Contract: Webb, $9.2M

Webb Electric Co., Pensacola, Fla., has been awarded a $9,220,349 firm-fixed-price contract to repair airfield lighting system and to add/repair airfield lighting vault. This contract provides for expanding the existing lighting vault building and update the existing lighting vault by replacing the existing regulators and generator with new ones. The existing pad mounted transformers will be replaced with new ones and the electrical service to the existing lighting vault will be replaced with a new 480Y/277 volt three-phase four-wire service; all the new regulators will operate with an input voltage of 480 volts. The existing regulators must remain in operation until the new ones are installed. Project also consists of upgrading the existing airfield wiring and testing of the existing regulators for Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB). Work will be performed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2015. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, with four offers received. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $9,220,349 are being obligated at the time of award. The 319th Contracting Flight, Grand Forks Air Force Base is the contracting activity (FA4659-14-C-C011). (Source: DoD, 09/30/14)

Contract: Mark Dunning, $6.8M

Mark Dunning Industries, Dothan, Ala., is being awarded a $6,837,585 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N69450-11-D-7577) to exercise option three for base operations support services at Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, Ga. The work to be performed provides for all management, supervision, labor hours, training, equipment and supplies necessary to perform grounds maintenance and landscaping, integrated solid waste management, custodial and pest control services. The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $26,845,307. Work will be performed in Kings Bay and work is expected to be completed September 2015. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/30/14)

Contract: Lockheed, $100M

Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Fla., has been awarded a $100,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile production support. Contractor will provide JASSM system upgrades, integration, sustainment, management and logistical support. Work will be performed at Orlando, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 29, 2019. This award is the result of sole-source acquisition. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8682-14-D-0029). (Source: DoD, 09/30/14)

Contract: ACE, $20M

ACE Engineering Inc., La Verne, Calif., is being awarded a maximum amount $20,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for installation and repair of asphalt and concrete pavement at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla., Naval outlying fields located in Florida and Alabama, and Naval Operations Support Center Tallahassee, Fla. The paving work includes, but is not limited to, streets, parking lots, and sidewalks, and bridge or airfield requirements. Task order 0001 is being awarded at $65,131 for repair of ditch G at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, and $96,124 for mill and overlay asphalt near the ball fields at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by January 2015. All work on this contract will be performed primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast area of responsibility (AOR) which includes Florida (70 percent) and Alabama (25 percent). Work may also be performed in the remainder of the NAVFAC Southeast AOR (5 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of September 2019. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $161,255 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-14-C-0761). (Source: DoD, 09/30/14)

Contract: Northrop, $19M

Northrop Grumman, Annapolis, Md., is being awarded an $18,970,332 delivery order under a previously awarded contract (N61331-10-D-0009) for the procurement of field upgradeable kits and fleet support for conversion of the AN/AQS-24A systems to the AN/AQS-24B configuration in support of the Airborne Mine Countermeasure Systems Program. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Md., and is expected to be completed by March 2016. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $18,970,332 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/30/14)

Contract: Lockheed, $246.6M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $246,613,000 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-12-C-0004) to develop, test, and certify two Drag Chute Systems for the Low Rate Initial Production Lot VII F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (70 percent), and Edwards Air Force Base, Edwards, Calif. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2019. International partner funds in the amount of $90,000,000 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/30/14) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

More Airbus jobs posted

MOBILE, Ala. – Airbus is seeking an information technology specialist and aircraft systems installation workers for the A320 final assembly line being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. The IT specialist must have at least a bachelor's degree in information technology or an equivalent combination of education/experience plus at least three years experience with SAP applications. System installers must have a high school diploma or GED and at least two years experience with aircraft maintenance. For a complete list of Airbus America jobs in Mobile, visit the Alabama Industrial Development Training website. (Source: al.com, 09/29/14) Previous

Countermeasures pod certified

Exelis received official certification for an electronic countermeasures and radar warning system pod for the F-16 after tests at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Exelis' AN/ALQ-211(V)9 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare System (AIDEWS) was certified to fly aboard Pakistani F-16 fighters. The ALQ-211(V)9 is an external pod variant of the Exelis ALQ-211 electronic self-protection systems. The AIDEWS pod is a self-contained integrated electronic countermeasures and radar warning receiver system designed to protect the F-16 from radio frequency (RF) threats. Lockheed Martin and the Air Force conducted the Eglin tests. The AIDEWS electronic self-protection system is produced at the Exelis facility in Clifton, N.J. (Source: Exelis via Business Wire, 09/29/14) Exelis also has an operation in Bay County, Fla.

Airbus ups demand forecast

Europe's Airbus Group predicted airlines will buy planes worth $4.6 trillion over the next 20 years, with Chinese domestic travel surpassing the U.S. as the largest single aviation market within a decade. Airlines will need 31,400 new jetliners and freighters during the period, 2,180 or 7 percent more than suggested in Airbus's previous 20-year forecast a year ago, with passenger growth remaining at 4.7 percent annually, the company estimates. (Sources: multiple, including Airbus, Bloomberg, 09/25/14) Previous related. Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., which is expected to play a large role in satisfying the higher demand.

FBO gets more space

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Demand for private air travel at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport prompted fixed base operator Sheltair to seek for more space. At a meeting last week, the Airport Authority approved a new, larger lease agreement for Sheltair, which has provided general aviation services at the airport in West Bay, northwest of Panama City, since 2010. Sheltair's new lease adds about five acres of space, mostly paved ramp space, and shifts operations to the south. The FBO will give up a portion of land in the process, which will be marketed by economic development officials as a potential site for aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul companies. The Fort Lauderdale company operates 14 facilities in the U.S. (Source: News Herald, 09/28/14) Previous

Contract: C.W. Roberts, $9M

C.W. Roberts Contracting Inc., Tallahassee, Fla., has been awarded a $9,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for paving. Contractor will furnish all plant, materials, labor, equipment, and all operations required. The work may consist of resurfacing, full depth reconstruction, and new full depth construction of bituminous concrete and portland cement concrete pavements to include airfield pavements, roadways, parking lots, and sidewalks. It may also include coldplaning of bituminous concrete pavement, construction of curb return widenings, new construction of bituminous concrete ramp-downs, crack repair in bituminous concrete pavement, and new construction of concrete foundation walls and footings. It may also include other requirements as written in the contract. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 28, 2015. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity (FA2823-14-D-4008). (Source: DoD, 09/29/14)

Orion-boosting rocket assembled

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. – Assembly of the Delta IV rocket that will boost the Orion crew capsule on its maiden test flight in December has been completed. The Orion, without a crew, is slated to launch on Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) in December atop the United Launch Alliance Delta IV. Orion is NASA’s spaceship designed to carry a crew further into space than ever before. Engineers from ULA recently completed the integration of the three primary core elements of the rockets first stage with the single engine upper stage. All of the rocket integration work and preflight processing took place inside ULA's Horizontal Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The Delta IV will be rolled out to SLC-37 launch pad this week. Orion eventually will be boosted into space by NASA's Space Launch System. (Sources: NASA, 09/25/14, Universe Today, 09/28/14) Gulf Coast note: The space-bound Orion was built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, which is also building the core stage of the SLS; the RS-68 engines that will power the Delta IV core boosters are assembled and tested by Rocketdyne at Stennis Space Center, Miss., which will also test the RS-25 engines that will power the core stage of SLS.

Contract: Exelis, $71.5M

Exelis Inc., Clifton, N.J., has been awarded a $71,498,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract. The contractor will provide Countermeasures System Operational Flight Program software deficiency analysis, block cycle software support, enhanced maintenance test set software support, original equipment manufacturer system sustaining engineering services and maintainability and reliability system line replaceable unit-10 final redesign. Work will be performed at Clifton; Robins Air Force Base, Ga.; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; and Hurlburt Field, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 27, 2018. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2014 consolidated sustainment activity group working capital funds in the amount of $25,620,885 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8540-14-D-0002). (Source: DoD, 09/26/14)

Contract: Raytheon, $11M

Raytheon Co. Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., has been awarded an $11,026,125 modification (P00002) to previously awarded contract FA8682-14-C-0004 for GPS-Aided Inertial Navigation System II Phase III. Work will be performed at Tucson and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2015. Fiscal year 2012 and 2014 procurement funds in the amount of $11,026,125 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/26/14)

Contract: Zodiac Data, $9.9M

Zodiac Data Systems Inc., Alpharetta, Ga., has been awarded a $9,900,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for sustainment of the current Airborne Data Recorder fleet. This includes spare recorders, spare parts, repair and upgrade of existing data recorders. Contractor will provide spare parts, technical support, repair services, and upgrade support to the existing airborne data recorder fleet. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 26, 2019. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $137,391 are being obligated for task order 0001 at the time of award. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base is the contracting activity (FA2487-14-D-0106). (Source: DoD, 09/26/14)

Contract: Jacobs, $171.6M

Jacobs Technology, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is being awarded a $171,559,893 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N68936-10-D-0034) for services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division's Combat Environment Simulation Division. Services to be provided include the development and acquisition of new range systems, integration of various range systems, and the upgrade and modernization of existing range systems. The estimated level of effort for this modification is 1,060 man-years. Work will be performed at NAWCWD China Lake, Calif. (85 percent), and NAWCWD Point Mugu, Calif. (15 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2015. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/26/14)

Contract: Lockheed, $331.4M

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $331,408,457 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract (N00019-13-C-0008) for the procurement of production non-recurring items, including special tooling, special test equipment items and software lab upgrades in support of F-35 aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, international partners, and foreign military sales. Work will be performed in Fort Worth (32 percent); Nashua, N.H. (12 percent); Orlando, Fla. (11 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (11 percent); San Diego, Calif. (10 percent); Cameri, Italy (6 percent); Palmdale, Calif. (5 percent); Samlesbury, United Kingdom (3 percent); Irvine, Calif. (2 percent); Baltimore, Md. (2 percent); Cheltenham, United Kingdom (2 percent); East Aurora, N.Y. (2 percent); and Marietta, Ga. (2 percent). Work is expected to be completed in December 2017. Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement (Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps), and international partner and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $331,408,457, are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the U.S. Air Force (34 percent); U.S. Navy (17 percent); the U.S. Marine Corps (17 percent); international partners (19 percent); and foreign military sales (13 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting authority. (Source: DoD, 09/25/14) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Contract: Fluor Federal, $27.2M

Fluor Federal Solutions, LLC, Greenville, S.C., is being awarded a $27,209,971 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N69450-07-D-0770) to exercise option three for base operations support services at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and the surrounding areas of Saufley Field, Corry Station, and Bronson Field. The work to be performed provides for all management, supervision, labor, equipment, materials, supplies, and tools necessary to perform facilities management, facilities investment, facility maintenance services (non-family housing), pest control, utility plant and distribution system operations and maintenance (chiller, electrical, gas, wastewater, steam and water), environmental services, centrally managed safety services, and base support vehicles and equipment. The total contract amount, after exercise of this option, will be $199,704,743. Work will be performed in Pensacola and work is expected to be completed September 2015. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/25/14)

Contract: Raytheon, $15M

Raytheon Missiles Systems, Tucson, Ariz., has been awarded a $15,057,012 modification (P00015) to previously awarded contract FA8675-12-C-0040 for the Advanced Electronic Protection Improvement program. Contractor will provide a schedule extension of the AEPI contract for design, development, integration, test and implementation of performance enhancements to the AIM-120C-7 missile. Work will be performed at Tucson and is expected to be completed by May 1, 2017. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,687,800 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: 09/25/14)

Contract: Raytheon, $12.9M

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., has been awarded a $12,872,815 modification (P00030) to previously awarded contract FA8675-13-C-0003 for Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile production lot 27. This contract is for Life-of-Type-Buy parts for AMRAAM contract line item number 6020 being produced under the basic contract. Work will be performed at Tucson and is expected to be completed by Sept. 22, 2015. This contract involves foreign military sales. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: 09/25/14)

Hurlburt squadron wins award

The 801st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., was among the winners in the 2014 Department of Defense Maintenance Awards announced today. The awards for depot and field-level units are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievements in weapon system and military equipment maintenance. The Hurlburt squadron was one of two winners of the field-level maintenance award in the medium category. The awards will be presented Nov. 18 in Birmingham, Ala., during the 2014 DoD Maintenance Symposium. (Source: DoD, 09/26/14)

A320neo has maiden flight

The A320neo, developed as a more fuel efficient version of the popular single-aisle Airbus jetliner, had a successful maiden flight Thursday in southwest France. The plane, powered by Pratt and Whitney PW1100G-JM engines, flew for two hours and 22 minutes, kicking off a year of flight trials. Airbus expects to generate hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue from the latest version of the plane. The original version of the A320 had its first flight 27 years ago. The A320neo will also offer LEAP-1A turbofans built by CFM International, a joint venture of General Electric and Safran. (Sources: multiple, including Reuters, USA Today, Airbus, 09/25/14) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building a fourth final assembly line for its A320 family of aircraft in Mobile, Ala.

SLS and deep space

The October issue of Air and Space Smithsonian magazine takes a close look at the Space Launch System and the role being played by Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans. Among the places toured by the writer was the room no larger than a convenience store that houses more than a billion dollars worth of irreplaceable RS-25 engines that will power the core stage of the largest rocket ever built. (Source: Air and Space Smithsonian, October 2014)

Airbus FAL seeks test pilot

MOBILE, Ala. -- Airbus is seeking a test pilot for the A320 final assembly line being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. The pilot will be responsible for carrying out all test flights associated with the production and acceptance of the jetliners that will be built at the new plant. Successful candidates will be test pilot graduates with a valid license from a recognized test pilot school and have earned a Class 1 medical certificate. The position requires a minimum of six to nine months' training abroad. The plant will open in 2015 and produce its first aircraft in 2016. It will produce 40 to 50 A320 jetliners a year. For a complete list of Airbus America jobs in Mobile, visit the Alabama Industrial Development Training website. (Source: al.com, 09/24/14) Previous

Contract: Lockheed, $9M

Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla., has been awarded a $9,078,498 sole-source, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Subminiature Flight Safety System integration onto the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile. The contractor will complete all activities necessary to design, develop and qualify an SFSS demonstration unit via ground, captive-carry and flight test demonstration activity in the JASSM weapon system. Work will be performed at Orlando and is expected to be completed by March 24, 2018. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $7,972,733 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Armament Directorate, Advanced Programs Division, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8677-14-C-0137). (Source: DoD, 09/24/14)

Contract: Lockheed, $7.3M

Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Fla., has been awarded a $7,340,410 modification (P00106) for extension of services for the C130J Maintenance and Aircrew Training System. Contractor will provide an additional three months of aircrew instruction and contractor logistic support. Work will be performed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.; Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.; and Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2014. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8621-06-C-6300). (Source: DoD, 09/24/14)

Contract: PowerSecure, $8.3M

PowerSecure, Inc., Wake Forest, N.C., has been awarded an $8,300,000 firm-fixed-price contract to repair and relocate an 115 kV transmission line. Contractor will furnish all plant, materials, labor, equipment and operations in connection with the removal of the existing 115 kV transmission line and wooden poles from the Valparaiso substation to the main base substation. The installation of a new 115 kV transmission line will be rerouted overhead, where possible, to avoid the clear zone and routed underground only where not possible to avoid the clear zone. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 10, 2015. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, with three offers received. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $8,300,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity (FA2823-14-C-4011). (Source: DoD, 09/24/14)

Contract: Alion, $49.9M

Alion Science and Technology Corp., Burr Ridge, Ill., has been awarded a $49,928,409 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (0084) to previously awarded contract FA4600-06-D-0003 for the F-35 Lightning II program. The contractor will provide the application of materials, manufacturing and testing to increase supportability, survivability, producibility and affordability of the program. They also will develop, implement and enhance the analytical capabilities necessary to evaluate system performance, perform root cause analyses and identify failure modes or other support system deficiencies of components and end items modified through the application of advanced material, manufacturing and testing technology. Work will be performed at Arlington, Va., and Rome, N.Y., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 29, 2016. Fiscal 2014 Navy aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $13,100,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/24/14)

Contract: Sikorsky, $19.1M

Sikorsky Support Services, Inc., Stratford, Conn., is being awarded a $19,144,382 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery requirements contract (N00019-14-D-0003) for organizational, intermediate, depot-level maintenance for T-34 and T-44 aircraft, and organization and intermediate maintenance for T-6 aircraft. In addition, this modification provides for logistics support, including labor, services, facilities, equipment, tools, related support equipment, direct and indirect material to support 36 T-34s, 54 T-44s, 42 T-6As, and 207 T-6B aircraft, based primarily at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas; Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla.; and Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi (50 percent), Whiting Field (39 percent) Pensacola (8 percent) and various sites within the continental United States (3 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2014. Contract funds will not be obligated at time of award. Funding will be obligated upon issuance of task orders. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/24/14)

F-22 sees first combat

The F-22 Raptor has flown its first combat operation, a milestone for the air dominance fighter. An Air Force official confirmed that the Raptor was used over Syria Monday during nighttime operations against the Islamic State and other militant groups as part of a joint force of U.S. and Arabian Gulf region allies. The F-22 fleet is relatively small. While the Pentagon originally planned on a major buy of the Lockheed Martin-built jets, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates pushed to end the plane’s production in the early days of the Obama administration. (Source: Defense News, 09/23/14) Gulf Coast note: F-22 pilots are trained at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

Korea to buy 40 F-35 fighters

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Republic of Korea has decided to buy 40 F-35 fighter aircraft, according to Lockheed Martin. Korea finalized its formal selection of the conventional take off and landing variant, the F-35A, for its F-X fighter acquisition program. It intends to sign the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) between the U.S. and Korean governments with with initial deliveries beginning in 2018, the company said. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 09/24/14) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., trains F-35 pilots and maintainers from all U.S. branches, along with allied personnel.

Contract: Northrop, $78M

Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, San Diego, Calif., has been awarded a $78,066,102 firm-fixed-price delivery order under a basic order agreement for initial Global Hawk Block 40 spare parts. Work will be performed at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Ga., and is expected to be complete by Sept. 24, 2018. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal year 2012 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $78,066,102 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (FA8620-13-G-0001) Gulf Coast note: Central fuselage work on Global Hawks is done in Moss Point, Miss.

A320neo slated for first flight

The first flight on the A320neo jetliner, an updated version of the popular plane, is scheduled for Thursday in France. The maiden flight is slated for 10:30 a.m. local time in Toulouse, depending on weather conditions. Neo is short for new engine option, and is a more fuel-efficient variant of the "ceo" model, or current engine option. Airbus has received more than 3,000 orders for the new model, the first of which will be delivered in 2015. (Source: USA Today, 09/22/14) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building a final assembly line in Mobile, Ala.

More engineers sought

MOBILE, Ala. -- Airbus is seeking additional liaison engineers for the A320 final assembly line being built at the Aeroplex in Mobile. The three new positions posted Monday include liaison systems engineers for cabin systems and power plant and electrical as well as liaison engineers for structure. For a complete list of Airbus jobs, visit the Alabama Industrial Development Training website. (Source: al.com, Airbus, 09/22/14)

Contract: Lockheed, $60M

Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $60,000,000 modification to the previously awarded Lot IX F-35 Lightening II Joint Strike Fighter advance acquisition contract (N00019-14-C-0002) to procure long lead parts, materials and components in support of the procurement of four additional F-35A Air Systems for the government of Japan under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Fort Worth and is expected to be completed in February 2015. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $60,000,000 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/22/114) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Tax to help airport to expire

PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- Walton County officials are letting the sun set on a half-cent tourist development tax levied since 2009 to help recruit and promote low-cost air carriers at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. The tax, part of the county bed tax, will expire at the end of the month, but officials with the Walton County Tourist Development Council say it won’t hurt their capability to market the airport in West Bay, northwest of Panama City. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 09/21/14)

Contract: Textron, $15.2M

Textron Marine & Land Systems, New Orleans, La., was awarded a $15,221,528 firm-fixed-price, foreign military sales contract (Bulgaria) for mobile strike force vehicles, related fielding hardware, and technical services, for the Bulgarian National Military Forces deployed in support of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Work will be performed in New Orleans and Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2015. One bid was solicited, with one received. Fiscal 2014 other procurement funds in the amount of $15,221,528 are being obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-14-C-0239). (Source: DoD, 09/19/14)

Contract: Lockheed, $7M

Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions, King of Prussia, Pa., has been awarded a $7,023,625 cost-plus-fixed-fee for Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) software maintenance. Contractor will provide enhancements to the software package known as the JASSM Enterprise Management System (JEMS) Phase 3B. Work will be performed at King of Prussia, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 14, 2015. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,023,625 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8682-14-C-0264). (Source: 09/19/14)

Contract: Lakeview, $11.9M

Lakeview Center, Inc., Pensacola, Fla., is being awarded $11,945,653 for modification P00009 under previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N68836-13-F-0106) to exercise option year two for the procurement of "Full Food Galley Services" for U.S. Navy galleys at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.; the Explosive Ordnance Disposal School, Pensacola; and Naval Construction Battalion Command, Gulfport, Miss. Work is expected to be completed no later than Sept. 30, 2015. With the exercise of option year two, the total amount of this contract will be $28,234,271. The award was issued to Lakeview Center under the AbilityOne Program supporting the blind and severely disabled. Naval Supply Systems Command, Fleet Logistics Center, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/19/14)

Contract: Lockheed, $24.9M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $24,868,359 modification to the previously awarded F-35 Lightning II Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot VI contract (N00019-11-C-0083). This modification is to realign and increase concurrency funding for post-production concurrency changes to LRIP Lot VI aircraft. Work will be performed in Fort Worth and is expected to be completed in November 2016. Fiscal 2012 aircraft procurement (Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force) funds in the amount of $24,868,359 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/19/14) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is an F-35 training center.

Airbus posts engineering jobs

MOBILE, Ala. -- Airbus posted two new engineering positions Thursday for its A320 final assembly line being built in Mobile. The company is seeking a flight test engineer and ground test engineer, both of which require six to nine months training abroad. For a complete list of Airbus jobs, visit the Alabama Industrial Development Training website. (Source: al.com, 09/18/14)

Contract: Telspan, $10M

Telspan Data, LLC, Concord, Calif., has been awarded a $9,967,063 basic indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for data replay systems (DRS) for the Air Force Test Center. The DRS system is used to configure, compile and replay telemetry captured from various sources during flight testing. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., with an expected completion date of Oct. 6, 2014. This contract was a sole-source acquisition under the authority of justification and approval. Fiscal 2012 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $39,790 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Test Center/PZIE, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity (FA2487-14-D-0120). (Source: DoD, 09/18/14)

Contract: Calculex, $9.8M

Calculex, Inc., Las Cruces, N.M., has been awarded a $9,752,281 basic indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to support existing airborne data recorders (ADR) for the Air Force Test Center. The ADR system is used to capture, record, and relay various inflight telemetry feeds during flight testing. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., with an expected completion date of Jan. 31, 2015. This contract was a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $52,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Test Center/PZIE, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity (FA2487-14-D-0104). (Source: DoD, 09/18/14)

Contract: Northrop, $9.6M

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. Amherst Systems Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., has been awarded a $9,600,000 basic indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (FA2487-14-D0233) and the first delivery order (0001) at $1,011,704, for spares and system engineering support. Work will be performed at Buffalo and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., with an expected completion date of Sept. 15, 2015. This contract was a sole-source. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,011,704 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Test Center/PZIE, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/18/14)

Contract: L-3 Vertex, $12M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded an $11,961,245 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery requirements contract (N00019-12-D-0016) to exercise an option for maintenance, repair, and logistics support for the chief of Naval Air Training Aircraft's intermediate maintenance departments located at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas. Support to be provided includes labor, equipment, tools, services, and direct and indirect material. Work will be performed at Naval Air Station Pensacola (60 percent), and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi (40 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2015. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated against individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/18/14)

Contract: Summit, $10.6M

Summit Construction, Inc., Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., is being awarded a $10,604,051 firm-fixed-price contract to perform an architectural/refrigeration project on the commissary at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Work will be performed in Hawaii with an estimated completion date of February 2016. This was a competitive acquisition, and two offers were received. Fiscal 2014 defense commissary surcharge funds in the amount of $10,604,051 are being obligated at award. The contracting activity is the Defense Commissary Agency, Enterprise Acquisition Division, Construction Design Branch, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas (HDEC03-14-C-0002). (Source: DoD, 09/18/14)

Triton aces cross-country trek

Triton near NAS Paxtuxent River.
Navy photo

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- The MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft arrived at Naval Air Station Patuxent River today after completing its inaugural cross-country flight. The flight marked the transition from initial flight test, which established basic safety of flight, to testing that will demonstrate Triton's capability to perform operational missions in the maritime domain. During the 11-hour, 3,290 nautical mile flight originating from Northrop Grumman's Palmdale, Calif., facility, the Triton flew along the southern U.S. border, the Gulf of Mexico and across Florida via an approved instrument route. Operators navigated the aircraft up the Atlantic Coast and Chesapeake Bay at altitudes in excess of 50,000 feet to ensure there were no conflicts with civilian air traffic. (Source: NNS, 09/18/14) Gulf Coast note: The Triton central fuselage work is done in Moss Point, Miss.

Lufthansa, easyJet order A320s

German aviation group Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Wednesday that it has approved an order to purchase 25 more A320 family aircraft as part of the modernization of its aircraft fleet. The airline will fund the purchase with its cash reserves or through external funding arrangements. The airline's supervisory board approved the purchase of 15 fuel-efficient Airbus A320neo aircraft and 10 Airbus A320ceo aircraft at its meeting earlier in the day. (Source: Airbus, RTT, 09/17/14) In addition, easyJet has placed an order for 27 additional current engine option A320s, taking its combined total order for the type to 315 aircraft. (Source: Airbus, 09/18/14) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala.

Contract: Alion, $24.9M

Alion Science and Technology Corp., Burr Ridge, Ill., has been awarded a $24,926,478 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (0083) on the Advanced Materials, Manufacturing, and Testing Information Analysis Center (AMMTIAC) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, sole-source contract (FA4600-06-D-0003) for technical analysis, logistics and sustainment for Headquarters U. S. Marine Corps. AMMTIAC shall provide research and development expertise in areas such as non-destructive testing, corrosion, thermal-protection systems, rapid prototyping, integration and testing of experimental systems, low-volume production, condition-based maintenance, and real-time system monitoring. The work will be performed at Panama City, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 29, 2016. Defense working capital funds in the amount of $135,450 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Installation Contracting Agency/KD, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/17/14)

ULA, Blue Origin team

Blue Origin is teaming up with United Launch Alliance to develop a rocket engine to replace the Russian-built RD-180, a workhorse that powers the ULA heavy-lift Atlas V rocket. Blue Origin is an often secretive space company run by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. ULA is a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin that has an impressive track record for successful satellite launches. A scale model of the liquid natural gas and liquid oxygen BE-4 engine developed by Blue Origin was unveiled at a Washington news conference on Wednesday. ULA CEO Tory Bruno said a baseline Atlas would work just as well if not better with a pair of 550,000-pound thrust BE-4 engines than with the RD-180. ULA plans to invest in the BE-4 development. The engine could be ready in four years and would cost considerably less than the RD-180. (Sources: multiple, including NBC News, Reuters, Seattle Times, Space.com, 09/17/14) Gulf Coast note: Another ULA rocket, the Delta IV, uses RS-68 engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Blue Origin has tested engine components for its BE-3 engine at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Previous Meanwhile, Aerojet Rocketdyne on Tuesday announced it would open a rocket propulsion development office in Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, Ala., with plans to deliver a new rocket engine to replace the RD-180. The office will be led by Dr. Jerrol Littles in coordination with former acting Marshall Space Flight Center director and Stennis Space Center director Gene Goldman. The company said the new AR 1 rocket it plans to develop will be the first advanced hydrocarbon liquid-fuel rocket engine made by Aerojet Rocketdyne since it was formed by the merger of Aerojet and Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne in 2013. (Source: al.com, 09/17/14) Aerojet Rocketdyne has an operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

AF expanding Global Hawk fleet

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a $354 million contract to expand its RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system fleet by three aircraft. The high-flying Global Hawk operates multiple sensors simultaneously to gather intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data. The newest aircraft will bring the Air Force RQ-4 fleet to 37 aircraft in 2017. All RQ-4 fuselages are built at Northrop Grumman's plant Moss Point, Miss., with final assembly and acceptance testing in Palmdale, Calif. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 09/15/14) The Moss Point plant also does finishing work on Northrop Grumman’s Fire Scout unmanned helicopter.

GDP up along aero corridor

All but one metro area along the greater Gulf Coast aerospace corridor had a larger economy in 2013 than the previous year. According to gross domestic product figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Commerce Department, Alabama's Daphne-Fairhope-Foley MSA had a GDP increase of 6.34 percent between 2012 and 2013, the largest percentage increase among the corridor's metropolitan areas. The next largest increase was the 5.34 percent GDP improvement in Baton Rouge, La. For the other metro areas in the greater aerospace corridor region, Florida's Panama City MSA was up 4.9 percent; Alabama's Mobile MSA was up 4.25 percent; Mississippi's Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula MSA was up 4.22 percent; Dothan, Ala., was up 4.14 percent; Hattiesburg, Miss., improved 2.88 percent; Tallahassee, Fla., rose 2.68 percent; Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, Fla., improved 2.15 percent; and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, Fla., was up 1.14 percent. The New Orleans-Metairie MSA in Louisiana dropped 0.69 percent between 2012 and 2013. (Source: GCAC, 09/17/14) Bureau of Economic Analysis release

Space taxi teams chosen

CST-100 was one of two spacecraft chosen.
Boeing illustration

NASA announced today that it's picked Boeing and SpaceX to transport U.S. crews to and from the International Space Station using the CST-100 and Dragon spacecraft, respectively. The goal is to end in 2017 the nation's reliance on Russia for transportation to the ISS. The contracts include at least one crewed flight test per company with at least one NASA astronaut aboard to verify the fully integrated rocket and spacecraft system can launch, maneuver in orbit, and dock to the space station, as well as validate all its systems perform as expected. Once each company's test program has been completed successfully and its system achieves NASA certification, each contractor will conduct at least two, and as many as six, crewed missions to the space station. Boeing's contract is for $4.2 billion and SpaceX's is for $2.6 billion. The companies will own and operate the crew transportation systems and be able to sell human space transportation services to other customers in addition to NASA, thereby reducing the costs for all customers. (Source: NASA, 09/16/14) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are both involved in NASA and commercial space programs.

Contract: CACI-ISS, $14.8M

CACI-ISS, Inc., Chantilly, Va., was awarded a $14,816,251 modification (P00014) to contract W81K04-13-F-0013, a follow-on requirement for medical logistics non-personal services in support of the Air Force Expeditionary/Contingency Medical Materiel Program performed at Department of Defense and Air Reserve/Guard installations within the continental United States and in the Pacific theater of operations. Work will be performed at Pope Air Force Base, N.C.; Langley Air Force Base, Va.; Hurlburt Field, Fla.; McChord Air Force Base, Wash.; March Air Force Base, Calif.; Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.; McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.; Kelly Consolidated War Reserve Materiel Storage and Deployment Center, San Antonio, Texas; Charleston, S.C.; Fort Detrick, Md.; Scott Air Force Base, Ill.; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; Moody Air Force Base, Ga.; Travis Air Force Base, Calif.; Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.; Andrews Air Force Base, Md.; Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.; MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Alpena, Mich.; Topeka Air National Guard, Kan.; Willow Grove, Pa.; Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.; and Charleston APS, S.C. Army Medical Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/16/14)

Contract: Rehab. Svcs., $6.9M

The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, Madison, Miss., has been awarded a $6,915,012 modification (P00019) to exercise the second option for the firm-fixed-price contract FA3010-13-C-0005 for full food services. Work will be performed at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2017. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance funds will be obligated when funds are made available. This is a multiple-years contract. The 81st Contracting Squadron, Keesler Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/16/14)

GE avoided geared design

General Electric avoided using a geared design for its new engine for narrow-body jetliners because of concerns about weight and reliability, said a top GE executive on Monday. GE is battling with Pratt and Whitney for billions of dollars in engine orders. Pratt developed a geared turbofan that relies on a gearbox and lets the front fan operate at a different speed than the rest of the engine, while on GE's traditionally configured engines the fans run at the same speed. Through CFM International, a joint venture with France's Safran, GE is competing against Pratt for airlines that choose Airbus' new A320neo single-aisle plane. Both engines promise significant fuel savings, and Airbus buyers can choose the PW or CFM engine. CFM's LEAP, among other improvements, uses new materials designed to reduce weight and add durability. (Source: Reuters, 09/15/14) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala.; GE has engine parts plants near Hattiesburg, Miss., and in Auburn, Ala.; the PW F135 engine powers the F-35 based at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Next F-35 engines to cost less

Pratt and Whitney said its contracts with the Pentagon for the next two batches of engines for the F-35 fighter jet will result in combined cost savings of up to 8 percent. The president of Pratt's military engines division told reporters the company had already more than halved the cost of the F135 engine, and the savings from the next two contracts would come on top of that. Pratt and Whitney is a unit of United Technologies. (Source: Reuters, 09/15/14) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is an F-35 training center.

Education partnership announced

MOBILE, Ala. – Airbus Americas and the United Way of Southwest Alabama announced their participation in a new national education partnership. They awarded four grants valued at $12,000 to local schools and programs. Funding went to Gilliard Elementary School's Accelerated Reader Program, Mobile Area Education Foundation's Engaging Youth Through Engineering at Pillans Middle School, B.C. Rain High School's Jubilee BEST Robotics Inc., and a program to expand a free book program. (Source: al.com, 09/15/14)

Airbus to provide training

Mexico airliner VivaAerobus signed a 10-year contract for training with Airbus. Airbus will provide training for maintenance personnel and flight operations engineers, as well as for pilots and cabin crew. Training courses will be held at the Airbus training center in Miami and a new facility in Monterrey, Mexico, that will open in 2016. VivaAerobus has 52 A320 family aircraft on order. (Source: MRO Network, 09/12/14) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala. Previous

Contract: Northrop, $28M

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Rolling Meadows, Ill., has been awarded a $27,988,682 modification (P00078) to previously awarded contract FA8625-12-C-6598 for the Large Aircraft Infrared Counter Measures C-130 Group A Kits and Installations. The contractor will provide the kits and the associated installations to 28 C-130 aircraft (11 AC-130H, 12 MC-130U, and five EC-130J). Work will be performed at Crestview, Fla., and is expected to be completed by April 30, 2017. Fiscal 2014 and 2012 overseas contingency operations funds in the amount of $27,988,682 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/12/14)

Aero corridor states make list

The publication Area Development published its fifth annual Top States for Doing Business survey of site consultants, ranking the states based on their number of mentions by the consultants in three overall categories and 18 subcategories. Three states with a piece of the Gulf Coast aerospace corridor were listed. Alabama was ranked No. 4, Louisiana No. 6 and Mississippi No. 10. (Source: Area Development Online, 09/12/14)

Buildings would be a plus

MOBILE, Ala. -- Baldwin County, to the east of Mobile, has a diverse landscape and shovel-ready Advantage Sites, but it would benefit from large commercial buildings and office space to lure prospects. That's what Lee Lawson, executive director of the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance, said Wednesday at the Coast Economy Outlook, sponsored by the University of South Alabama's Center for Real Estate and Economic Development. Lawson said many companies don't want to build from scratch. He said an aerospace company visited a couple of weeks ago and needed a 50,000 square-foot building. "We're missing out on opportunities every day," he said. (Source: al.com, 09/11/14) Baldwin County is home of a number of aerospace companies, including UTC Aerospace in Foley.

Renovations continue at MOB

MOBILE, Ala. -- Facility improvements and renovations continue at Mobile Regional Airport starting Sept. 15, according to airport officials. The road construction project will be completed in phases and will involve closing all lanes of traffic on the departures side of the terminal. During this time, departure and arrival traffic will operate on the arrivals side of the terminal. The construction also will cause a change in foot traffic between the terminal building and parking lots, as well as a change in traffic flow for general parking access, passenger drop off and pick-up, and rental car drop off and pick-up. (Source: Mobile Airport Authority, 09/12/14)

Show spotlights museum plane

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The Travel Channel program "Mysteries at the Museum" on Friday will have a story about a small plane on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Fla. The two-seat Cessna was used to evacuate a South Vietnamese family of seven during the fall of Saigon in 1975. What makes it noteworthy is the pilot managed to land the single-engine plane on the deck of the carrier USS Midway after the ship's captain ordered the crew to push some helicopters overboard to make room. The museum got the plane soon after the landing. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 09/12/14)

Ex-Im would back Airbus sales

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Export-Import Bank would provide financing for exports of Mobile-built Airbus jetliners, according to Ex-Im Bank President Fred Hochberg. He said Wednesday during the Reuters Aerospace and Defense Summit that export financing could be provided as long as the planes are assembled in the United States and they have sufficient domestic supplier content. The bank, which supports loans for U.S. manufacturers selling products to foreign companies, is the subject of a debate in Congress over whether to renew the bank's authority to operate beyond Sept. 30. Nearly half the bank's financial exposure is for jetliners made by Boeing. But Airbus is building a final assembly line for A320s in Mobile, Ala., and will begin deliveries in 2016. It intends to sell the aircraft to U.S. airlines, but there would be no restriction against U.S. export credit support for foreign airlines buying U.S.-made Airbus planes, Hochberg said. Airbus has said the U.S. supplies more than 40 percent of its aircraft-related purchasing, including engines. (Source: Reuters, 09/10/14) Background column

AF starts newest ad campaign

The Air Force is bringing back its "Aim High" ad slogan after a 15-year hiatus. It launched the "I am an American Airman" recruiting campaign, which consists of three commercials, Sept. 8. One of the commercials, "I knew one day," features current active duty airmen from Northwest Florida's Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, as well as Nevada's Nellis Air Force Base. The three commercials will be broadcast on major cable and prime-time channels, including airing during the NFL season. (Source: Air Force Link, Northwest Florida Daily News, 09/09/14)

Steelcase picked by Airbus

MOBILE, Ala. -- Airbus Americas chose a Grand Rapids., Mich., company with an Alabama presence to furnish and provide space design for its A320 final assembly line being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. Steelcase Inc. will design a variety of individual and team spaces for all of Airbus' assembly line work areas at the FAL, and then manufacture and provide furniture from its other facilities, including one in Athens, Ala. Financial terms were not disclosed. The $600 million plant will open next year and produce its first A320 in 2016. It will eventually have 1,000 workers. (Source: al.com, 09/10/14)

Pensacola, VT MAE sign lease

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The city of Pensacola signed a lease today with VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering to establish a 300-employee maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Pensacola International Airport. The city council approved the lease at a special meeting before the signing ceremony. "This partnership aligns well with our regional goals to create a robust aerospace cluster and will help create greater business and job opportunities for the citizens of Pensacola and Escambia County," said Mayor Ashton Hayward. The city will build an aircraft hangar complex on 18.66 acres and lease it to VT MAE for 30 years. The complex will be big enough for two wide-body aircraft and is expected to be ready for operations in mid-2016. VT MAE, a subsidiary of Singapore's ST Engineering, was previously known as ST Mobile Aerospace. It has a 1,000-employee MRO, nine hangar complex at Alabama's Mobile Aeroplex Brookley, which is also the home of several other aerospace companies. The Aeroplex is where Airbus Americas is building a $600 million A320 final assembly line that will open next year. (Source: GCAC, 09/09/14) Previous: PNS getting ST Aerospace; ST Aerospace decision close

Company gets fast-track training

DOTHAN, Ala. -- A new fast-track to work program was announced Monday for Commercial Jet. The program is called CJET Academy. It partners Dothan's Commercial Jet, at Dothan Regional Airport, with Alabama Industrial Development Training, the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce and others in a free eight-week training course for jobs at Commercial Jet. John Schildroth, vice president and general manager of Commercial Jet's Dothan operations, said the program arose out of a need for workers, now. The training will be taught by AIDT and Commercial Jet personnel. It will be targeted to aircraft structure and sheet metal work, the jobs needed immediately at Commercial Jet. It will cost about $2,500 to $3,000 per student and will be paid for through state and private funds. Classes are set to begin Oct. 22. They will be taught on campus at Commercial Jet, most likely in the AIDT mobile training rooms. (Source: Dothan Eagle, 09/08/14)

Institute has ribbon cutting

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – The Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., held a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday at the Doolittle Institute, an organization in the works for several years that brings together military, business and academic experts to collaborate on munitions and weapons research. Doolittle Institute, named after the aviation pioneer who helped develop instrument flying and led the Doolittle Raiders bombing mission over Tokyo during World War II, is located at Uptown Station on Eglin Parkway. (Sources: GCAC, Northwest Florida Daily News, 09/09/14)

NASA picks STTR projects

NASA picked 23 proposals from small business and research institution teams to continue the development of innovative technologies that will support future agency missions and may prove viable as commercial products and services. The Phase II selectees in NASA's Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program are permitted to enter negotiations for possible contract awards, worth a combined total of approximately $17.2 million. Two proposals involve technology being administered by the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. Both projects focus on innovative means to harvest energy from various forms of "waste" energy and convert it into a different new usable form of energy. A third proposal originated with Stennis Space Center but now is being administered by Kennedy Space Center, Fla. But SSC will still benefit from its development of ultra-high temperature refractory materials that can be used on test stand flame trenches and other components. (Source: NASA, 09/08/14)

Bolden to visit region

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will be in New Orleans and South Mississippi for two events next week related to NASA's Space Launch System program. He'll be at Michoud Assembly Facility Sept. 12 for a ribbon cutting for the newly finished Vertical Assembly Center, or VAC. The 170-foot-high marvel will be used to join domes, rings and barrels segments to complete the SLS fuel tanks. The tool also will be used to perform evaluations of the completed welds. Towering more than 200 feet tall, with a diameter of 27.6 feet, the core stage is being built by prime contractor Boeing. It will store cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to feed the launch vehicle's RS-25 engines. Bolden will then go to NASA's Stennis Space Center, some 40 miles away in South Mississipp, to talk to the media at the base of the historic B-2 Test Stand. That stand was used to test the S-1C stage on the Saturn V moon rocket and the Main Propulsion Test Article, the configuration of three main engines flown on space shuttle missions. The stand will next be used to test the core stage of SLS and its configuration of four RS-25 engines. SLS will be used by NASA to send humans deeper into space than ever before. (Source: NASA, 09/05/14)

Contract: Lockheed, $42.9M

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., has been awarded a $42,880,040 modification (P00003) to previously awarded contract FA8810-13-C-0001 for dual band telemetry, tracking and communications capability for the Space-Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbiting 5-6 space vehicles. Contractor will redesign the interfacing, software, power, thermal, and structures to accommodate the new dual band capable transponder box and cabling. This effort also adds a Unified S-Band uplink frequency and modulation scheme to the existing Space to Ground Link System L-Band uplink capability. Work will be performed at Sunnyvale and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2021. Space and Missile System Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/05/14) Gulf Coast note: Work on the core propulsion system for the SBIRS is done by Lockheed Martin at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Company expands air service

DESTIN, Fla. -- Southern Airways Express plans to shift its service at Destin Airport from seasonal to year-round. This fall, Southern Airways Express will provide daily service from Destin to Memphis, Tenn., Atlanta and Jackson, Miss., and weekend service to Oxford, Miss. The Memphis, Tenn.-based airline launched its first flight in June 2013 and has been growing, recently adding the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Atlanta to its list of destinations. The company operates a fleet of three, 10-seat Cessna Caravans. (Source: News Herald, 09/04/14)

Boeing, Airbus both top 1,000 orders

Airbus and Boeing both topped 1,000 new jet orders in the first eight months of the year, but Boeing is far ahead after adjusting for cancellations. Boeing also has delivered more planes this year. The planemaking subsidiary of Airbus Group sold 21 aircraft in August, a traditionally quiet month following the Farnborough Airshow in July, bringing its total gross orders for the year to 1,001 aircraft. Boeing Co. booked 107 orders in the same month, bringing total gross orders for the year to 1,004. Adjusting for cancellations, Airbus reported 722 net orders between January and August compared to 941 net orders for Boeing from Jan. 1 to Sept. 2 after accounting for 63 cancellations. (Source: Reuters, 09/04/14) Gulf Coast note: Both companies have operations in the I-10 aerospace region, including an Airbus A320 final assembly line being built in Mobile, Ala.

Contract: Integrated Solutions, $10M

Integrated Solutions for Systems Inc., Huntsville, Ala., has been awarded a $10,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for enhanced lethality ordnance and modeling. Contractor will provide research and development in three research weapons core competencies: weapon effectiveness, damage mechanisms and energetic materials. Work will be performed at Huntsville and is expected to be completed by Sept. 3, 2019. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with 48 offers received. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the combined amount of $348,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8651-14-D-0094). (Source: DoD, 09/04/14)

Three I-10 utilities singled out

Three utilities that serve the I-10 aerospace region were chosen by Site Selection magazine as being among the top 10 economic development teams. Alabama Power of Birmingham, Ala., Entergy of New Orleans, and Gulf Power of Pensacola, Fla., were singled out for, among other things, job creation, innovative programs and business incentives. Alabama Power serves 1.4 million customers across the southern two-thirds of Alabama. It helped create 1,810 new jobs in 2013. Entergy was singled out for 9,221 new jobs and more than $20.7 billion in corporate facility investment for 2013. Gulf Power serves 10 counties across Northwest Florida and helped companies create 3,436 jobs last year with total facility investments of $386 million. (Source: GCAC, 09/04/14) Magazine story.

China seen leading Asian deliveries

Boeing, China's leading provider of jetliners, projects a demand in the country for 6,020 new airplanes over the next 20 years, valued at $870 billion. The company released its annual China Current Market Outlook today which shows Chinese carriers will take delivery of nearly 45 percent of the total demand for airplanes in the Asia Pacific region during the forecast period. Tourism in China and intra-Asia travel support a strong demand for single-aisle airplanes, with total deliveries reaching 4,340 through 2033, the report said. (Source: Boeing via PRNewswire, 09/04/14) Gulf Coast note: Boeing rival, Airbus, is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala.; Boeing has operations in several locations in the Gulf Coast.

High energy laser tested at Eglin

HEL MD works through wind, fog.
Boeing photo

Boeing and the U.S. Army have proven the capabilities of the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) in maritime conditions, successfully targeting a variety of aerial targets at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. In these recent demonstrations, HEL MD used a 10-kilowatt, high energy laser installed on an Oshkosh tactical military vehicle. The demonstrator is the first mobile, high-energy laser, counter rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) platform to be built and demonstrated by the Army. Throughout two series of demonstrations at Eglin and White Sands Missile Range, N.M., HEL MD engaged more than 150 aerial targets including 60 mm mortars and unmanned aerial vehicles. The next step will be to install a 50 or 60-kilowatt laser on HEL MD to demonstrate counter RAM and UAV capability at this tactically significant power level. (Source: Boeing, 09/04/14)

Training center to open in 2015

FAIRHOPE, Ala. -- Nearly a year after the groundbreaking, the Baldwin County school system's $2.7 million aviation training facility is still under construction at the H.L. "Sonny" Callahan Airport in Fairhope. Masonry work has taken longer than anticipated, said school system spokesman Terry Wilhite. If there are no weather delays, the building should be completed by the end of December. Students will begin classes at the site in January, according to Wilhite. (Source: al.com, 09/03/14)

Sections for 200th plane reach FAL

The Airbus assembly line in China's Tianjin has received parts for the 200th A320 family aircraft, which will be delivered to China Eastern Airlines in December, Airbus said. Sections including the forward and aft fuselage, horizontal and vertical tail, main landing gear doors, inner flaps and engine pylons reached the final assembly line on Tuesday. Those parts and components were produced at different Airbus sites in Europe and carried by a commercial cargo vessel from Hamburg to Tianjin, Airbus said. The wings for the jetliners assembled in Tianjin are produced in Tianjin by Xi'an Aircraft Industry (Group) Co., while the engines will arrive at a later date directly from the engine supplier. (Source: Xinhau via Global Post, 09/02/14) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is also building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., that will open in 2015.

Airbus posts more jobs

MOBILE, Ala. -- Airbus posted three new positions Tuesday morning for its A320 final assembly line being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. The company is seeking power plant systems coordinator, engine quality inspector and paint quality inspector. (Source: al.com, 09/02/14) The $600 million plant will open next year and produce its first plane in 2016. It expects to have 1,000 workers when it reaches full production.

RR tests fan system at SSC

The Rolls-Royce composite carbon/titanium (CTi) fan system for the Advance and UltraFan engine designs has completed its most recent phase of testing at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The fan system underwent crosswind testing on a Trent 1000 Advanced Low Pressure System technology engine, ahead of flight testing on the 747 flying test bed based in Tucson, Ariz. The CTi fan system includes carbon/titanium fan blades and a composite casing that reduce weight by up to 1,500 pounds per aircraft. Opened in 2007 and expanded in 2013 to include a second test stand, the 50-employee Rolls-Royce Outdoor Jet Engine Testing Facility at SSC is one of three Rolls-Royce test sites in the world. It conducts specialist development engine testing including noise, crosswind, thrust reverse, cyclic and endurance testing on all current Rolls-Royce large engine types. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 09/01/14) Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi is NASA's rocket engine test center.