Contract: DynCorp, $202.4M

DynCorp International, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded an undefinitized contract action with a not-to-exceed of $202,434,437 for contractor operated and maintained base supply services for the T-6A/B/D Texan II aircraft. Contractor will provide serviceable aircraft material and support equipment to support Air Force, Navy, and Army Texan II aircraft. Work will be performed at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.; Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas; Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas; Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas; Vance Air Force Base, Okla.; Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.; Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla.; Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas; Naval Flight Officer at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.; Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.; and Redstone Arsenal, Ala. This contract is expected to be complete by April 30, 2018. This is a bridge contract and a new Contractor Operated and Maintained Base Supply (COMBS) contract is currently in source selection. Fiscal 2017 funds in the amount of $44,273,731 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8617-17-C-6210). (Source: DoD, 04/28/17)

Contract: HX5, $67.9M

HX5 LLC, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was awarded a $67,943,475 modification (P00020) to contract W9133L-11-C-0033 for a system support representative contract that will provide for the entire spectrum of mission planning support for ninety Air National Guard flying missions. Work will be performed in Arlington, Va., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2018. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $11,247,958 were obligated at the time of the award. National Guard Bureau, Arlington, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/28/17)

Contract: Lockheed, $1.37B

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a not-to-exceed $1,377,002,000 advance acquisition contract for long-lead time materials, parts, components, and effort for 130 low-rate initial production Lot 12 F-35 aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants, and foreign military sales customers. In addition this contract provides long-lead time materials, parts, components, and effort for 110 Lot 13 and 14 F-35 aircraft for the non-U.S. DoD participants and foreign military sales customers. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (30 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Fla. (10 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); Nagoya, Japan (5 percent); and Baltimore, Md. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2018. This order combines purchases for the Air Force (23 percent); Marine Corps (9 percent); Navy (3 percent); non-U.S. DoD participant (38 percent), and foreign military sales customers (27 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity (N00019-17-C-0001). (Source: DoD, 04/28/17) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Contract: Lockheed, $10.8M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $10,800,000 modification to a previously awarded advanced acquisition contract (N00019-16-C-0033) for additional hardware modules and racks in support of the F-35 low-rate initial production Lot 11 aircraft for the government of Israel under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Fort Worth (30 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Fla. (10 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); Nagoya, Japan (5 percent); and Baltimore, Md. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2019. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/28/17) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Airbus holds judgment on engine

Airbus continues to reserve judgment on any progress Pratt and Whitney has made in resolving production problems with its PW1100G turbofan. Deliveries of Pratt-powered A320neos remain stunted and the first Pratt-powered A321neo sits undelivered more than four months after certification. Out of an expected 200 A320neo-family deliveries by the end of the year, Airbus shipped 26 during the first quarter, including the first CFM Leap-1A-powered A321neo. (Source: AIN, 04/27/17) Gulf Coast note: The A320 series plant in Mobile, Ala., will eventually build neo planes in addition to the current engine options.

Contract: Lockheed, $31.1M

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla., has been awarded a $31,129,968 modification (P00024) to previously awarded contract FA8682-16-C-0005. Contract will provide support for Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile production support, systems engineering, and tooling and test equipment. Work will be performed in Orlando and is expected to be complete by Aug. 31, 2019. This contract consists of foreign military sales to Poland. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/27/17)

Contract: Harris, $10.9M

Harris Corp., Colorado Springs, Colo., has been awarded a $10,900,333 modification (P00738) on previously awarded contract F l 9628-02-C-0010 for system sustainment of the FPS-85 Phased Array Eglin radar, which provides space situational awareness data for tracking space objects. Contractor will provide sustainment services which include weapon systems management and engineering, core sustainment for the field service teams, requirements development modeling and analysis, engineering support and technical orders support. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; and Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., and is expected to be complete by March 31, 2018. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Peterson Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/27/17)

Contract: Lockheed, $422.7M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded $422,738,589 for cost-plus-fixed-fee modification P00022 to the previously awarded low-rate initial production Lot 10 F-35 advance acquisition contract (N00019-15-C-0003). This modification provides the procurement of production non-recurring special tooling and special test equipment to support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (28.4 percent); Nashua, N.H. (8 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (7.6 percent); San Diego, Calif. (6.4 percent); Baltimore, Md. (4.5 percent); Palmdale, Calif. (3.3 percent); Orlando, Fla. (2.5 percent); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (2.1 percent); Garden Grove, Calif. (1.9 percent); Marietta, Ga. (1.6 percent); Rolling Meadows, Ill. (1.5 percent); East Aurora, N.Y. (0.9 percent); Melbourne, Fla. (0.7 percent); Owego, N.Y. (0.7 percent); Tempe, Ariz. (0.5 percent); Hauppauge, N.Y. (0.3 percent); Williston, Vt. (0.2 percent); and various other locations inside and outside the continental U.S. (28.9 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2020. This order combines purchases for the Air Force (33.6 percent); Navy (16.8 percent); Marine Corps (16.8 percent); international partners (17 percent), and foreign military sales customers (15.8 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/26/17) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Contract: Lockheed, $18.9M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded $18,878,328 for modification 00006 to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-14-C-0040) to provide additional sustainment, integration and test, training, and database production in support of the F-35 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 May 2019. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $18,832,398 are being 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, 04/26/17) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Contract: Lockheed, $109.6M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $109,563,735 modification to cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order 5503 issued previously against basic ordering agreement N00019-14-G-0020. This modification provides for the procurement of 567 modification kits for offboard system hardware and turnaround assets, and also recurring labor for the completion of hardware and software upgrades in support of the F-35 Lighting III Block 3F upgrade for Air Force (57.19 percent); Marine Corps (39.67 percent); Navy (2.79 percent); and international partners (0.35 percent). Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (41 percent); Nashua, N.H. (12 percent); Baltimore, Md. (12 percent); San Diego, Calif. (12 percent); Owego, N.Y. (12 percent); Orlando, Fla. (7 percent); and Evendale, Ohio (4 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2021. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/25/17) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Blues, Thunderbirds together

NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA, Fla. – In an occasion that’s quite rare, the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy Blue Angels are in the same location at the same time for some joint training. The two elite flight demonstration teams are seldom in the same place at the same time because the Department of Defense wants to cover as much territory with the two teams as possible. The two teams haven't been in Pensacola together for more than 15 years. The two teams are practicing Tuesday and Wednesday. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 04/24/17)

Projects picked for investments

NASA has selected 399 research and technology proposals from 277 American small businesses and 44 research institutions that will enable NASA's future missions into deep space. The awards have a total value of approximately $49.9 million. These include 13 projects tied to Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi. The agency received 1,621 proposals in response to its 2017 solicitation for its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. From those, NASA selected 338 SBIR and 61 STTR Phase I proposals for contract negotiations. The SBIR Phase I contracts last for six months and STTR Phase I contracts last for 12 months, both with maximum funding of $125,000. (Source: NASA, 04/25/17)

NASA to show off test article

NEW ORLEANS – NASA on April 25 will show off to the media the first completed core stage structural test article of the Space Launch System rocket built at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. This test article, which will provide critical data for the world's most powerful rocket, will be shipped on the barge Pegasus from Michoud to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., where it will undergo structural testing. The rocket's engine section test article is the first of four core stage test articles manufactured at Michoud. The engine section, the bottom of the 212-foot-long core stage, has to be strong because all four RS-25 engines and the SLS's two solid rocket motors are attached to it and produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust at lift-off. The structural qualification test article was designed to the same specifications as the engine section that will fly on the first SLS mission. After the structural tests at Marshall, Pegasus will transport the entire flight core stage to NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., for testing, and then on to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for integration into the SLS vehicle and launch. (Source: NASA via PRNewswire, 04/21/17)

Presidential plane touch down

747 VC-25A on Eglin flightline. Air Force photo

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - A Boeing 747 VC-25A, one of two VC-25As assigned to the Presidential Airlift Group, 89th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Andrews, Md., was on the flightline April 19 at Eglin. It’s known as "Air Force One" whenever it’s used by the president, though any U.S. Air Force plane he’s aboard receives that radio call sign. The aircraft was completing a maintenance cycle and is undergoing an operational test regimen before being certified to return to presidential service. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 04/20/17)

Two awarded Air Force Cross

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Two Special Tactics airmen Thursday received the Air Force's highest combat medal at the same time for separate missions in Afghanistan. One Air Force Cross was given to retired MSgt. Keary Miller, and the other was given to SSgt. Chris Baradat. Miller in 2002 was a pararescueman when his helicopter was shot down during a rescue. He care for critically wounded service members during a 17-hour battle against Al Qaeda forces. Baradat in 2013 was serving as a combat controller when he directed air strikes during three hours of fighting against the Taliban and came under intense enemy fire. Both were originally awarded a Silver Star, but during a review of awards they were upgraded to the Air Force Cross. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein presided over the ceremony, which included a flyover by the Air Force Thunderbirds. (Sources, multiple, including WEAR-TV, Northwest Florida Daily News, Fayetteville Observer, 04/20/17)

Eglin opening innovation center

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The youth center will host the opening of its new Boys’ & Girls’ Club Center for Innovation April 20, at 3:30 p.m. The center will provide members access to advanced technologies and focus on STEM-related subjects and activities, including a robotics kit, 3D printers, a makerspace with a giant tool wall, invention- and computer- building kits that will offer hands-on learning opportunities to explore and advance understanding of scientific and mathematical concepts. The program is made possible by a grant from Raytheon to cultivate interest in the STEM fields, which are expected to grow nearly twice as fast as any other field by 2018 according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Eglin is the third Air Force youth center to benefit from the grant. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 04/20/17)

DHS picks Mississippi

Mississippi State University in Starkville was chosen by the Department of Homeland Security as a base of operations for drone research. Much of the work on how to best to use the devices will be done in South Mississippi. Research will be conducted at several Mississippi sites, along with 2,000 square miles of restricted airspace over land and water, at altitudes up to 60,000 feet. Operations are expected to begin in the fall. Sites that will be used are Camp Shelby, which is the Army National Guard’s national drone-training center; buffer zone areas at Stennis Space Center, which is used for Department of Defense special-operations training; and the maritime environment accessible from the U.S. Coast Guard facilities on Singing River Island in Jackson County. (Sources: multiple, including MSU, Sun Herald, 04/19/17)

MQ-8C launches from LCS

The MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter, designed to boost intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for ship crews at sea, has completed a successful first flight from the deck of a littoral combat ship underway. Earlier this month, the Fire Scout took off from the Independence-class LCS Montgomery during a two-week series of tests off the coast of California. The flight came two years after the Fire Scout was first delivered to the Navy and marked a milestone in proving out the reliability and safety of the small drone. A Fire Scout had previously conducted an at-sea flight off an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, the Jason Dunham, in December 2015. (Source: DoDBuzz, 04/18/17) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scouts are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.

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 (JASSM) production support. Contractor will provide lifecycle support for all efforts related to JASSM, Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (Air Force Inventory), JASSM-Extended Range and any JASSM variant in the areas of system upgrades, integration, production, sustainment, management and logistical support. Work will be performed at Orlando and is expected to be complete by April 17, 2022. This award is the result of a 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 (FA8682-17-D-0002). (Source: DoD, 04/18/17)

Contract: Jacobs, $7M

Jacobs Technology Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is being awarded a $7,017,852 modification to a previously awarded contract (GS0QBG-09-D-0059-GM01) for services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division. Services to be provided include information technology services, information management, information assurance product service delivery mechanisms, software development, engineering and enterprise architectural compliance, server support services and information assurance compliance. Work will be performed at China Lake, Calif. (82 percent); Point Mugu, Calif. (13 percent); and Norfolk, Va. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2018. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/14/17)

Contract: Longbow, $10.8M

Longbow LLC, Orlando, Fla., was awarded a $10,775,366 modification (P00027) to contract W31P4Q-16-C-0035 to exercise options for Hellfire engineering services. Work will be performed in Orlando; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; and Huntsville, Ala., with an estimated completion date of April 12, 2018. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/13/17)

Contract: Raytheon, $64.6M

Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., has been awarded a $64,610,086 cost-plus-incentive-fee option (P00004) to previously awarded contract FA8675-16-C-0044 for the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) program. Contractor will provide Phase 4b form, fit, function, refresh of the AMRAAM guidance section. Work will be performed at Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be complete by April 13, 2018. This contract involves foreign military sales to Norway, Turkey, Japan, Romania, and Australia. Fiscal 2016 Air Force production; and 2017 Navy production funds in the amount of $43,056,110 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, 04/13/17)

Contract: L-3, $202.2M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $202,164,280 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract for depot level maintenance, logistics, and sustaining engineering services in support of the C-12 utility lift aircraft for the Navy and Marine Corps. Services to be provided include site support maintenance, aircraft depot maintenance, engine depot maintenance, aircraft and aircraft systems modifications, potential site stand-ups and closures. Work will be performed in San Angelo, Texas (58.5 percent); Bahrain (4.7 percent); Atsugi, Japan (4 percent); Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (4 percent); Iwakuni, Japan (3.7 percent); Miramar, Calif. (3.5 percent); New River, N.C. (3.0 percent); Beaufort, S.C. (3 percent); Belle Chasse, La. (3 percent); Yuma, Ariz. (2.9 percent); Kadena, Okinawa, Japan (2.8 percent); Patuxent River, Md. (2.3 percent); Futenma, Okinawa, Japan (2.2 percent); Misawa, Japan (1.6 percent); and Manassas, Va. (0.8 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2022. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-17-D-0088). (Source: DoD, 04/12/17)

Contract: Northrop, $7.5M

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Md., has been awarded a $7,501,433 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed fee and cost reimbursable contract for contractor logistic support. Contractor will provide contractor logistics support services in support of the AN/ASQ-236 aircraft pod. Work will be performed at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England; Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.; Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; Tucson International Airport, Ariz.; and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by March 11, 2018. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity (FA8681-17-F-1037). (Source: DoD, 04/12/17)

T-45 training OKd with limits

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Navy resumed T-45 training flights at Naval Air Station Pensacola and two other bases Monday after halting the flights because of concerns about the oxygen system. Training can continue as long as pilots remain below an altitude of 10,000 feet to avoid using the onboard oxygen generator system. Normally, training is done at altitudes of 14,000 feet. Pilots at NAS Pensacola, Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss., and Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, had complained about experiencing episodes of hypoxia and training was temporarily suspended. The investigation is continuing. (Sources: Pensacola News Journal 04/17/17, WUWF 0418/17) Previous

Opportunities about for innovators

If you're a small business owner, you've probably thought about looking for venture capital. You may have already gone that route. But there's another partner you might look at who will not want to have any control over your company. It’s the federal government, specifically the Department of Defense. An analysis of recent aerospace news stories. (Source: Gulf Coast Aerospace Newsletter, 04/11/17)

BRAC: Much to lose or win

Another round of base closings and realignments is on the horizon, and for the heavily militarized Gulf Coast there is a lot to lose - or potentially gain - from another BRAC round. The region between Southeast Louisiana and Northwest Florida has 45 bases and associated properties with a replacement value of close to $22 billion. (Source: Gulf Coast Aerospace Newsletter, 04/11/17)

L3 Crestview lets go 130

CRESTVIEW, Fla. – One hundred thirty defense contractors at L3 Crestview Aerospace have been laid off. The aviation firm assembles, fabricates, and repairs aircraft parts. The layoffs are the result of cyclical work-contracts. The workers will receive severance packages and information on job opportunities within L3 Aerospace. (Source: WEAR-TV 04/14/17)

Budget means systems go

Uncertainty for two NASA facilities in the Gulf Coast region ended in March when the president signed a bill that ensures continuation of the Space Launch System and Orion crew vehicle programs. (Source: Gulf Coast Aerospace Newsletter, 04/11/17)

MOAB used for first time

The U.S. military dropped the most powerful non-nuclear bombs on a cave and tunnel complex used by Islamic State fighters in eastern Afghanistan, marking the first use of the bomb in combat. The GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb is 21,600 pounds and nicknamed the “mother of all bombs.” The Pentagon, which announced the bombing in a statement, did not say why it decided to use the GBU-43 in the Achin district of the Nangarhar Province, but the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan said it was the right munition to use. The U.S. has an even larger non-nuclear bomb, the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, but it does not have the explosive power of the GBU-43. (Sources: multiple, including Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, CNN, 04/13/17) Gulf Coast note: The GBU-43 was developed at by the Air Force Research Lab Munitions Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., during the Iraq war but was never used.

Two projects ensure growth

In separate announcements, GKN Aerospace said it February it would establish a production facility in Panama City, Fla. Then the following month Continental Motors said it was expanding into a new facility in Mobile. Both were affirmations of the growth of the Gulf Coast aerospace corridor, and in one case, it was a feather in the cap for a Gulf Power program. (Source: Gulf Coast Aerospace Newsletter, 04/11/17)

Contract: Lockheed, $9.5M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $9,533,512 not-to-exceed, undefinitized modification to a previously awarded low-rate initial production Lot 9 F-35 Lightening II Joint Strike Fighter advanced acquisition contract (N00019-14-C-0002). This modification provides for the delivery of hardware and engineering services for the government of Japan. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Md. (80 percent); and Nagoya, Japan (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2018. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $6,812,978 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, 04/11/17) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Contract: Vectrus, $97.3M

Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colo., has been awarded a $97,269,360 firm-fixed-price, single award contract for the acquisition of base operations support services. Contractor will provide base operations support for 11 functional areas to include, installation and mission operations management, installation and facility engineering, emergency response management, grounds maintenance, supply services, community services, vertical transportation equipment, human resources support, and weather services for Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. Work will be performed at Keesler Air Force Base and is expected to be complete May 31, 2018. This award is the result of a competitive source selection with four offers received. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,514,130 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Installation Contracting Agency/338th Specialized Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3002-17-C-0001). (Source: DoD, 04/11/17)

Contract: Lockheed, $372.9M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded $372,918,148 for modification P00019 to the previously awarded low-rate initial production Lot 10 F-35 Lightning II advance acquisition contract (N00019-15-C-0003). This modification provides the procurement of F-35A and F-35B variant aircrafts including deficiency corrections for non-U.S. Department of Defense (non-U.S. DoD) participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, (30 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Fla. (10 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); Nagoya, Japan (5 percent); and Baltimore, Md. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2020. Non-DoD participant funding in the amount of $105,000,000 is being 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, 04/10/17) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Eglin soldier dies

The Department of Defense announced Monday the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. Staff Sgt. Mark R. De Alencar, 37, of Edgewood, Md., died April 8 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations. De Alencar was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Source: DoD, 04/10/17)

F-35 brings closer Italy ties

NICEVILLE, Fla. – Consul General of Italy, Gloria Bellelli, will attend the Okaloosa County School Board meeting Monday to sign a memorandum of understanding between the Italian government and the district. As part of the the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program at Eglin Air Force Base, the Italian air force is establishing a permanent presence in the area and will enroll Italian students into Okaloosa County schools. The Italian government will establish the Italian Cooperative Program in select districts schools. In all, 600 American and Italian students will participate in the program next year. (Source: Destin Log, 04/09/17)

T-45C flight pause extended

T-45C used in training at three bases.
U.S. Navy photo

The Navy's decision Wednesday to suspend flights – an operational pause – for its T-45C fleet after pilots expressed concern about physiological episodes has been extended. That will give the Navy more time to review engineering data and develop a path forward for the fleet that will ensure the safety of its aircrew. Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander of Naval Air Forces, has been visiting T-45C training commands across the fleet to address recent concerns. He went to Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, NAS Pensacola, Fla., and NAS Meridian, Miss., to talk with instructor pilots and student pilots about their physiological episodes experienced in the cockpits of T-45C training aircraft. On March 31 roughly 40 percent of flights in the T-45C training commands in Meridian, Pensacola and Kingsville were canceled because of the operational risk management issues raised by instructor pilots. (Source: NNS, 04/08/17) Previous

Contract: Security Walls, $45.3M

Security Walls, Knoxville, Tenn., has been awarded a potential five-year, $45.3 million contract to provide a range of protective services at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans. The company will help the agency secure physical infrastructure, technology and personnel as well as support emergency management, training requirements and range operations at the two locations. (Source: ExecutiveBiz, 04/06/17)

Contract: Siemens, $48M

Siemens Industry, Inc., Buffalo Grove, Ill., has been awarded an estimated $48,000,000 indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for the Switchgear Replacement Effort program. Contractor will provide supply and installation of gas insulated switchgear. Work will be performed at Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn.; Mountain View, Calif.; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.; Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.; and Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by April 5, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2017 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,556,363 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Test Center, Arnold Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (FA9101-17-D-0001) (Source: DoD, 04/06/17)

T-45C flights paused

CORONADO, Calif. -- The Navy implemented a three-day operational pause for its T-45C fleet Wednesday at the direction of Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander of Naval Air Forces. The pause is in response to concerns raised by T-45C pilots over physiological episodes blamed on possible oxygen issues. It will allow time for leaders to talk to pilots, hear their concerns and discuss risk mitigation efforts. Last Friday, 94 flights were canceled at naval air station in Kingsville, Texas, Meridian, Miss., and Pensacola, Fla. Flight operations are expected to resume on Monday. The T-45C Goshawk is a two-seat, single-engine, carrier-capable jet trainer aircraft used by the Navy and Marine Corps for intermediate and advanced jet training. The T-45 has been in service since 1991. The Navy currently has 197 based at Kingsville, Meridian and Pensacola. (Source: NNS, 04/05/17) Previous

Contract: Rockwell, $21.3M

Rockwell Collins Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been awarded a $21,264,701 modification (P00076) to exercise the option on previously awarded contract FA8678-10-C-0058 to support the Common Range Integrated Instrumentation System (CRIIS). Contractor will provide the second production lot of the CRIIS for upgrading the test and evaluation instrumentation at Air Force, Navy and Army test ranges. This second production lot will help complete range installations and activations at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., White Sands Missile Range, N.M., Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif., and Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif. Work will be performed at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Richardson, Texas, and is expected to be complete by April 5, 2019. Fiscal 2016 and 2017 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy, Air Force and Army); and procurement funds (Air Force) in the total amount of $21,264,701 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/05/17)

Contract: Lockheed, $129.4M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $129,430,321 modification to a cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (N0001917F0108) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-14-G-0020). This order provides for additional work on the TR-3 integrated core processor and related subsystems to alleviate diminishing manufacturing sources constraints projected under F-35 production Lot 15 for the Air Force (40 percent); Navy (20 percent); Marine Corps (20 percent); and international partners (20 percent). Work will be performed in Fort Worth and is expected to be completed in March 2019. Fiscal 2017 research, development, test and evaluation funds (Air Force, Navy and Marine Corp); and international partner funds in the amount of $27,005,628 are being 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, 04/05/17) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Blue Angles 2018 CO named

NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The U.S. Navy Blue Angels on Tuesday announced Cmdr. Eric Doyle as the next leader of the flight demonstration squadron. He will join the team for his two-year tour in November, taking over from current flight leader, Cmdr. Ryan Bernacchi. Doyle was selected from a field of six finalists who interviewed for the job on Monday and Tuesday. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 04/04/17)

Pilots concerned over T-45

More than 100 instructor pilots for the Navy are refusing to fly because of a problem with T-45 training jet oxygen systems, Fox News is reporting. The boycott started last week and has impacted hundreds of training flights. Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, head of naval aviation, told Fox News the issue is the number one safety priority. In the last five years the episodes, caused in part by problems with the oxygen system, have nearly quadrupled on the T-45, according to Capitol Hill testimony last week by senior naval aviators. The Navy sent a team of engineers and other specialists this week to its T-45 training bases in Kingsville, Texas, Meridian, Miss., and Pensacola, Fla., for talks with the pilots. (Source: Fox News, 04/04/17) Related

New Eglin promotion

Air Force Brig. Gen. Shaun Q. Morris has been nominated to the grade of major general. Morris is currently serving as the Air Force program executive officer for weapons and director, Armament Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Source: DoD, 04/04/17)

Contract: NWF Contractors, $9.2M

NWF Contractors Inc., Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., has been awarded a $9,176,349 requirements contract to construct concrete targets. Contractor will provide all plant, labor, materials, equipment, and perform all operations in connection with the construction of various reinforced concrete targets on specified test areas in accordance with the specifications and drawings. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by April 2, 2022. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with seven offers received. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity (FA2823-17-D-4001). (Source: DoD, 04/03/17)

New base assignments

Col. Evan C. Dertien, selected to the grade of brigadier general, has been assigned as commander, 96th Test Wing, Air Force Materiel Command, Eglin Air Force Base. He’s currently vice commander, Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Also, Col. Lance R. Pilch, selected to the grade of brigadier general, has been assigned as vice commander, 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces and Chief of Staff, Air Component Command, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. He’s currently commander, 33rd Fighter Wing, Air Education and Training Command, Eglin Air Force Base. (Source: DoD, 04/03/17)