F-35 tested in extreme weather lab

F-35 at McKinley Lab. Air Force photo

For the past four months a Marine Corps short take off vertical landing variant of the F-35 has undergone extreme weather testing at McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The F-35B is from the Patuxent River Integrated Test Force in Maryland, and the tests are being done by the 96th Test Wing. The testing is designed to validate the capability of the plane to operate in weather conditions anywhere in the world. With 13 countries currently involved with the program, the F-35 must be tested in meteorological conditions representative of those locations from which it will operate, ranging from the heat of the Outback of Australia to the cold of the Arctic Circle above Canada and Norway. The F-35B arrived at Eglin in September and is expected to remain at there until March in a six-month assessment. The laboratory supports all-weather testing of weapon systems to ensure they function regardless of climatic conditions.  (Sources: Multiple, including The Aviationist, Intelligent Aerospace, NAS Patuxent River, 01/29/15, Eglin Air Force Base, 02/02/15)

Contract: Lockheed, $10M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $10,000,000 ceiling priced modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-02-C-3002) to redesign, test and certify the F-35 Ground Based Data Security Assembly Receptacle. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (51 percent) and Orlando, Fla. (49 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2016. Fiscal 2015 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $4,900,000 will be obligated at time of 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, 01/30/15) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

SEALS use NOLF Choctaw

Naval Air Station Whiting Field's Navy Outlying Field Choctaw host­ed a short-notice Naval Special Warfare Group training exercise Jan. 23 when weather conditions left the East Coast SEAL team without a drop zone. After coordination with the NAS Whiting Field Air Opera­tions, NOLF Choctaw, used primarily for naval aviation training, was transformed for four multiple air drops from a Dobbins, Ga., Air Reserve Base C-130 that circled the field at about 10,000 feet. Choctaw air ops were halted for the four-hour training. NOLF Choctaw is near Navarre, Fla., one of 13 outlying fields assigned to Whiting. (Source: Whiting Tower, page 7, 01/28/15)

Airport now intergalactic, sort of

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Pensacola International Airport on Thursday unveiled a campaign designed to welcome sci-fi convention participants to town next month. The airport has put up signs that call the facility "Pensacola Intergalactic Airport" in advance of the Feb. 27 to March 1 Pensacon 2015. The welcoming campaign, which will last until March 3, was done in partnership with Pensacon. There are also banners with pop culture icons and gates that have been renamed "stargates." The convention includes fans of multiple comic genres, including anime, sci-fi, fantasy and more. It's the second year for the convention, which drew 17,000 last year. (Source: GCAC, 01/29/15)

Contract: L-3, $52M

L-3 Communications Corp., Madison, Miss., was awarded a $52,081,320 modification (P00144) to contract W58RGZ-10-C-0107 to acquire maintenance/modifications for the Army's fleet of C-12/RC-12/UC-35 fixed wing aircraft. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $52,081,320 were obligated at the time of the award. The estimated completion date is July 31, 2015. The work will be performed in Madison. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/29/15)

Contract: Multiple, $486M

InDyne Inc., Reston, Va. (FA8730-15-D-0001), L-3 National Security Solutions Inc., Reston, (FA8730-15-D-0002), Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Va. (FA8730-15-D-0003), and Xator Corp., Destin, Fla. (FA8730-15-D-0005), have each been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for force protection site security systems. The total not-to-exceed combined amount for these multiple contracts is $486,000,000. The contractors will worldwide acquisition, upgrade and sustainment of a family of Integrated Base Defense Security Systems. The location of performance will be determined in each delivery and all are expected to be complete by Jan. 28, 2022. Fiscal year 2015 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $5,000 are being obligated to each company at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/29/15)

Contract: Lockheed, $10.6M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $10,581,620 modification to the previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-11-C-0083) in support of the F-35 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot VI for the government of Italy. This modification provides for the F-35 Italian National Database, including a Database Generation System to support delivery of the first Italian full mission simulator. Work will be performed in Turin, Italy (80 percent) and Orlando, Fla. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2017. International Partner funds in the amount of $10,581,620 will be obligated at time of 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, 01/29/15) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Thunderbirds to fly at Keesler show

BILOXI, Miss. -- The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will perform at an air show at Keesler Air Force Base March 28-29. It will be Keesler's first air show and open house in four years. The Thunderbirds last performed their precision aerial maneuvers at Keesler in 2009, and the Navy's Blue Angels performed at Keesler in 2011. This year's air show also features the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team and is expected to draw between 180,000 and 200,000 spectators. (Source: Sun Herald, 01/28/15)

Contract: Crane, $9.8M

Crane Electronics Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., has been awarded a maximum $9,766,566 firm-fixed-price contract for high voltage power supplies. This contract was a sole-source acquisition. This contract has a five-year base with no option periods. The location of performance is Florida, with a Jan. 28, 2020 performance completion date. The using military service is Air Force. The type of appropriation is fiscal year 2015 Air Force working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Warner Robbins Air Force Base, Warner Robbins, Ga. (SPRWA1-15-D-0001). (Source: DoD, 01/28/15)

Contract: Airbus, $25M

Airbus Defense and Space Inc., Herndon, Va., was awarded a $24,989,250 modification (P00876) to contract W58RGZ-06-C-0194 to procure program year 10 contractor logistic support for the UH-72A Lakota Helicopters. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $24,989,250 were obligated at the time of the award. The estimated completion date is Sept. 30, 2015. The work will be performed in Columbus, Miss. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/28/15)

Orbital, ATK merger OKd

DULLES, Va.--Orbital Sciences Corp. today announced stockholders voted to approve the proposed merger with the Aerospace and Defense Groups of Alliant Techsystems Inc. About 99 percent of the votes cast at a special meeting voted in favor, representing some 85 percent of the total of outstanding shares of Orbital common stock. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining conditions to closing, the merger is expected to close on Monday, February 9, 2015. At closing of the merger, ATK will be renamed Orbital ATK Inc. (Source: Business Wire, 01/27/15) Gulf Coast note: Orbital Sciences tests rocket engines at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Previous

Contract: PAE, $31M

PAE Applied Technologies LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $31,044,959 modification (P00063) to exercise the option to previously awarded contract FA3010-13-C-0007 for base operations support services. Work will be performed at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and is expected to be complete by Jan. 31, 2015. The 81st Contracting Squadron, Keesler Air Force Base, is the contracting activity (FA3010-13-C-0007). (Source: DoD, 01/26/15)

First Aussie to begin F-35 training

The first Royal Australian Air Force pilot will start training this week at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to fly the F-35A. Squadron leader Andrew Jackson's first flight will be months from now, and may not be in either of Australia's two F-35A jets. Australia's second F-35A pilot, David Bell, will start training in mid-2015. Jackson will eventually serve as an instructor pilot for Australian F-35 pilots and other partner-nations. Australia plans to buy 72 of the planes, with the first arriving in Australia in late 2018. The first jet rolled off the production line in 2014. (Source: Australian Associated Press via The Guardian, 01/24/15) Eglin is home of the F-35 integrated training center, and trains pilots and maintainers from all U.S. branches and foreign partner nations.

More Airbus jobs posted

MOBILE, Ala. – Airbus posted two positions Friday for the A320 final assembly line being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. One opening is for a deliver transactions manager, and the other is for a sales contract manager. For a complete list of Airbus jobs in Mobile, visit the Alabama Industrial Development Training website. (Source: al.com, 01/23/15)

Marines get first F-35C

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - The first F-35C for the U.S. Marine Corps arrived on the flight line earlier this month from the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas, to begin training in support of carrier-based operations. Lt. Col. J.T. "Tank" Ryan, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501 detachment commander and F-35 pilot, delivered the new F-35C to Strike Fighter Squadron 101, the Navy's only F-35 fleet replacement squadron. This aircraft is the first of five Marine Corps F-35Cs that will be delivered to VFA-101 at Eglin. Marine F-35 pilots primarily fly F-35Bs, the short take-off vertical landing variant. The F-35C is the carrier variant, designed to catapult from a carrier. It has a longer range and a larger weapons bay. The first operational Marine Corps F-35C fleet squadron, VMFA-115, is scheduled to stand up at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., in 2019. (Source: 33rd Fighter Wing via DVIDS, 01/23/15)

Contract: L-3, $15.6M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $15,634,434 modification (P00001) to contract W912NW-15-F-0002 for a six month extension of the current bridge contract at Corpus Christi Army Depot, Corpus Christi, Texas, to provide highly specialized aircraft production indirect labor services augmenting the civilian workforce. Fiscal 2015 other procurement funds in the amount of $15,634,434 were obligated at the time of the award. The estimated completion date is July 28, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Corpus Christi Army Depot, Corpus Christi, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/23/15)

Union rates released

The percent of wage and salary workers who were members of unions in 2014 was 11.1 percent, down 0.2 percent from 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The number of union members, 14.6 million, was little different from 2013. But the drop from 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available, was significant. In that year the union membership rate was 20.1 percent, and there were 17.7 million union workers. In the four states that are part of the I-10 aerospace corridor, the rate went up slightly in three of the four and remained the same in the other. Mississippi had the lowest union membership with a rate of 3.7 percent, same as in 2013. Louisiana had a union membership rate of 5.2 percent in 2014, up from 4.3 in 2013, and Florida had a union membership rate of 5.7 percent, up from 5.4 in 2013. Alabama's union membership rate was 10.8 percent in 2014, up from 10.7 in 2013. (Source: GCAC, 01/23/15)

Bases to host three solar farms

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Gulf Power is partnering with the Air Force and Navy at three military bases in Northwest Florida to build large-scale solar energy farms. Tentative plans call for the farms to be located at Eglin Air Force Base near Fort Walton Beach (30 megawatts), Holley Outlying Field in Navarre (40 megawatts) and Saufley Field in Pensacola (50 megawatts). As an intermittent engery resource, the solar farms will not replace Gulf Power's generation plants, but will be able to provde energy that will diversify the power supply and provide a cost-effective alternative during peak energy usage. If approved by the Florida Public Service Commission, HelioSage Energy of Virginia would begin construction in February 2016 and the solar farms could be in service by December 2016. (Source: Gulf Power, 01/22/15) According to Eglin officials, the base has entered into negotiations to lease 240 acres adjacent to Northwest Florida Regional Airport for the Gulf Power/HelioSage project.

Contract: L-3, $16.4M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $16,445,946 modification (P00001) to contract W912NW-15-F-0001 for a six month extension of the current bridge contract at Corpus Christi Army Depot to provide highly specialized aircraft production direct labor services, which augment the CCAD civilian workforce. Fiscal 2015 other procurement funds in the amount of $16,445,946 were obligated at the time of the award. The estimated completion date is July 28, 2015. Work will be performed at the Corpus Christi Army Depot, Corpus Christi, Texas. Army Contracting Command, Corpus Christi Army Depot, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/22/15)

Praxair gets SSC-related contract

DANBURY, Conn. -- Praxair Inc. has been awarded a NASA a contract valued at $53 million over five years for acquisition of liquid hydrogen. Praxair's hydrogen supply network will provide liquid hydrogen to Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; Marshall Space Flight Center, Ala.; and Glenn Research Center, Ohio. NASA uses liquid hydrogen as fuel for rocket engine development, testing and the launching of spacecraft. NASA also awarded Praxair a five-year liquid oxygen supply agreement for Kennedy. Previously, the Department of Defense awarded Praxair a five-year liquid hydrogen supply agreement for missions launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. (Source: Business Wire, 01/22/15)

Japan to host Marine F-35Bs

The U.S. Marine Corps is moving forward with plans to base its fleet of F-35B's in Japan and the United States. In 2017, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, the "Green Knights," will permanently relocate from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. Marine F-35 squadrons will also routinely deploy to Japan on six month rotations as part of the service's unit deployment program. F-35Bs at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where pilots and maintainers are trained, will be included in the rotation. (Source: Marine Corps Times, 01/21/15) Previous related

Airport name change delayed

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- Okaloosa County commissioners voted Tuesday to rename Destin Airport by adding “Executive” to the middle of its name. But they delayed changing the name of Northwest Florida Regional Airport to Destin-Ft. Walton Beach International Airport. The commission decided to delay any decision on the larger, commercial airport because two commissioners wanted more time and there was also a technical issue with the documents. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 01/20/15) Previous

Contract: Lockheed, $37.6M

Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems Inc., Bethesda, Md., was awarded a $37,556,621 modification (P00008) to contract W912DY-14-F-0423 to exercise the first option for the Next Generation Technical Services (NGTS) III requirement. The scope of this effort contains the management and technical support necessary to advance high performance computing services, capabilities, infrastructure and technologies. It includes the development of new techniques, analytical methods and computational approaches to solve particular high performance computing problems or to generally advance the state of the art in high performance computing effectiveness and efficiency. Fiscal 2014 and 2015 research, development, testing and evaluation, other procurement (Army) and operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $20,400,771 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is May 19, 2015. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Vicksburg, Miss.; and Lorton, Va. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/21/15)

IHMC expansion moves ahead

Artists drawing of new IHMC building

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition is back on track with an expansion of its research facility following a nearly year-long delay caused by flooding in April 2014. Completion is scheduled for February 2016. The three-story, 30,000-square-foot building will consolidate work done at several buildings, increase IHMC's footprint and allow for future growth. The building facade will be reminiscent of the historic old brick warehouses that dominate the area. IHMC is a research institute investigating a broad range of topics related to building technological systems aimed at amplifying and extending human cognitive, perceptual, and physical capacities. Some of its work is in the field of aerospace. (Source: IHMC, 01/20/15)

MUOS has successful launch

The third Navy Mobile User Objective System satellite launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Tuesday night atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V. The MUOS satellite is designed to improve secure satellite communications for mobile U.S. forces. Five of the Lockheed Martin MUOS satellites will eventually be launched to form the constellation. Two MUOS satellites launched in 2012 and 2013 are already providing communications capability from their orbits 22,000 miles above Earth. Ultimately, the constellation and network will extend narrowband communications availability past 2025. Work on the core propulsion system for the A2100 satellite-based spacecraft is done by Lockheed Martin at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: GCAC, 01/20/15) Previous

Milton lands Aerosync

MILTON, Fla. – Aerosync Support, which specializes in helicopter repair, modifications and upgrades, will set up shop at the Santa Rosa Industrial Park. The company, which will employ 25 workers, bought the former West Coat Metal Roofing building and is making a capital investment in excess of $1.75 million. Aerosync qualified for a performance-based incentive program aimed at increasing high-skilled, high-wage jobs in Florida. Aerosync provides support for Bell and Sikorsky helicopters for both the commercial and military markets. Greg Bartlett, president of Aerosync, said the company decided on Santa Rosa County because of the large aerospace market, and the Santa Rosa Industrial Park offers the opportunity for expansion. The company also has operations in Wichita, Kan., and Bogota, Colombia. (Source: GCAC, 01/20/15)

Airport name change weighed

Okaloosa County Airports Director Sunil Harman will ask commissioners on Tuesday to change the name of Northwest Florida Regional Airport to the Destin-Ft. Walton Beach International Airport. The proposal also calls for renaming the Destin Airport the Destin Executive Airport. Officials began considering the changes after a study showed that passengers saw the Northwest Florida Regional name as too vague, generic and wordy. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 01/19/15)

Silver to serve PNS, ECP

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Silver Airways announced today that it will serve both Pensacola and Panama City in Northwest Florida beginning March 19. Silver Airways is launching nonstop service between Pensacola International Airport (PNS) and Jacksonville. On the same date it's also launching daily flights between Panama City's Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) and Orlando and Tampa. Silver Airways uses 34-seat Saab 340B Plus turbo-prop aircraft for all its flights. (Sources: Silver Airways ECP, Silver Airways PNS, 01/19/15)

UTC splits propulsion, aero systems

United Technologies Corp. on Thursday said it will eliminate UTC Propulsion and Aerospace Systems and create two stand-alone business units: engine-maker Pratt and Whitney and UTC Aerospace Systems. Alain Bellemare, president and chief executive officer of UTC Propulsion and Aerospace Systems, elected to leave the company at the end of the month but continue serving as a consultant. The company said creation of the two stand-alone business units is the result of Bellemare's decision along with the successful integration of Goodrich Corp., purchased in 2012. UT Aerospace Systems has 160 locations in 26 countries, including Foley, Ala., and has nearly 42,000 employees. UTC is based in Hartford, Conn.  (Sources: multiple, including UTC, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, 01/15/15) Gulf Coast note: The UTC Foley aerostructures unit designs, builds and supports nacelle systems for both civilian and military aircraft and operates the Alabama Service Center, a maintenance, repair and overhaul site dedicated to nacelle components.

Contract: L-3, $60.3M

L-3 Communications Corp., Madison, Miss., was awarded a $60,320,578 modification (P00143) to contract W58RGZ-10-C-0107 to support maintenance for the Army's fleet of C-12/RC-12/UC-35 fixed wing aircraft. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $60,320,578 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is July 31, 2015. Work will be performed in Madison. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/15/15)

Air Europa selects Trent 1000

Spanish carrier Air Europa has selected Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines and long term service support, worth $1.1 billion, for 14 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Air Europa already has eight Trent 1000-powered 787-8s on order that will enter service in 2016. Rolls-Royce powered the very first Boeing 787 test flight in December 2009, the first 787-8 to enter service in October 2011, and the first 787-9 to enter service last year. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 01/15/15) Gulf Coast note: Rolls-Royce Trent engines are tested at the company's outdoor test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Airbus to juggle jetliner production

Airbus moved closer towards raising production of its best-selling A320 on Tuesday, declaring the supply chain stable and hinting at a decision to produce more of the A320 in coming months. But it also conceded it may have to reduce production of its wide-body A330 further than previously anticipated, amid waning demand for the jet that faces competition from Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Airbus builds 42 A320-family jets a month and is targeting 46 a month. Boeing has set plans for 52 a month and industry sources say it has started sounding out suppliers on whether they could support as many as 58. Airbus produces 10 A330s a month and plans to trim this to nine. Analysts believe it could have to cut to as few as six a month. (Source: Reuters, 01/13/15) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., that will open in the fall of this year.

Swoop resigns Florida post

Florida's top jobs recruiter is stepping down from his post at the end of next month. Gray Swoope, the state's secretary of commerce and head of Enterprise Florida, served during the entire first term of Gov. Rick Scott. The 53-year-old Swoope, who came to Florida after serving as Mississippi's economic development chief, said he plans to remain in Florida but did not say what he plans to do next. (Sources: multiple, including release from Enterprise Florida, AP via Orlando Sentinel, Tampa Bay Business Journal, 01/14/15)

Contract: HX5, $3M (corrected)

HX5 LLC, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., has been awarded a $3,074,596 (corrected by DoD 01/16/15) cost-reimbursement incentive contract for advisory and assistance services. The contractor will provide combat rescue helicopter program support. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 29, 2020. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition via the General Services Administration's One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) utilizing the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business segment with five offers received. Fiscal year 2015 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,500,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, is the contracting activity (FA8622-15-F-8105). (Source: DoD, 01/14/15)

China firms up order

China Aircraft Leasing Co. (CALC) firmed up its contract in December 2014 with Airbus for 100 A320 family aircraft. The order comprises 74 A320neo, 16 A320ceo and 10 A321ceo. Including this new order, CALC’s total backlog with Airbus stands at 140 A320 family aircraft. (Source: Airbus, 01/12/15) Gulf Coast note: The Airbus A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., will open in the fall of this year.

Two Airbus jobs listed

MOBILE, Ala. – Airbus posted notices Monday for a final assembly line planner and delivery planner for its new A320 final assembly line being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. Both require at least nine months' training abroad, and both require at least an associate's degree with a bachelor's degree preferred and at least two years' experience, preferably with an international aviation company as an aviation planner/scheduler. For a complete list of Airbus jobs in Mobile, visit the Alabama Industrial Development Training website. (Source: al.com, 01/12/15)

Contract: Lockheed, $7M

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded $7,085,000 for modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order 5500 issued against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-14-G-0020). This modification authorizes two additional Engineering Change Proposals for air vehicle retrofit modifications to be incorporated into designated F-35 aircraft, and includes retrofit modification kits, installation, and labor. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (45 percent); Ogden, Utah (20 percent); Cherry Point, N.C. (20 percent); Yuma, Ariz. (5 percent); Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (5 percent); and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2018. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/12/15)

Contract: Multiple, $2.5B

Eaton Corp., Raleigh, N.C. (W912DY-15-D-0003); Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc., Columbia, Md. (W912DY-15-D-0004); Schneider Electric Buildings Americas Inc., Carrollton, Texas (W912DY-15-D-0005); Siemens Government Technologies Inc., Arlington, Va. (W912DY-15-D-0006); Secure Mission Solutions LLC, Fairfax, Va. (W912DY-15-D-0007); Williams Electric Company Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (W912DY-15-D-0008); EPC Service Inc., Waipahu, Hawaii (W912DY-15-D-0009); Infotec Systems Corp., Summerville, S.C. (W912DY-15-D-0010); SEI Group Inc., Huntsville, Ala. (W912DY-15-D-0011); Spectrum Solutions Inc., Madison, Ala. (W912DY-15-D-0012) have all been added as awardees to previously announced (Aug. 25, 2014) $2,500,000,000, multiple-award, firm-fixed-price contract capacity for services necessary to perform the procurement and installation of utility monitoring and control systems, and similar services such as heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems, building automation systems, supervisory control and data acquisition systems and other automated control systems and electronic security systems and/or force protection measures worldwide. Funding and work location will be determined with each order with an estimated completion date of Jan. 11, 2020. Bids were solicited via the Internet with fourteen received. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/12/15)

RS-25 has successful test

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The engine that will power America's next great rocket to deep space had its first successful test Friday at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss. The RS-25, formerly the space shuttle main engine, fired up for 500 seconds on the A-1 test stand, providing NASA engineers critical data on the engine controller unit and inlet pressure conditions. This is the first hot fire of an RS-25 engine since the end of space shuttle main engine testing in 2009. Four RS-25 engines will power Space Launch System that will lift the Orion space capsule on future missions. (Source: PRNewswire, NASASpaceflight, 01/09/15) Previous related

SpaceX launch successful

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – SpaceX had a successful launch of its Falcon 9 rocket this morning, but a planned attempt to vertically land the booster on a barge failed. The Dragon capsule is bringing 5,000 pounds of supplies to the International Space Station and its six astronauts. The company’s founder, Elon Musk, said the 14-story tall first stage of the rocket made it to the platform floating east of Jacksonville, Fla., but the booster came down too hard and broke apart. The company is trying the soft landing so the rocket can be re-used. (Sources: multiple, including AP via Yahoo News, CBSNews, NBCNews, National Geographic, 01/10/14) Gulf Coast note: SpaceX plans to test its newest rocket engine at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Previous

Airbus posts opening

MOBILE, Ala. – Airbus posted its first available position of 2015 for its A320 final assembly line being built at the Mobile Aeroplex. It’s for a quality services technician, responsible for implementing and monitoring quality management processes and procedures. For a complete list of Airbus jobs in Mobile, visit the Alabama Industrial Development Training website. (Source: al.com, 01/09/15)

Turkey to order four more F-35s

Turkey plans to buy four more F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from the United States, in addition to the two it had already ordered, according to the country’s defense ministry. Turkey has long planned to purchase 100 jets to replace its F-4 and F-16 fleet, but increasing costs hampered the acquisitions. (Source: AFP via SpaceDaily, 01/08/15) Turkey is one of the nine partner nations that helped fund development of the Lockheed Martin F-35. Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Tyndall exercise to last several days

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 325th Fighter Wing early this morning initiated a wing-wide deployment exercise that will continue for several days. Designed to test the wing's ability to deliver combat air power, the exercise will evaluate the wing’s ability to prepare personnel, aircraft and support equipment for a simulated departure. Stage two of the exercise will measures the wing's ability to receive and operate the equipment and aircraft prepared during the deployment phase. The wing typically exercises a variety of situations six times a year ranging from hurricane preparations to emergency responses. (Source: 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, 01/09/15) The 325th Fighter Wing's primary mission is to train and project combat power for F-22 Raptor pilots and maintenance personnel. Tyndall is near Panama City in Northwest Florida.

Two sites certified

Two industrial parks in Santa Rosa County, Fla., have been added to Gulf Power's "Florida First Sites" program. Northwest Florida Industrial Park at Interstate 10 and Santa Rosa County Industrial Park both were certified. Certification in the program means the sites have proper zoning, service to utilities and meet other qualifications that make them ready for development. Both sites are targeting aerospace along with other types of businesses. Another site, VentureCrossing in Bay County, Fla., was the first industrial site to complete the Gulf Power program. (Sources: Florida First Sites, Pensacola News Journal, Santa Rosa's Press Gazette, 01/06/15)

Orcutt picked for brigadier general

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced today that the president has nominated Air Force Col. Daniel J. Orcutt of Hurlburt Field, Fla., for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Orcutt is currently serving as commander, 505th Command and Control Wing, Air Combat Command at Hurlburt. Orcutt's nomination was among 31 Air Force general officer promotions announced today. (Source: DoD, 01/08/15) Hurlburt Field is home of the Air Force Special Operations Command.

F-35 site, base changes announced

The Pentagon announced today the consolidation of some U.S. infrastructure in Europe, including the return of 15 sites to host nations. These actions from the European Reassurance Initiative will save the U.S. government some $500 million annually and will result in a slight decrease in U.S. force levels, according to DoD. The changes will impact bases in the U.K., Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Portugal. The Pentagon also announced the first U.S. F-35 basing in Europe will be at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom. The first aircraft are scheduled to arrive at Lakenheath in 2020. (Source: DoD, 01/08/15) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Global Hawks set record

SAN DIEGO – Northrop Grumman Global Hawks unmanned systrems in all its variants have flown more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission hours in one week than ever before. Global Hawks flew 781 hours from Sept. 10-16. The Air Force's RQ-4 Global Hawk flew 87 percent of the missions, while the Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstration aircraft and NASA's Global Hawk hurricane research assets flew the rest. According to Mick Jaggers, Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk program director, there are at least two Global Hawks in the air at all times providing ISR. The company's previous weekly flight record was 665 hours set in February. (Source: Northrop Grumman via GlobeNewswire, 01/07/15) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawks are manufactured at Northrop Grumman facilities in Moss Point, Miss., and Palmdale, Calif.

NAS Whiting wins award

MILTON, Fla. -- Commander Naval Installations Command selected Naval Air Station Whiting Field as the top shore installation in the Navy in its respective category Jan. 5. The award lauds the top Navy commands at shore for their installation management, program excellence and community outreach. CNIC oversees 11 regions comprising 69 installations worldwide, and the award recognizes a base's ability to meet CNIC and Department of Defense strategic initiatives. NAS Whiting Field competed in the less than 500 personnel category. The award comes with $170,000 award which the base can use to improve existing facilities. The award completes a sweep of the Navy-wide awards for Pensacola area Navy bases. NAS Pensacola earned top honors for entry in the category for more than 500 personnel. (Source: NNS, 01/07/15) Whiting Field is one of the Navy's two primary pilot training bases. The other is in Corpus Christi, Texas. It provides training for Navy, Marine, Coast Guard and Air Force pilots, as well as those of allied nations. It's the busiest air station in the world.

Airbus, Boeing set delivery records

Airbus increased its deliveries in 2014, setting a new company record, a source at the European planemaker said Tuesday. The Airbus Group subsidiary beat its 2013 peak of 626 deliveries. An Airbus spokesman would not comment on orders or deliveries ahead of the annual news conference Jan. 13. (Source: Reuters, 01/06/15) Meanwhile, Boeing set a record in 2014 for commercial airplane deliveries and orders, the company said Tuesday. Boeing delivered 723 commercial airplanes last year, breaking a company record for the second consecutive year. (Source: Chicago Tribune, 01/06/15) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building an A320 family final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., that will open this year.

Contract: Exelis, $8.4M

Exelis, Inc., Colorado Springs, Colo., has been awarded an $8,446,234 modification (P00580) to previously awarded contract F19628-02-C-0010 for system sustainment. Contractor will sustain the infrastructure of the C-6 radar to include the weapon system management & engineering; field service team; radome maintenance; and requirements definition, analysis, and modeling. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2015. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $8,446,234 are being obligated at the time of award. Space and Missile Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., is the contracting activity. (Awarded Dec. 29, 2014) (Source: DoD, 01/06/15)

SpaceX delays launch

SpaceX canceled its early morning rocket launch of a Falcon 9 and its Dragon capsule to the International Space Station, citing a last minute malfunction. NASA said the SpaceX team at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., had detected an "actuator drift," causing the launch to be scrubbed. The next possible launch time is Friday. The launch included a plan to have the launch vehicle land vertically on a platform on a barge-like vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Jacksonville, Fla. The problem was with the second stage, not the stage that will land on the platform. (Source: multiple, including Los Angeles Times, CNN, 01/06/15) Previous

Army tests safer hoist rescue

FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- Scientists and engineers at the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory at Fort Rucker recently tested a device that may make hoist rescues less risky. The Enroute Care and Airworthiness Division, using an HH-60M, Army medic, rescue basket and crach dummy, tested an anti-rotational device designed to reduce the potential for an uncontrolled spin of a stretcher being lifted to the helicopter. After data collection and analyses, a decision is to be made to verify whether the anti-rotational device allows for a safer and more efficient hoist mission. (Source: U.S. Army, 12/18/14)

SpaceX rocket launches Tuesday

SpaceX and NASA are scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Tuesday to bring supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. It's the first such mission to the ISS since Orbital Sciences rocket blew up in Virginia Oct. 28. If all goes according to plan, the Dragon capsule will dock with the ISS later this week. SpaceX will use this mission to test a procedures to salvage and reuse rockets. This mission has an intriguing twist. After the Falcon 9's first stage is jettisoned, SpaceX will relight the booster rocket's engines for a series of burns, attempting to land it upright on a 300-foot by 170-foot bargelike vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, some 200 miles east of Jacksonville, Fla. The landing test has no impact on the resupply mission. (Source: Orlando Sentinel, New York Times, 01/04/15) Gulf Coast note: SpaceX plans to test its next generation engines at Stennis Space Center, Miss. SSC is also where the AJ-26 engines used in the failed October launch of an Orbital Sciences rocket were tested.

Third MUOS launches Jan. 20

The third Mobile User Objective System satellite is scheduled to launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Jan. 20. The MUOS satellite is designed to improve secure satellite communications for mobile U.S. forces. Five of the Lockheed Martin MUOS satellites will eventually be launched to form the constellation. Two MUOS satellites launched in 2012 and 2013 are already providing communications capability from their orbits 22,000 miles above Earth. Ultimately, the constellation and network will extend narrowband communications availability past 2025. (Sources: ExecutiveGov, 01/05/15, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Public Affairs, 12/30/14) Gulf Coast note: Work on the propulsion system for the A2100 satellite-based spacecraft is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss.