Contract: Raytheon, $118.5M

Raytheon Co. - Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., has been awarded an $118,526,926 firm-fixed-price contract for Lot 9 Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer vehicles and support equipment. Work will be performed in Tucson and is expected to be complete by June 30, 2020. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8682-16-C-0004). (Source: DoD, 06/29/16)

Contract: Davis Defense, $95M

Davis Defense Group, Stafford, Va., is being awarded a maximum ceiling $95,000,000 five-year, firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide professional support services including: administrative, editorial, engineering, instructional, multimedia, program management, student service support, instructional technology and subject matter experts for the Marine Corps College of Distance Education and Training (CDET) Distance Professional Military Education programs. Services will support the CDET mission to design, develop, deliver, evaluate, manage, and resource distance learning products and programs across the training and education continuum in order to increase operational readiness. CDET has the responsibility to develop and deliver career/service level school, intermediate/joint level school, and professional military education to eligible Marines. Work will be performed in Quantico, Va. (52 percent); Camp Lejeune, N.C. (8 percent); Camp Pendleton, Calif. (8 percent); Pensacola, Fla. (7 percent); Miramar, Calif.a (7 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (6 percent); Hawaii (6 percent); and Okinawa, Japan (6 percent), and work is expected to be completed by July 2021. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, is the contracting activity (M67854-16-D-7100). (Source: DoD, 06/28/16)

Contract: Wyle, $34M

Wyle Laboratories Inc., Huntsville, Ala., is being awarded a $34,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide engineering and logistic services in support of the F-35 Joint Program Office. Work will be performed in Arlington, Va., and is expected to be completed in June 2017. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-16-D-0030). (Source: DoD, 06/28/16) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Contract: Alion, $18M

Alion Science and Technology Corp., McLean, Va., is being awarded an $18,091,846 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering and logistics service in support of the F-35 Joint Program Office. Work will be performed in Arlington, Va., and is expected to be completed in June 2017. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-16-D-0031). (Source: DoD, 06/28/16) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Blue Angels resume schedule

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will return to the 2016 demonstration schedule July 2-4 in Traverse City, Mich. The Blue Angels, based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., temporarily stood down, canceling three weekend shows, following a crash on June 2 during a practice in Smyrna, Tenn., in which Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss was killed. The team will fly a modified five jet demonstration in Traverse City, along with Fat Albert, the Blue Angels C-130. The Blue Angels will pick up with their schedule with Traverse City, Gary, Ind. and Pensacola. (Source: NNS, 06/25/16)

Could Mobile build A400M?

America is key to export sales of the A400M, as Airbus Defense and Space prepares to pitch it to the biggest Western military market amid recent technical troubles. "The US will be our target, but clearly not today," Fernando Alonso, head of the company's military aircraft division, told journalists June 20. Airbus is still focusing on fixing cracks on its propeller gearbox and cracks on the central part of the fuselage on some aircraft. There already is American content in the A400M, and the share of that equipment would rise if a U.S. deal were to be sealed. No details were immediately available, but the four-engine turboprop could be assembled in Mobile, Ala., where Airbus built a factory for the A320 jetliner. (Source: Defense News, 06/23/16)

Contract: Lockheed, $13.4M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $13,430,765 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-15-C-0031). This modification provides for the delivery, installation, configuration, and initial sustainment for the Autonomic Logistics Information Systems Operational Representative Environment in support of the F-35 Lightening II. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla. (56 percent); Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (30 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (10 percent); and Hill Air Force Base, Utah (4 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2017. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force (50 percent); the Marine Corps (25 percent) and the Navy (25 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/23/16) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Whiting gets its final T-6B

NAVAL AIR STATION WHITING FIELD, Fla. – The final T-6B Texan II training aircraft has been delivered to Naval Air Station Whiting Field. Hundreds of aviation students have learned flying fundamentals with the T-6B since the Navy transitioned from the T-34C Turbo Mentor as its primary training aircraft in 2009. It's the 148th T-6B delivered to the base. Whiting Field trains around 750 student Naval aviators in the T-6B each year. The base trains Navy, Marine students along with some students from the Air Force Coast Guard and students from allied nations. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 06/21/16, Whiting Field, 06/20/16)

Saturn V "lands" at Infinity

Saturn V stage will be on display at Infinity
Infinity Science Center photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The last assembled Saturn V first stage that was never used has arrived at Infinity Science Center, south of Interstate 10, where it will be put on permanent display. The S-IC first stage was completed in 1970 and intended for the Apollo 19 lunar landing mission in 1973, but that mission was canceled, along with the Apollo 18 and 20 missions. It had been at Michoud Assembly Facility in east New Orleans, where it was built. Complete with its five F-1 rocket engines, the stage was placed on a barge in New Orleans and traveled via the Intercoastal Waterway to Pearl River, then off-loaded at SSC. It was transported by truck to Infinity and is now at SSC. (Source: GCRL, 06/21/16) Previous

Contract: Drace, $10.5M

Drace Anderson JV, Gulfport, Miss., is being awarded $10,477,239 for firm-fixed-price task order 0008 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N69450-13-D-1762) for construction of the T-6B Texan II Joint Primary Aircraft Training System, training operations facility, at Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The work to be performed provides for a two-story training operations facility located on the flight line. Renovations of the existing hangar space include temporary office space and demolition of existing buildings. Construction of parking areas and associated site work; storm water and utility construction are part of the project. In addition this project includes a pavilion, furniture, fixtures and equipment. The task order also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised, would increase cumulative task order value to $10,496,392. Work will be performed in Milton, Fla.,, and is expected to be completed by March 2018. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/20/16)

Contract: Raytheon, $28M

Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., has been awarded a $28,000,000 modification (P00007) to the maximum ordering amount of previously awarded contract FA8675-14-D-0009 for integration of the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) onto various Air Force and Navy aircraft platforms. Contractor will facilitate several new task orders for platform integration support including the F-16 Block 30, F-35, F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System; F-16 Active Electronically Scanned Array; AMRAAM Real Time Integration Simulator; and multiple F/A-18 configurations. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.; Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; White Sands Missile Range, N.M.; China Lake/Point Mugu, Calif.; St. Louis, Mo.; Seattle, Wash.; Baltimore, Md.; and Tucson, Ariz. Work is expected to be complete by Jan. 30, 2020. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/20/16)

Contract: CCI, $8M

CCI Energy and Construction Services LLC, Shalimar, Fla., has been awarded an $8,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Simplified Acquisition of Base Engineering Requirement (SABER). Contractor will provide all plant, labor, materials and equipment, and perform all operations in connection with SABER at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Work is expected to be complete by June 16, 2017. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity (FA2823-16-D-4010). (Source: DoD, 06/20/16)

Contract: Lockheed, $34M

Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems Inc., Bethesda, Md., was awarded a $34,027,588 modification (P00019) to contract W912DY-15-F-0164 for Next Generation Technical Services IV. Work will be performed in Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Vicksburg, Miss.; and Lorton, Va., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 17, 2016. Fiscal 2016 research, development, testing, and evaluation funds in the amount of $5,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/17/16)

AR1 testing underway at SSC

AR1 tested at SSC. Aerojet Rocketdyne photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Aerojet Rocketdyne successfully achieved full-power during a preburner test series at NASA's Stennis Space Center earlier this month. The test series verified key preburner injector design parameters for the company’s AR1 engine that is being designed to end use of Russian engines for national security space launches. This testing is a continuation of earlier preburner testing at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and Aerojet Rocketdyne's Sacramento, Calif., location. (Source: Aerojet Rocketdyne, 06/17/16)

Saturn V stage takes off

NEW ORLEANS -- The last assembled Saturn V first stage is on its way to Infinity Science Center in Mississippi, where it will be on permanent display and visible to travelers on heavily-traveled Interstate 10. The S-IC first stage was the last of its type and completed in 1970. It was intended for the Apollo 19 lunar landing mission in 1973, but instead has remained at Michoud Assembly Facility, where it was built. It was at one point tested at Stennis Space Center (SSC). Complete with its five F-1 rocket engines, the stage was placed on a barge where it will go from the Intercoastal Waterway to Pearl River to be off-loaded at SSC. From there it will be transported by truck to Infinity, south of the Interstate 10. Because it can’t go under the I-10 overpass, it will have to head west on I-10 and turn around past the bridge over the Pearl River. It will then come back east and exit to Infinity. It will arrive early Tuesday. (Source: multiple, including collectSPACE, 06/16/16, Clarion-Ledger, 06/17/16)

Blue Angels restart training

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Blue Angels surprised people downtown and at Pensacola Beach Thursday when they flew over both locations in preparation for the resumption of the 2016 air show season. The Navy flight demonstration team temporarily halted the season after a June 2 crash in Tennessee that killed Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss. Five planes were in the formation Thursday. (Source: Navy Times, 06/16/16)

Contract: Boeing, $7.6M

The Boeing Co. - Defense, Space & Security Missile and Unmanned Airborne Systems, St. Louis, Mo., has been awarded a $7,663,455 modification (P00007) to previously awarded contract FA2103-16-C-0061 for engineering and manufacturing development of the B61-12 tailkit assembly. This modification adds additional test assets, materials, and hardware to enable the development of the tailkit assembly. Work will be performed at St Louis and is expected to be complete by May 16, 2019. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/13/16)

Airbus seeks more workers

MOBILE, Ala. – Airbus is seeking its next phase of candidates to fill manufacturing positions for its assembly line at the Mobile Aeroplex. The open positions include aircraft mechanics structure installation, installers for aircraft cabin interiors and aircraft electrical installers. Successful candidates must have at minimum a high school diploma or GED, and one or more years of experience with aircraft maintenance or comparable field or education. Other positions also now available include aircraft systems installer and ground test inspector. Airbus points out that even if a candidate has previously applied for a position at Airbus, reapply for any position for which you feel qualified. For a complete job description of all the positions and to apply, go to www.aidt.edu/jobs. (Source: Airbus, 06/08/16)

Contract: UTC, $64.2M

United Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney, East Hartford, Conn., has been awarded a not-to-exceed $64,205,540 increase via modification P00170 to previously awarded unfinitized contract action FA8611-08-C-2896 P00160 for F119 engine sustainment. Work will be performed at East Hartford; Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.; Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Langley Air Force Base, Va.; Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas; Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.; and Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2016. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/08/16)

Blue Angels cancel two shows

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, canceled their upcoming performances at the Syracuse International Air Show and Vectren Dayton Air Show. The team was previously scheduled to attend the air shows in Syracuse, N.Y., and Dayton, Ohio, June 11-12 and June 18-19, respectively. Following a crash June 2 that claimed the life of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, the team is in an operational pause. The Navy has offered to support these two air shows with their Tactical Demonstration Teams during the time slot of the scheduled Blue Angels performance. The Tactical Demonstration or "TACDEMO" is designed to highlight the mobility, versatility and power of the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet. (Source: NNS, 06/07/16)

Missing data contributed to accident

Lack of flight test data was a contributing factor in an April 2015 incident that led to an AC-130J nose-diving 5,000 feet in an inverted position before the pilots could recover. That's according to an Air Force Accident Investigation Board, which said the data could have helped the pilots better understand the limits of the aircraft. Lockheed Martin declined to provide the proprietary information without a contract, and the Air Force declined to purchase it, relying instead on testing. After the incident, the Air Force decided to purchase the data. The overstressing caused $115.6 million total loss of the plane. The AC-130J based at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., was being tested by the 413th Flight Test Squadron. The crew was performing maneuvers to collect data on the flight envelope of the aircraft. The problem occurred while the pilot performed a "sideslip," a maneuver used to aid aircraft landing in a strong crosswind. (Source: Air Force Times, 06/04/16) Previous

Northrop, city mark 10th

MOSS POINT, Miss. – The city of Moss Point and Northrop Grumman on Thursday celebrated the 10th year since the aerospace company opened its unmanned systems center. The 101,000 square-foot plant does finishing work on the Northrop Grumman Fire Scout and fuselage work on the fixed-wing Global Hawk. On hand for Thursday's festivities was Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant along with civic leaders and special guests. Northrop Grumman facility director Mike Jones was presented with a plaque for Thursday's celebration and discussed what has made them successful since their inception. (Source: gulflive, 06/02/16)

MAA lands Panasonic Aviation

MOBILE, Ala. -- The Mobile Airport Authority announced that Panasonic Aviation Corp. will open an office at the Mobile Aeroplex, adding to the aerospace cluster growing around the Airbus final assembly plant. Panasonic Avionics supplies inflight entertainment and communication systems in passenger aircraft. A unit of the global Panasonic Corp., the California-based company has more than 4,100 employees at 80 locations around the world. (Source: Made in Alabama, 06/03/16) Airbus, which delivered its first Mobile-built plane in April, has now delivered three jetliners and will eventually produce four planes a month.

Blue Angels pilot identified

The Blue Angels pilot who died in a crash near Nashville, Tenn., during a practice session has been identified in multiple media reports as Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, 32. The highly decorated pilot who is married and the father of two had been with the Navy flight demonstration team since 2014. (Source: multiple, 06/03/16). Previous

Blue Angels jet crashes; pilot dead

SMYRNA, Tenn. – A Blue Angels jet crashed outside Nashville today, according to multiple news reports, killing the pilot. The name of the pilot is being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin, according to a Navy press release. The crash of the F/A-18 occurred at 3 p.m. as the Blue Angels were practicing for this weekend’s Great Tennessee Air Show. The plane went down about two miles from the runway. None of the other Blue Angels jets were involved. Before the crash the team did a flyover above Nashville. The Blue Angels are the Navy's flight demonstration team. Hours earlier, an Air Force Thunderbirds jet crashed in Colorado Springs, Colo. The plane, an F-16, went down outside Petersen Air Force Base. The pilot was able to eject safely. The Thunderbirds, the Air Force flight demonstration team, had just participated in a flyover at the Air Force Academy’s graduation ceremony. (Sources: multiple, including ABCNews, WKRN, Navy, 06/02/16) Gulf Coast note: The Blue Angels are based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.