat chairs the House Defense Appropriations Committee and was invited by Reps. Artur Davis and Jo Bonner.
Northrop/EADS was awarded the tanker contract last February, but Boeing's protest was upheld and the Pentagon later opted to cancel the contract and let the new administration decide.
Murtha right now likely has other things on his mind. Federal agents last week raided two small Pennsylvania defense contractors – Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems – that were given millions of dollars in federal funding by Murtha. The two operations were raided by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI and IRS as part of an ongoing investigation.
Pentagon auditors have been looking at the use of earmarks, special-interest spending items directed to a specific company by members of Congress. An Oct. 30, 2007 story in The Wall Street Journal identified Murtha as the largest earmarker in the House.
- While on the subject of Mobile, the Federal Aviation Administration during the week awarded $1.4 million to the Mobile Regional Airport for upgrades, according to Sen. Richard Shelby. The money will be used to repair storm drainage systems, replace the beacon and tower and other projects.
- The Marine Corps recently selected six pilots to become some of the first instructors for the Marine version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Marines will travel to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where the training detachment for the F-35B will be located, by the end of this year or beginning of next.
The three variants of the JSF are the Air Force F-35A, Navy F-35C and Marine Corps F-35B. A short takeoff/vertical landing F-35s rolled off the line at the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas, during the week and will be used to test the avionics systems in the summer of 2009. The aircraft, designated BF-4, will carry Northrop Grumman radar and integrated communications, navigation and identification suite and the BAE Systems electronic warfare system. Five F-35s are already undergoing testing.
- The officer who will become commander of Eglin Air Force Base’s Air Armament Center, Maj. Gen. Charles Davis, said this month that the F-35 Lightning II is on track despite an earlier budget shortfall. At a roundtable discussion in Washington, the departing program chief for the F-35 Lightning II also predicted that Israel, Singapore, Spain and Japan will join eight other international partners in the JSF program. At Eglin Davis is replacing Maj. Gen. David Eidsaune, who will become director of operations at headquarters Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
- Eglin Air Force Base wants to use some of a 17-acre beachfront test site as a military resort. The proposed Emerald Breeze Resort could provide a revenue stream. Test Site A-5 is a mostly bare parcel next that has a small storage building with antennae only occasionally used to support test missions. The military pictures a 250-room resort. The Air Force will accept public comments until March 12.
- A classified spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station last week onboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV powered by three Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68 engines and one upper-stage RL10B-2 engine. The National Reconnaissance Office is responsible for operating overhead reconnaissance missions for the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has an RS-68 operation at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
- The Air Force announced this past week the finalists for headquarters of 24th Air Force, a new numbered Air Force focused on the cyber mission – protecting the nation from attacks on computers and other communications systems. The bases are Barksdale Air Force Base, La.; Lackland, Texas; Langley, Va.; Offutt, Neb.; Peterson, Colo.; and Scott, Ill. A final selection will be made in June. Original plans called for a Cyberspace Command, but last fall the Air Force opted to make it a numbered Air Force. Keesler Air Force Base, in Biloxi, Miss., was among the candidates for the command.
- Three companies with operations in the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor released earnings reports during the week, and one released information that sets the stage for its report early next month. Northrop Grumman said it will record a fourth quarter loss of $3 billion to $3.4 billion, due to a drop in the book value of its shipbuilding and space technology activities. The company determined that the book value of the former Litton Shipbuilding and TRW, both purchased at the start of the decade, exceeded the fair value. Teledyne Technologies profits rose 24 percent for 2008 to $122.2 million, with fourth quarter profit up 16 percent to $30.8 million. The company's Mobile subsidiary, Teledyne Continental Motors, lost $2.8 million in the fourth quarter compared to a $3 million profit in the same three months of 2007. Lockheed Martin reported fourth quarter 2008 net earnings of $823 million - $2.05 per diluted share - compared to $799 million in 2007. Net sales were $11.1 billion, compared to fourth quarter 2007 sales of $10.8 billion. Cash from operations for the fourth quarter of 2008 was $997 million, compared to $425 million in 2007. Growth in the aerospace activities of Sikorsky and Pratt & Whitney boosted United Technologies’ fourth quarter 2008 income by 8 percent to $1.15 billion. That compares with $1.1 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share were up 14 percent to $1.23.
- There were at least four contracts awarded during the week with ties to the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor. Northrop Grumman won a $40 million modification to a previously awarded contract for procurement of three low rate initial production Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicle units and associated items. The final assembly work will be done at the Northrop Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss. Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, was awarded a contract with an estimated value of $581.4 million to provide Joint Performance Based Logistics support for the Marine Corps, Air Force, and Special Forces aircraft during the production and deployment phase of the V-22 Program. Some 6 percent of the work will be performed in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. EADS North American Defense, Arlington, Va., was awarded a $25.6 million contract for funding of the Army's Light Utility Helicopter contract for five UH-72A and supporting mission kits and equipment packages. Work will be performed at Columbus, Miss. EADS North America also has operations in Mobile, Ala. AeroVironment Inc., Simi Valley, Calif., was awarded a $17 million contract to procure a digital data link upgrade for the Raven RQ-11B Unmanned Aircraft System and FY 09 engineering services and accounting for contract services. Work will be performed at Simi Valley, Calif. AeroVironment has an operation at Navarre, Fla.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Week in review (1/11 to 1/17)
Those who live around any of the Navy's outlying landing fields in the Gulf Coast will want to take note of a story that occurred as the week drew to a close. The Mobile Press-Register had a story saying the new training aircraft the Navy will be putting in service will likely mean the expansion of runways and safety zones around outlying fields. (Story)
The story focused on the four fields in Baldwin County, Ala., that will be impacted when the T-6B Texan II replaces the T-34C. But no doubt it has implications for other OLFs in the region, and there are plenty.
Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Fla., is where the military does initial training for military pilots. Anyone who lives here is familiar with the orange and white military aircraft. This year the base will begin a four-year plane switch. And that will mean some changes at the outlying fields essential for the training. The OLFs are where the student pilots do touch-and-go landings, maneuvers and other exercises in sparsely populated areas. The number of training flights also will increase.
The Navy plans to hold meetings so the public is fully aware of what’s going on.
This region is certainly military friendly, but that doesn't mean there are not occasional problems associated with encroachment. Building too close to a base with a flying mission can cause problems. Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., had to deal with the issue during the building of high-rise condos and casinos. Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., has also dealt with the issue. Florida has worked with environmental groups to buy land around bases, which seems to make everybody happy.
But it's not always a flying issue. Right now Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the nearby city of Valparaiso are trying to figure out how to deal with the additional noise the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will bring when the joint training center opens at the base.
When the outlying fields were first established, they were in rural areas with little population. But time has changed that, and some neighborhoods have been established around some of the OLFs. We’ll keep an eye on this one.
- There were several stories during the past week about Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk. An announcement is expected soon that NATO will buy eight Global Hawks in a deal that would be worth more than $1.3 billion. NATO is targeting a 2012 entry-into-service date for the airborne alliance ground surveillance fleet.
Any additional Global Hawk sales are important for Moss Point, Miss. Portions of the fuselage are built at the Unmanned Systems Center. But this sale will also have an impact on Melbourne, Fla., which will get another 125 engineers. The Global Hawk program is managed in Melbourne.
The other Global Hawk story was the unveiling at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., of the first Global Hawk unmanned system dedicated to earth science research. NASA plans to use them to support its Science Mission Directorate and the Earth science community, which requires high-altitude, long-endurance, long-distance airborne capability. That’s of high interest to John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, which is home to a large earth science and geospatial community, including NASA’s Science and Technology Division.
- Speaking of robots, researchers at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Fla., have played a key role in developing a robot that can refuel planes on the ground. The Air Force Research Laboratory's Materials and Manufacturing Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio is developing the automated system for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. It was researchers at the directorate's Airbase Technologies Division at Tyndall that developed the robot.
- While we’re on the subject of refueling, if you think the fight between Boeing and the Northrop Grumman/EADS team over the Air Force tanker contract project was bitter, just wait for the fight that’s expected over Air Force One.
The military officially launched the search for a new widebody presidential jet when it issued a request for information. Boeing has already said it considers the contract a priority, and Airbus is right now considering the RFI. What we may be looking at is a new battle that will pit Boeing’s 747 against the Airbus 380. Boeing has provided Air Force One for more than 50 years. That will likely make the fight over the tanker seem like child’s play. Boeing wants to build the tankers in Washington State, and Northrop/EADS want to build them in Mobile, Ala.
- The chancellor of the Alabama Community College System said during the week that plans for a stand-alone aviation college with a branch in Mobile, Ala., would be put on hold. Not surprising, Bradley Byrne said the issue was budgetary. He first announced plans for the Alabama Aviation College in October 2007, and he remains committed to the idea, but not just yet. Whether the indecision of the Pentagon over the Air Force tankers played any role wasn’t mentioned.
- Air travel may be down nationwide, but don’t tell that to the folks at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Officials from that airport said during the week that more people flew into and out of that airport in 2008 than ever before - 6.5 percent more, in fact. In 2008 the airport saw 974,861 passengers.
- There were at least five contracts awarded during the week with ties to the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor. Raytheon Co., of Tucson, Ariz., got four of those contracts. The largest was one for $38.7 million, when the Air Force exercised an option for the production of 46 R7 HARM Targeting System pods and initial spares. The same day the Air Force obligated $4.5 million to Raytheon to provide for the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile Targeting Systems Software Upgrade Program. Earlier in the week the Air Force awarded a $16.2 million contract to Raytheon to provide a High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile Targeting Systems Software Upgrade, and also modified a Raytheon contract for $6.7 million to the AMRAAM Production Lot 22 contract. The contracting activity in all of the above was Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The other company awarded a contract was CSC Applied Technologies of Fort Worth, Texas. This one was $29.1 million and involved the Air Force exercising an option to provide for base operation support at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. Keesler was the contracting activity.
The story focused on the four fields in Baldwin County, Ala., that will be impacted when the T-6B Texan II replaces the T-34C. But no doubt it has implications for other OLFs in the region, and there are plenty.
Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Fla., is where the military does initial training for military pilots. Anyone who lives here is familiar with the orange and white military aircraft. This year the base will begin a four-year plane switch. And that will mean some changes at the outlying fields essential for the training. The OLFs are where the student pilots do touch-and-go landings, maneuvers and other exercises in sparsely populated areas. The number of training flights also will increase.
The Navy plans to hold meetings so the public is fully aware of what’s going on.
This region is certainly military friendly, but that doesn't mean there are not occasional problems associated with encroachment. Building too close to a base with a flying mission can cause problems. Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., had to deal with the issue during the building of high-rise condos and casinos. Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., has also dealt with the issue. Florida has worked with environmental groups to buy land around bases, which seems to make everybody happy.
But it's not always a flying issue. Right now Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the nearby city of Valparaiso are trying to figure out how to deal with the additional noise the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will bring when the joint training center opens at the base.
When the outlying fields were first established, they were in rural areas with little population. But time has changed that, and some neighborhoods have been established around some of the OLFs. We’ll keep an eye on this one.
- There were several stories during the past week about Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk. An announcement is expected soon that NATO will buy eight Global Hawks in a deal that would be worth more than $1.3 billion. NATO is targeting a 2012 entry-into-service date for the airborne alliance ground surveillance fleet.
Any additional Global Hawk sales are important for Moss Point, Miss. Portions of the fuselage are built at the Unmanned Systems Center. But this sale will also have an impact on Melbourne, Fla., which will get another 125 engineers. The Global Hawk program is managed in Melbourne.
The other Global Hawk story was the unveiling at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., of the first Global Hawk unmanned system dedicated to earth science research. NASA plans to use them to support its Science Mission Directorate and the Earth science community, which requires high-altitude, long-endurance, long-distance airborne capability. That’s of high interest to John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, which is home to a large earth science and geospatial community, including NASA’s Science and Technology Division.
- Speaking of robots, researchers at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Fla., have played a key role in developing a robot that can refuel planes on the ground. The Air Force Research Laboratory's Materials and Manufacturing Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio is developing the automated system for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. It was researchers at the directorate's Airbase Technologies Division at Tyndall that developed the robot.
- While we’re on the subject of refueling, if you think the fight between Boeing and the Northrop Grumman/EADS team over the Air Force tanker contract project was bitter, just wait for the fight that’s expected over Air Force One.
The military officially launched the search for a new widebody presidential jet when it issued a request for information. Boeing has already said it considers the contract a priority, and Airbus is right now considering the RFI. What we may be looking at is a new battle that will pit Boeing’s 747 against the Airbus 380. Boeing has provided Air Force One for more than 50 years. That will likely make the fight over the tanker seem like child’s play. Boeing wants to build the tankers in Washington State, and Northrop/EADS want to build them in Mobile, Ala.
- The chancellor of the Alabama Community College System said during the week that plans for a stand-alone aviation college with a branch in Mobile, Ala., would be put on hold. Not surprising, Bradley Byrne said the issue was budgetary. He first announced plans for the Alabama Aviation College in October 2007, and he remains committed to the idea, but not just yet. Whether the indecision of the Pentagon over the Air Force tankers played any role wasn’t mentioned.
- Air travel may be down nationwide, but don’t tell that to the folks at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Officials from that airport said during the week that more people flew into and out of that airport in 2008 than ever before - 6.5 percent more, in fact. In 2008 the airport saw 974,861 passengers.
- There were at least five contracts awarded during the week with ties to the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor. Raytheon Co., of Tucson, Ariz., got four of those contracts. The largest was one for $38.7 million, when the Air Force exercised an option for the production of 46 R7 HARM Targeting System pods and initial spares. The same day the Air Force obligated $4.5 million to Raytheon to provide for the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile Targeting Systems Software Upgrade Program. Earlier in the week the Air Force awarded a $16.2 million contract to Raytheon to provide a High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile Targeting Systems Software Upgrade, and also modified a Raytheon contract for $6.7 million to the AMRAAM Production Lot 22 contract. The contracting activity in all of the above was Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The other company awarded a contract was CSC Applied Technologies of Fort Worth, Texas. This one was $29.1 million and involved the Air Force exercising an option to provide for base operation support at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. Keesler was the contracting activity.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The cloudy crystal ball
In the current economic environment, trying to figure out what will happen to aerospace programs important to the Gulf Coast is difficult if not impossible, given all the variables. But two things to watch: EADS' decision to reduce investment expenses to conserve cash, and the NASA administrator's comment that the agency may have to cut back on contractors if funding remains flat. Both have implications for the Gulf Coast.
During an annual news conference this week in Newport, Wales, CEO Louis Gallois said the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. decided at the 11th hour to abandon plans to purchase an unnamed defense company in the United States. The reason: It wants to conserve cash so it can offer credit financing to airlines to ensure they honor contracts. Gallois said one way to conserve money is to reduce investment expenses, according to Reuters. Bloomberg reported EADS may also cut production. (Reuters, Bloomberg, BusinessWeek)
The purchase of U.S. companies is just one sign of EADS' commitment to become a "citizen" of the U.S. aerospace market. EADS for some time now has made it clear that it plans to compete against U.S. giant Boeing for a number of aircraft platforms – perhaps even Air Force One. The most high profile competition to date has been the Air Force aerial refueling tanker. EADS and partner Northrop Grumman won that contest 11 months ago, but Boeing's protest was upheld and the Pentagon decided to punt to the new administration. Still, EADS continued looking for potential purchases, such as in the communications and sensor field.
Over the past few months both sides of the tanker fight have indicated they'll continue to pursue the Air Force project. But in the current economy, things can change overnight. Consider what Gallois said in the Reuters story: "We were on the way to sending the check and we pulled out at the last minute." It’s the old don't-count-your-chickens-before-they-hatch.
For what it’s worth, this isn’t the first time EADS backed off a planned purchase. In 2007 it opted to abandon the acquisition of a U.S. military drones designer after a split on its board, according to Reuters. In this latest target, Gallois declined to name the company but said it had recently won a Pentagon contract. The price tage on the aborted deal was in the region of $1 billion.
This belt-tightening shouldn't surprise anybody. Airbus and rival Boeing both saw new aircraft business halve last year after a record 2007. Boeing announced just last week that it's going to cut 4,500 workers form its commercial aircraft sector. There will be a lot of interest when Boeing releases its financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year Jan. 28.
So with Boeing and Airbus facing tough times, what will this do to the tanker contest?
Both sides have invested a lot of money in pursuit of the tanker project, not only through spending related directly to the competition, but additional monies spent on the advertising campaigns designed to state their cases. How much more will they spend, given the very real possibility that the loser of the next battle will likely file a protest? Certainly $40 billion is a huge prize, and that's just the start. And a default win is something I doubt anybody wants.
Consider also that EADS' already has a significant investment in this region. It operates the American Eurocopter plant in Columbus, Miss., and has two operations in Mobile - the Airbus Engineering Center and the EADS CASA maintenance operation. EADS has proven it's intent on investing in this country, but the question now is one of timing. The current recession has to make a company think twice about where to place its cash.
Is a split tanker buy beginning to look like the most viable alternative? We'll have to see.
NASA, too, is worried about finances.
During a news conference Tuesday, departing NASA administrator Michael Griffin warned that NASA would have to lay off an unspecified number of contractors if Congress freezes the agency's spending. He said Congress' decision to hold NASA spending at the 2008 level of $17.3 billion – rather than the requested $17.6 billion – could trigger cutbacks. Griffin declined to specify the locations, but did tell the Houston Chronicle cuts would largely come from the Constellation Program. (Story)
Both Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi are highly interested in any NASA budget issues. As with other NASA facilities, they are in a state of transition between the Space Shuttle program and Constellation – NASA's push to get astronauts back to the moon and beyond. And while gearing up for the change, they can't help but be aware of the variables. There's a chance the shuttle program will be extended, a move that would likely set back the time frame for Constellation, despite president-elect Barack Obama's formerly stated desire to speed up that program.
And then there's the issue that's being debated largely behind the scenes. The United Launch Alliance, a Boeing-Lockheed joint venture, favors shelving development of the Ares I to launch the Orion crew capsule in favor of using the Atlas V or the Delta IV rockets that have been used by the Pentagon to launch military satellites. (Story)
We'll keep you posted.
During an annual news conference this week in Newport, Wales, CEO Louis Gallois said the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. decided at the 11th hour to abandon plans to purchase an unnamed defense company in the United States. The reason: It wants to conserve cash so it can offer credit financing to airlines to ensure they honor contracts. Gallois said one way to conserve money is to reduce investment expenses, according to Reuters. Bloomberg reported EADS may also cut production. (Reuters, Bloomberg, BusinessWeek)
The purchase of U.S. companies is just one sign of EADS' commitment to become a "citizen" of the U.S. aerospace market. EADS for some time now has made it clear that it plans to compete against U.S. giant Boeing for a number of aircraft platforms – perhaps even Air Force One. The most high profile competition to date has been the Air Force aerial refueling tanker. EADS and partner Northrop Grumman won that contest 11 months ago, but Boeing's protest was upheld and the Pentagon decided to punt to the new administration. Still, EADS continued looking for potential purchases, such as in the communications and sensor field.
Over the past few months both sides of the tanker fight have indicated they'll continue to pursue the Air Force project. But in the current economy, things can change overnight. Consider what Gallois said in the Reuters story: "We were on the way to sending the check and we pulled out at the last minute." It’s the old don't-count-your-chickens-before-they-hatch.
For what it’s worth, this isn’t the first time EADS backed off a planned purchase. In 2007 it opted to abandon the acquisition of a U.S. military drones designer after a split on its board, according to Reuters. In this latest target, Gallois declined to name the company but said it had recently won a Pentagon contract. The price tage on the aborted deal was in the region of $1 billion.
This belt-tightening shouldn't surprise anybody. Airbus and rival Boeing both saw new aircraft business halve last year after a record 2007. Boeing announced just last week that it's going to cut 4,500 workers form its commercial aircraft sector. There will be a lot of interest when Boeing releases its financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year Jan. 28.
So with Boeing and Airbus facing tough times, what will this do to the tanker contest?
Both sides have invested a lot of money in pursuit of the tanker project, not only through spending related directly to the competition, but additional monies spent on the advertising campaigns designed to state their cases. How much more will they spend, given the very real possibility that the loser of the next battle will likely file a protest? Certainly $40 billion is a huge prize, and that's just the start. And a default win is something I doubt anybody wants.
Consider also that EADS' already has a significant investment in this region. It operates the American Eurocopter plant in Columbus, Miss., and has two operations in Mobile - the Airbus Engineering Center and the EADS CASA maintenance operation. EADS has proven it's intent on investing in this country, but the question now is one of timing. The current recession has to make a company think twice about where to place its cash.
Is a split tanker buy beginning to look like the most viable alternative? We'll have to see.
NASA, too, is worried about finances.
During a news conference Tuesday, departing NASA administrator Michael Griffin warned that NASA would have to lay off an unspecified number of contractors if Congress freezes the agency's spending. He said Congress' decision to hold NASA spending at the 2008 level of $17.3 billion – rather than the requested $17.6 billion – could trigger cutbacks. Griffin declined to specify the locations, but did tell the Houston Chronicle cuts would largely come from the Constellation Program. (Story)
Both Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi are highly interested in any NASA budget issues. As with other NASA facilities, they are in a state of transition between the Space Shuttle program and Constellation – NASA's push to get astronauts back to the moon and beyond. And while gearing up for the change, they can't help but be aware of the variables. There's a chance the shuttle program will be extended, a move that would likely set back the time frame for Constellation, despite president-elect Barack Obama's formerly stated desire to speed up that program.
And then there's the issue that's being debated largely behind the scenes. The United Launch Alliance, a Boeing-Lockheed joint venture, favors shelving development of the Ares I to launch the Orion crew capsule in favor of using the Atlas V or the Delta IV rockets that have been used by the Pentagon to launch military satellites. (Story)
We'll keep you posted.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Week in review (01/04 to 01/10)
For those who believe the area between Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi will one day develop into a high-tech, space-related corridor - much like the corridor in Huntsville, Ala. - a small step in that direction was taken during the past week.
Northrop Grumman’s 3001 International broke ground Wednesday on a new 20,000 square-foot facility in Slidell, La., the town between Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center, Miss. The new office consolidates the existing Slidell 3001 office with the office the company had at Stennis Space Center. The new operation brings with it 50 new positions.
Northrop in October 2008 bought 3001, a provider of geospatial data production and analysis, including airborne imaging, surveying, mapping and geographic information systems. Northrop highlighted the acquisition in October at the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation's symposium in Nashville.
So is this a negative for Stennis, seeing 3001 leave? Not in the least. Companies at the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology, a business incubator and technology transfer operation at Stennis, are expected to one day leave and grow outside the incubator. That's chalked up as a success. That's the whole purpose of an incubator.
Now consider the context: NASA hopes to eventually see the unused acreage around Michoud – there’s about 800 acres – develop into an advanced manufacturing research park. And there's good reason to think this way. At the center of this park is the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing, a NASA/state/academia/industry partnership. On top of that, the University of New Orleans plans to create a research park in Slidell, similar to the UNO Research and Technology Park on UNO's campus. And just outside Stennis there's Stennis International Airport Airpark and the still-developing Stennis Technology Park.
Alliance Insight, the quarterly newsletter from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Alliance for Economic Development, has a background story you may want to read. The story appeared in the January 2008 issue.
None of this will happen overnight. It certainly didn't in Huntsville. If you're not familiar with what happened in that north Alabama city, let me give you the short version. That city in the '60s began to leverage the presence of NASA and the Army missile experts to create one of the most technology-oriented economies in the nation. An early decision to turn 3,000 acres into a research park, along with the development of a Huntsville campus of the University of Alabama, helped transform the city. Today, Cummings Research Park is the second largest research park in the nation and fourth largest in the world.
Thinking this region can do the same is the first step towards making it happen.
--Also during the week, NASA named Patrick Scheuermann as the deputy director of John C. Stennis Space Center, NASA's primary testing ground for propulsion systems. The promotion of Scheuermann, the center's associate director since August 2006, became effective Dec. 21. Scheuermann previously was chief operating officer of Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. It's likely Scheuermann and others will be working for a new boss later this month. NASA Administrator Mike Griffin last week turned in notice that he'll be leaving Jan. 20. He doesn't expect to be offered a chance to stay on after President-elect Barack Obama takes office.
In another NASA-related item, the agency last week issued a request for proposals for the Ares V rocket. The rocket will perform heavy lift and cargo functions as part of the next generation of spacecraft that will return humans to the moon - the Constellation Project. Proposals are due to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., Feb. 9. Selections will be made in the spring of 2009.
--Northrop Grumman in the past week announced it has combined seven units into five to lower costs. The Integrated Systems group was combined with Space Technology to form the Aerospace Systems unit. The Information Technology and Mission Systems groups have combined as Information Systems. The new aerospace unit includes Moss Point, Miss., and other facilities that build the Global Hawk and Fire Scout unmanned aerial systems. 3001 International falls into the Information Systems group. At the end of the week Boeing announced steps it will take to reduce costs. The commercial aircraft sector of Boeing will drop 4,500 positions this year. It doesn’t appear it will have an impact on Boeing's operations in New Orleans or Northwest Florida, which are involved in space and weapons systems, respectively.
--All-quadrant 7.62mm Gatling guns are on track to be installed underneath seven Air Force Special Operations Command CV-22 Ospreys this year. The 413th Flight Test Squadron is testing the turret-mounted gun at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the system has passed a series of tests. Critics had complained that the craft had no all-quadrant weapons, but in 2007 a contract was awarded to BAE Systems to deliver seven Remote Guardian Systems and install them onto CV-22 Ospreys for AFSOC deployments.
In another weapons-related news item, Lockheed Martin successfully conducted the first live warhead ground launch test of the DAGR guidance kit for the 2.75-inch rocket. Conducted at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the test demonstrated DAGR's vehicle penetration and time-delayed fuzing feature. Lockheed Martin engineers fired a DAGR-equipped rocket armed with a live warhead at a stationary vehicle. It penetrated the side of the vehicle before detonating inside. The system is designed for rotary-wing Hellfire platforms, including the Cobra, Apache, Seahawk, Kiowa and Tiger.
--Also during the week, Building 22 at Eglin Air Force Base has been renamed the Register Physical Sciences Center, in honor of the late Henry I. Register. Register spent more than 50 years at Eglin and was one of the pioneers of laser-guided smart weapons.
--At least four contracts were awarded during the week with some connection to the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor. The Boeing Co. received two contracts totaling $217.1 million from the Department of Defense for continued production of more than 4,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition tail kits and 2,500 Small Diameter Bombs and associated carriages; Northrop Grumman won a contract for $13.4 million for engineering, manufacturing and development activities in support of the Global Hawk Program; Lockheed Martin and the Coast Guard exercised contract options valued at $13.25 million to install mission systems aboard two additional HC-130J aircraft used in the Deepwater Program; and Raytheon was awarded a $12.2 million contract by Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to provide a miniature air launched decoy jammer Block II program contract for a 14-month concept refinement study for data link and increased effective radiated power.
Northrop Grumman’s 3001 International broke ground Wednesday on a new 20,000 square-foot facility in Slidell, La., the town between Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center, Miss. The new office consolidates the existing Slidell 3001 office with the office the company had at Stennis Space Center. The new operation brings with it 50 new positions.
Northrop in October 2008 bought 3001, a provider of geospatial data production and analysis, including airborne imaging, surveying, mapping and geographic information systems. Northrop highlighted the acquisition in October at the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation's symposium in Nashville.
So is this a negative for Stennis, seeing 3001 leave? Not in the least. Companies at the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology, a business incubator and technology transfer operation at Stennis, are expected to one day leave and grow outside the incubator. That's chalked up as a success. That's the whole purpose of an incubator.
Now consider the context: NASA hopes to eventually see the unused acreage around Michoud – there’s about 800 acres – develop into an advanced manufacturing research park. And there's good reason to think this way. At the center of this park is the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing, a NASA/state/academia/industry partnership. On top of that, the University of New Orleans plans to create a research park in Slidell, similar to the UNO Research and Technology Park on UNO's campus. And just outside Stennis there's Stennis International Airport Airpark and the still-developing Stennis Technology Park.
Alliance Insight, the quarterly newsletter from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Alliance for Economic Development, has a background story you may want to read. The story appeared in the January 2008 issue.
None of this will happen overnight. It certainly didn't in Huntsville. If you're not familiar with what happened in that north Alabama city, let me give you the short version. That city in the '60s began to leverage the presence of NASA and the Army missile experts to create one of the most technology-oriented economies in the nation. An early decision to turn 3,000 acres into a research park, along with the development of a Huntsville campus of the University of Alabama, helped transform the city. Today, Cummings Research Park is the second largest research park in the nation and fourth largest in the world.
Thinking this region can do the same is the first step towards making it happen.
--Also during the week, NASA named Patrick Scheuermann as the deputy director of John C. Stennis Space Center, NASA's primary testing ground for propulsion systems. The promotion of Scheuermann, the center's associate director since August 2006, became effective Dec. 21. Scheuermann previously was chief operating officer of Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. It's likely Scheuermann and others will be working for a new boss later this month. NASA Administrator Mike Griffin last week turned in notice that he'll be leaving Jan. 20. He doesn't expect to be offered a chance to stay on after President-elect Barack Obama takes office.
In another NASA-related item, the agency last week issued a request for proposals for the Ares V rocket. The rocket will perform heavy lift and cargo functions as part of the next generation of spacecraft that will return humans to the moon - the Constellation Project. Proposals are due to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., Feb. 9. Selections will be made in the spring of 2009.
--Northrop Grumman in the past week announced it has combined seven units into five to lower costs. The Integrated Systems group was combined with Space Technology to form the Aerospace Systems unit. The Information Technology and Mission Systems groups have combined as Information Systems. The new aerospace unit includes Moss Point, Miss., and other facilities that build the Global Hawk and Fire Scout unmanned aerial systems. 3001 International falls into the Information Systems group. At the end of the week Boeing announced steps it will take to reduce costs. The commercial aircraft sector of Boeing will drop 4,500 positions this year. It doesn’t appear it will have an impact on Boeing's operations in New Orleans or Northwest Florida, which are involved in space and weapons systems, respectively.
--All-quadrant 7.62mm Gatling guns are on track to be installed underneath seven Air Force Special Operations Command CV-22 Ospreys this year. The 413th Flight Test Squadron is testing the turret-mounted gun at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the system has passed a series of tests. Critics had complained that the craft had no all-quadrant weapons, but in 2007 a contract was awarded to BAE Systems to deliver seven Remote Guardian Systems and install them onto CV-22 Ospreys for AFSOC deployments.
In another weapons-related news item, Lockheed Martin successfully conducted the first live warhead ground launch test of the DAGR guidance kit for the 2.75-inch rocket. Conducted at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the test demonstrated DAGR's vehicle penetration and time-delayed fuzing feature. Lockheed Martin engineers fired a DAGR-equipped rocket armed with a live warhead at a stationary vehicle. It penetrated the side of the vehicle before detonating inside. The system is designed for rotary-wing Hellfire platforms, including the Cobra, Apache, Seahawk, Kiowa and Tiger.
--Also during the week, Building 22 at Eglin Air Force Base has been renamed the Register Physical Sciences Center, in honor of the late Henry I. Register. Register spent more than 50 years at Eglin and was one of the pioneers of laser-guided smart weapons.
--At least four contracts were awarded during the week with some connection to the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor. The Boeing Co. received two contracts totaling $217.1 million from the Department of Defense for continued production of more than 4,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition tail kits and 2,500 Small Diameter Bombs and associated carriages; Northrop Grumman won a contract for $13.4 million for engineering, manufacturing and development activities in support of the Global Hawk Program; Lockheed Martin and the Coast Guard exercised contract options valued at $13.25 million to install mission systems aboard two additional HC-130J aircraft used in the Deepwater Program; and Raytheon was awarded a $12.2 million contract by Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to provide a miniature air launched decoy jammer Block II program contract for a 14-month concept refinement study for data link and increased effective radiated power.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Week in review (12/28 to 01/03)
It's a story playing out behind the scenes, for the most part. But it will have an impact on the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor. If it turns out one way, it could slow down considerably the growth of the region around the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
There's an ongoing debate about the launch vehicle NASA plans to use to send astronauts back into space in the Constellation Program. The Orlando Sentinel last week published about as detailed a story about the issue as any I've seen. (Story). The New York Times also did a piece about NASA's future. (Story)
To bring you up to speed, NASA a few years back opted to develop the Ares I and Ares V to bring astronauts and payload, respectively, back into space. Ares V is the heavy lift version, designed to bring supplies. Ares I is designed to lift astronauts and the Orion vehicle. NASA chief Michael Griffin has maintained that Ares I is the safest, most reliable system. Modified military rockets, specifically Atlas V and Delta IV, can’t handle the chore, he says.
But not everyone agrees. The Sentinel says interviews and documents it obtained show military rockets can do the job for billions less and possibly sooner than Ares I. You can be sure that during this year the issue will continue to be debated.
But neither story, of course, discusses how a decision on the launch vehicle could impact the Gulf Coast region. As it stands now, the second stage of the Ares I will be built by Boeing at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, which is also where the final assembly integration and checkout of the Ares I avionics systems will be done as well. The first stage is being built by Alliant Techsystems (ATK) at its Thiokol plant in Utah.
Stennis Space Center in Mississippi is also involved in the Ares I. That’s where J-2X engines used in Ares I are being assembled and tested by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. Stennis is building a new test stand for that very purpose, and an existing stand is also being modified.
The alternative launch systems, Atlas V and Delta IV, are built by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, in Decatur, Ala, not far from Huntsville. The Delta IV uses the RS-68, and Stennis does assemble and test that engine. But Stennis doesn’t test any propulsion system for the Atlas V.
Should the Barack Obama administration opt for the Atlas V and Delta IV, the beneficiary will certainly be Decatur and the Huntsville area. The end of Ares I would not kill Constellation work at Michoud Assembly Facility - it will still have work on the Orion, the capsule that will bring the astronauts into space, as well as Ares V in the future. But the loss of Ares I would be a blow nonetheless, and put a brake on the broader vision.
NASA has made no secret of its desire to turn the Michoud Assembly Facility into a major fabrication hub for the Constellation Program. The agency wants to create a technology park on unused acreage surrounding Michoud, and is building an R&D center there. Some have envisioned a space corridor growing between Michoud and Stennis - and a group has formed in Louisiana and Mississippi to push that idea.
You can bet there are plenty of people working behind the scenes on this. It may not be as highly publicized as the battle to build Air Force tankers in Mobile, Ala., but make no mistakes, it's significant for the growth of the aerospace corridor region.
One other issue that will likely be a hot topic in 2009: the movement of the nation's defense companies towards getting a piece of the growing cybersecurity business.
Bloomberg last week wrote that aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin are throwing resources into cyberspace, a market that could reach $11 billion in four years. To capture some of this market, Boeing formed a new business unit in August, and Lockheed did the same thing in October. (Story)
Bloomberg notes that Raytheon, L-3 Communications and SAIC Inc., also have cybersecurity units. They will be competing for dollars with companies that for some time now have been involved in protecting computers systems: McAfee and Symantec.
The interest in cybersecurity goes well beyond these defense companies. The Air Force in 2008 made a big push to pull cybersecurity under its wing. There were plans to set up a separate Cyberspace Command, and a lot of economic development officials - including those on the Gulf Coast - pushed to land the command. The Air Force later dialed down its ambitious project. Still, it shows just how hot the topic has been.
We took advantage of what amounted to a slow news week to add some additional resources to our site. You can now get access to all the press releases from Airbus, Alliant Techsystems (ATK), Goodrich, Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon on our primary news page. They join BAE Systems, EADS North America, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Rolls-Royce, which we’ve offered for some time now.
Those companies all have operations in the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor region, and our thought is to provide you with convenient access to all their releases, though we monitor them regularly to ensure you are aware of releases that have some relevance for the Gulf Coast.
Even in a slow week, there was some activity relevant to the corridor. The Air Force awarded a firm fixed-price contract to the McDonnell Douglas Corp. of St. Louis, Mo., for $13.8 million. It allows McDonnell, now a part of Boeing, to provide various test assets in support of The Small Diameter Bomb I program. Eglin Air Force Base in Florida s the contracting activity.
Two companies with operations on the Gulf Coast, Goodrich and Rolls-Royce, inked that agreement to form a joint venture company to develop and supply engine controls for Rolls-Royce aero engines. The venture, Rolls-Royce Goodrich Engine Control Systems Limited, operates as Aero Engine Controls. Rolls-Royce tests engines at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and has a foundry in Pascagoula, Miss. Goodrich has a service center in Foley, Ala.
There's an ongoing debate about the launch vehicle NASA plans to use to send astronauts back into space in the Constellation Program. The Orlando Sentinel last week published about as detailed a story about the issue as any I've seen. (Story). The New York Times also did a piece about NASA's future. (Story)
To bring you up to speed, NASA a few years back opted to develop the Ares I and Ares V to bring astronauts and payload, respectively, back into space. Ares V is the heavy lift version, designed to bring supplies. Ares I is designed to lift astronauts and the Orion vehicle. NASA chief Michael Griffin has maintained that Ares I is the safest, most reliable system. Modified military rockets, specifically Atlas V and Delta IV, can’t handle the chore, he says.
But not everyone agrees. The Sentinel says interviews and documents it obtained show military rockets can do the job for billions less and possibly sooner than Ares I. You can be sure that during this year the issue will continue to be debated.
But neither story, of course, discusses how a decision on the launch vehicle could impact the Gulf Coast region. As it stands now, the second stage of the Ares I will be built by Boeing at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, which is also where the final assembly integration and checkout of the Ares I avionics systems will be done as well. The first stage is being built by Alliant Techsystems (ATK) at its Thiokol plant in Utah.
Stennis Space Center in Mississippi is also involved in the Ares I. That’s where J-2X engines used in Ares I are being assembled and tested by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. Stennis is building a new test stand for that very purpose, and an existing stand is also being modified.
The alternative launch systems, Atlas V and Delta IV, are built by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, in Decatur, Ala, not far from Huntsville. The Delta IV uses the RS-68, and Stennis does assemble and test that engine. But Stennis doesn’t test any propulsion system for the Atlas V.
Should the Barack Obama administration opt for the Atlas V and Delta IV, the beneficiary will certainly be Decatur and the Huntsville area. The end of Ares I would not kill Constellation work at Michoud Assembly Facility - it will still have work on the Orion, the capsule that will bring the astronauts into space, as well as Ares V in the future. But the loss of Ares I would be a blow nonetheless, and put a brake on the broader vision.
NASA has made no secret of its desire to turn the Michoud Assembly Facility into a major fabrication hub for the Constellation Program. The agency wants to create a technology park on unused acreage surrounding Michoud, and is building an R&D center there. Some have envisioned a space corridor growing between Michoud and Stennis - and a group has formed in Louisiana and Mississippi to push that idea.
You can bet there are plenty of people working behind the scenes on this. It may not be as highly publicized as the battle to build Air Force tankers in Mobile, Ala., but make no mistakes, it's significant for the growth of the aerospace corridor region.
One other issue that will likely be a hot topic in 2009: the movement of the nation's defense companies towards getting a piece of the growing cybersecurity business.
Bloomberg last week wrote that aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin are throwing resources into cyberspace, a market that could reach $11 billion in four years. To capture some of this market, Boeing formed a new business unit in August, and Lockheed did the same thing in October. (Story)
Bloomberg notes that Raytheon, L-3 Communications and SAIC Inc., also have cybersecurity units. They will be competing for dollars with companies that for some time now have been involved in protecting computers systems: McAfee and Symantec.
The interest in cybersecurity goes well beyond these defense companies. The Air Force in 2008 made a big push to pull cybersecurity under its wing. There were plans to set up a separate Cyberspace Command, and a lot of economic development officials - including those on the Gulf Coast - pushed to land the command. The Air Force later dialed down its ambitious project. Still, it shows just how hot the topic has been.
We took advantage of what amounted to a slow news week to add some additional resources to our site. You can now get access to all the press releases from Airbus, Alliant Techsystems (ATK), Goodrich, Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon on our primary news page. They join BAE Systems, EADS North America, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Rolls-Royce, which we’ve offered for some time now.
Those companies all have operations in the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor region, and our thought is to provide you with convenient access to all their releases, though we monitor them regularly to ensure you are aware of releases that have some relevance for the Gulf Coast.
Even in a slow week, there was some activity relevant to the corridor. The Air Force awarded a firm fixed-price contract to the McDonnell Douglas Corp. of St. Louis, Mo., for $13.8 million. It allows McDonnell, now a part of Boeing, to provide various test assets in support of The Small Diameter Bomb I program. Eglin Air Force Base in Florida s the contracting activity.
Two companies with operations on the Gulf Coast, Goodrich and Rolls-Royce, inked that agreement to form a joint venture company to develop and supply engine controls for Rolls-Royce aero engines. The venture, Rolls-Royce Goodrich Engine Control Systems Limited, operates as Aero Engine Controls. Rolls-Royce tests engines at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and has a foundry in Pascagoula, Miss. Goodrich has a service center in Foley, Ala.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Week in review (12/21 to 12/27)
It wasn’t a very good Christmas present for Northwest Florida.
According to the Air Force News Service, Northrop Grumman will move its Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) hub from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., to the Warner Robins area in Georgia. It’s the result of an agreement between the Air Force and Northrop Grumman signed Dec. 11.
LAIRCM is a laser-based system designed to counter the threat that slow-moving cargo aircraft and rotary-wing aircraft face from shoulder-fired missiles and missiles launched from vehicles. The system detects heat-seeking missiles and puts out a signal to confuse its path and direct it away from the aircraft.
This is a pretty big deal for Warner Robins. Phil Robinson, Northrop Grumman's system manager for LAIRCM, told AFNS that Robins AFB will work not only on Air Force platforms equipped with LAIRCM, but planes throughout the U.S. armed forces.
Much of the work to get the operation to George was apparently done quietly.
"The agreement culminates a lot of hard work that has been done behind the scenes by our folks who generate business for us, who generate workload for us, (and) who monitor our business operations," said Brig. Gen. Mark Atkinson, the 402nd Maintenance Wing Commander at Robins AFB. As the general put it, "this gets our foot in the door."
The workload now is not that great, but it's expected to go up over time. Northrop Grumman currently does most of the maintenance work on the system, Atkinson said. And one reason behind the agreement is the Air Force thinks the system too important to rely solely on private industry for maintenance, so Robins wants to handle it. If you want to read the full story, click here.
It’s really discouraging this high-tech capability isn't going to remain in this region, but that's what happens as folks work behind the scenes to bring more capability to their own base. It's something folks around Eglin Air Force Base need to consider while debating whether the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter training center will bring too much noise. What you don't want or what you're not watching carefully, someone else wants and might actively be pursuing.
One of the areas of aerospace that hold great promise for the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor is NASA's push to get private sector companies more involved in picking up the NASA slack, so to speak. The agency will be spending a lot of money in the future getting companies to perform the tasks the agency can't or won't.
A case in point: NASA awarded $3.5 billion in cargo contracts to two companies in hopes of encouraging development of a private-sector commercial space industry capable of providing the rockets that can carry passengers to the International Space Station and beyond. Space Exploration Technologies of California and Orbital Sciences Corp. of Virginia will provide 20 flights to the space station.
Now if you read this column or our news briefs regularly, you know that Orbital Sciences Corp. of Virginia is the company that recently decided to have the AJ26 rocket engines tested at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The testing will begin in 2009, and while it may not seem like a big deal, it is in that a company that is picking up the NASA slack will be doing some work in this region. Orbital is the same company that awarded a $49 million contract to Alliant Techsystems (ATK) to provide at least nine flight sets of Orion solid rocket motors. That work will be done at the ATK operation in Salt Lake City, Utah, but could this mean more testing at Stennis? Perhaps. We’ll have to see.
Speaking of space, the Lockheed Martin-led team developing the Air Force’s Space-Based Infrared System delivered the remaining major spacecraft bus subsystem for the second geosynchronous orbit spacecraft. The GEO-2 spacecraft core structure and propulsion subsystem was recently completed and the high-performance communications subsystem for the spacecraft was delivered in early December. The propulsion subsystem, essential for maneuvering the satellite during transfer orbit to its final location as well as conducting on-orbit repositioning, was developed at Lockheed Martin’s Mississippi Space & Technology Center at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
Northrop Grumman had a pretty good past week. Its RQ-4 Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration team was named Test Team of the Quarter for the second quarter of 2008 by the Navy's Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 20. The team won the award for achievements in the first half of the year. The team is, among other things, developing tactics and guidelines for Navy unmanned patrol systems. As you know, portions of the Global Hawks are built in Moss Point, Miss.
Northrop Grumman also won two Worker Safety Excellence Awards from the Aerospace Industries Association. The company’s Integrated Systems sector, which oversees Mississippi's Moss Point Unmanned Systems Center, was recognized for having the lowest injury and illness rate in the aircraft manufacturing category. The AIA cited Northrop Grumman's low workplace injury and illness rates as well as its positive safety program elements.
According to the Air Force News Service, Northrop Grumman will move its Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) hub from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., to the Warner Robins area in Georgia. It’s the result of an agreement between the Air Force and Northrop Grumman signed Dec. 11.
LAIRCM is a laser-based system designed to counter the threat that slow-moving cargo aircraft and rotary-wing aircraft face from shoulder-fired missiles and missiles launched from vehicles. The system detects heat-seeking missiles and puts out a signal to confuse its path and direct it away from the aircraft.
This is a pretty big deal for Warner Robins. Phil Robinson, Northrop Grumman's system manager for LAIRCM, told AFNS that Robins AFB will work not only on Air Force platforms equipped with LAIRCM, but planes throughout the U.S. armed forces.
Much of the work to get the operation to George was apparently done quietly.
"The agreement culminates a lot of hard work that has been done behind the scenes by our folks who generate business for us, who generate workload for us, (and) who monitor our business operations," said Brig. Gen. Mark Atkinson, the 402nd Maintenance Wing Commander at Robins AFB. As the general put it, "this gets our foot in the door."
The workload now is not that great, but it's expected to go up over time. Northrop Grumman currently does most of the maintenance work on the system, Atkinson said. And one reason behind the agreement is the Air Force thinks the system too important to rely solely on private industry for maintenance, so Robins wants to handle it. If you want to read the full story, click here.
It’s really discouraging this high-tech capability isn't going to remain in this region, but that's what happens as folks work behind the scenes to bring more capability to their own base. It's something folks around Eglin Air Force Base need to consider while debating whether the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter training center will bring too much noise. What you don't want or what you're not watching carefully, someone else wants and might actively be pursuing.
One of the areas of aerospace that hold great promise for the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor is NASA's push to get private sector companies more involved in picking up the NASA slack, so to speak. The agency will be spending a lot of money in the future getting companies to perform the tasks the agency can't or won't.
A case in point: NASA awarded $3.5 billion in cargo contracts to two companies in hopes of encouraging development of a private-sector commercial space industry capable of providing the rockets that can carry passengers to the International Space Station and beyond. Space Exploration Technologies of California and Orbital Sciences Corp. of Virginia will provide 20 flights to the space station.
Now if you read this column or our news briefs regularly, you know that Orbital Sciences Corp. of Virginia is the company that recently decided to have the AJ26 rocket engines tested at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The testing will begin in 2009, and while it may not seem like a big deal, it is in that a company that is picking up the NASA slack will be doing some work in this region. Orbital is the same company that awarded a $49 million contract to Alliant Techsystems (ATK) to provide at least nine flight sets of Orion solid rocket motors. That work will be done at the ATK operation in Salt Lake City, Utah, but could this mean more testing at Stennis? Perhaps. We’ll have to see.
Speaking of space, the Lockheed Martin-led team developing the Air Force’s Space-Based Infrared System delivered the remaining major spacecraft bus subsystem for the second geosynchronous orbit spacecraft. The GEO-2 spacecraft core structure and propulsion subsystem was recently completed and the high-performance communications subsystem for the spacecraft was delivered in early December. The propulsion subsystem, essential for maneuvering the satellite during transfer orbit to its final location as well as conducting on-orbit repositioning, was developed at Lockheed Martin’s Mississippi Space & Technology Center at Stennis Space Center, Miss.
Northrop Grumman had a pretty good past week. Its RQ-4 Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration team was named Test Team of the Quarter for the second quarter of 2008 by the Navy's Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 20. The team won the award for achievements in the first half of the year. The team is, among other things, developing tactics and guidelines for Navy unmanned patrol systems. As you know, portions of the Global Hawks are built in Moss Point, Miss.
Northrop Grumman also won two Worker Safety Excellence Awards from the Aerospace Industries Association. The company’s Integrated Systems sector, which oversees Mississippi's Moss Point Unmanned Systems Center, was recognized for having the lowest injury and illness rate in the aircraft manufacturing category. The AIA cited Northrop Grumman's low workplace injury and illness rates as well as its positive safety program elements.
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