Thursday, November 30, 2017

Contract: UTC, $353.2M

United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded a $353,208,847 fixed-price-incentive-firm, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded undefinitized contract (N00019-17-C-0010). This modification provides for performance based logistics sustainment in support of the F-135 propulsion system in support of the F-35 joint strike fighter aircraft for the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants and foreign military Sales (FMS) customers. This modification provides for maintenance of support equipment, common program activities, unique and common base recurring sustainment, repair of repairable, field service representatives, common replenishment spares, conventional take-off and landing/carrier variant F-135 unique maintenance services, and short take-off and landing F-135 unique services. Work will be performed in East Hartford (73 percent); Oklahoma City, Okla. (18 percent); Camari, Italy (3 percent); Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (2 percent); Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (1 percent); Hill Air Force Base, Utah (1 percent); Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. (1 percent); and Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station, S.C. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2018. Fiscal 2017 aircraft and procurement (Navy and Marine Corp); fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Air Force); fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance (Air Force, Navy, Marine Corp) funds, non-U.S. DoD participants; and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $306,451,000 are being obligated on this award, $97,383,008 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force (39 percent); Marine Corps; (29 percent); Navy (7 percent); non-U.S. DoD participants (18 percent); and FMS customers (7 percent), under the FMS Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 11/30/17)

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Tyndall chosen for MQ-9 Wing

The Air Force has selected Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., as the preferred location for hosting a new MQ-9 Reaper Wing with 24 remotely piloted aircraft. Vandenberg AFB, Calif., is considered a reasonable alternative. The wing will be composed of an operations group with mission control elements as well as a launch and recovery capability, and a maintenance group. "We selected Tyndall Air Force Base because it was the best location to meet the unique requirements of the MQ-9 Reaper," Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson said. That includes fewer aircraft competing for air space, nearby training ranges, great weather and lower up-front costs, Wilson added. Based on current projections, Airmen are expected to begin arriving at the new location as early as 2020. The first aircraft are expected to arrive in 2022. (Source: Air Force Public Affairs, 11/28/17) Previous

Monday, November 27, 2017

Contract: Lockheed, $37.7M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $37,716,883 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-15-C-0003) to exercise an option for software conversions for structure and systems datasets in support of Lot 10 production for the F-35 joint strike fighter. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (58 percent); and Samlesbury, United Kingdom (42 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2020. Fiscal 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy and Marine Corps); fiscal 2017 (Air Force and Navy); and non-DoD participants funds in the amount of $37,716,883 are being obligated at time of award, $7,540,359 of which expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: Do, 11/27/17) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Contract: Kaman, $85.2M

Kaman Precision Products, Orlando, Fla.; Middletown, Conn., has been awarded a $85,169,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed fee contract for delivery of lot 13 of the joint programmable fuze, FMU-52 and corresponding production, test and engineering support. Work will be performed in Orlando and Middletown with an expected completion date of Feb. 28, 2019. This contract involves 26 percent foreign military sales to Bahrain, Belgium, Chile, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Lebanon, Morocco, Netherlands, Oman, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. Fiscal 2017 procurement funds in the amount of $85,169,000 are being obligated at time of award. This contract was a sole-source acquisition. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA868118C0009). (Source: DoD, 11/27/17)

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Crestview Aerospace for sale

CRESTVIEW, Fla. -- L3 Crestview Aerospace, which has more than 500 workers at its facilities in Crestview at Bob Sikes Airport, is up for sale. The Crestview plant manufactures and modifies cabins, fuselages, tail booms and other parts for commercial and military aircraft. L3 Crestview Aerospace also includes a plant in Chihuahua, Mexico, that produces sheet metal and parts for commercial aircraft structures. The possible sale is part of a move by New York-based L3 Technologies to focus on more profitable businesses. L3 initially announced its intent to sell Vertex Aerospace, which includes Crestview Aerospace, a couple of weeks ago. The announcement that Crestview Aerospace is for sale does not mean that layoffs or other job actions at the company's local facility are imminent, said L3 spokesman Lance Martin. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 11/21/17)

Contract: Raytheon, $59.7M

Raytheon Co. - Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., has been awarded a $59,725,813 combined firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursable contract for Enhanced Paveway II's support equipment and support hours. Work will be performed at Tucson, with an expected completion date of Feb. 28, 2019. This was a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2016 and 2018 procurement funds in the amount of $59,725,813 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8681-18-C-0010). (Source: DoD, 11/22/17)

SLS/Orion behind the scenes

WIRED magazine takes a look behind the scenes at five NASA facilities, including Michoud and Stennis Space Center, to capture how engineers build and test in preparation for the 2019 launch of the most powerful rocket ever built, the Space Launch System. (Source: WIRED, December 2017)

Monday, November 20, 2017

Martin nominated for promotion

Air Force Col. Michael E. Martin has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Martin is currently serving as the commander, 24th Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. His was among a series of appointments made by the president and announced last week by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. (Source: DoD, 11/16/17)

Contract: Arete, $7.5M

ArĂȘte Associates, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $7,455,192 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N61331-11-C-0007) to provide Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) program systems support for the AN/DVS-1 COBRA Block 1 system and support equipment. The primary mission of AN/DVS-1 COBRA program is to conduct unmanned aerial tactical reconnaissance in littoral battlespace for detection and localization of mine fields and obstacles in the surf zone and beach zone prior to amphibious assault. For the base contract, statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition used was 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(5) (authorized or required by statute (PL 106-554 SBIR)). Work will be performed in Tucson and is expected to be completed by December 2018. Fiscal 2016 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,625,005 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 11/20/17)

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Whittenberger picked for promotion

Air Force Col. William W. Whittenberger Jr. has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Whittenberger is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director of strategic plans, programs and requirements, U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. His was among a series of appointments made by the president and announced today by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. (Source: DoD, 11/15/17)

Stratolaunch to test at SSC

An agreement to test engines at a NASA center in South Mississippi is the latest sign that Stratolaunch is considering developing its own launch vehicle for its giant aircraft. The Space Act Agreement between Stratolaunch and NASA's Stennis Space Center, signed Sept. 13, covers "reimbursable testing and related support services to Stratolaunch to support propulsion, vehicle, and ground support system development and testing activities." An annex to that agreement says it involves "testing of its propulsion system test article element 1" at the E1 test stand. Stratolaunch plans to deliver the test article to Stennis for "fit tests and checkouts" by the end of May 2018, with the test series completed by the end of 2018. Stratolaunch will pay NASA $5.1 million under the reimbursable agreement to cover costs of the test campaign, including an upfront payment of $1 million. (Source: SpaceNews, 11/15/17)

Mobile has role in huge order

MOBILE, Ala. – The A320 assembly line here, which was already scheduled to build jetliners for Frontier Airlines starting next year, will now build even more thanks to a major deal announced at the Dubai Airshow today. A memorandum of understanding was signed between Airbus and Indigo Partners for 430 additional A320neo aircraft, comprised of 273 A320neos and 157 A321neos worth $49.5 billion at list price. When added to existing A320 series orders, the new agreement will make Indigo partners one of the largest customers by order number for Airbus single-aisle aircraft. Airlines in the Indigo Partners family previously have placed orders for 427 A320 family aircraft. Engine selections will be announced at a later date. "Any A320 order placed anywhere in the world is good for Mobile because it means a strong order book and solidifies the U.S. Manufacturing Facility's role in Airbus' global production network," wrote Kristi Tucker of Airbus' Mobile operation. "It's extra special when there's a direct connection to the order, such as this one." (Source: GCAC, Airbus, 11/15/17) Previous

Airbus nears historic deal

Airbus SE is nearing the biggest deal in its history, negotiating to sell 430 A320neo single-aisle planes valued at more than $40 billion to U.S. investor Indigo Partners, people familiar with the matter said. The aircraft would go to airlines in Indigo’s investment portfolio: Frontier Airlines, Mexico’s Volaris, European carrier Wizz Air Holdings and JetSmart, which began operating this year in Chile. The Airbus-Indigo transaction is set to be announced Wednesday. Airbus builds the A320 family of jetliners in Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany; Tianjin, China; and Mobile, Ala. (Source: Bloomberg, 11/14/17)

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

V-22 fleet tops 400,000 flight hours

The Bell Boeing V-22 fleet of tiltrotor aircraft, including both CV-22 and MV-22 variants, has surpassed the 400,000-flight hour milestone, Bell Helicopter and Boeing said today. The V-22 Osprey has been continuously deployed since entering service in 2007 with the United States Marine Corps and Air Force Special Operations Command in 2009. It has seen extensive action in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and as part of a U.S. Central Command Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force supporting a long-range rapid reaction/crisis response force. The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is a joint service, multirole combat aircraft that uses tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft. With its nacelles and rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, its nacelles can be rotated to transition the aircraft to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight. (Source: Boeing, 11/14/17) The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command is headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

Monday, November 13, 2017

Contract: Boeing, $11.3M

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., has been awarded an $11,266,057 modification (P00176) to a previously awarded contract (FA8678-10-C-0100) for QF-16 full-scale aerial target lot 5B. Work will be performed in St. Louis, with an estimated completion date of April 27, 2021. Fiscal 2018 procurement funds in the amount of $11,266,057 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 11/13/17)

Contract: Bell-Boeing, $10M

Bell-Boeing JPO, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded $10,056,839 for modification P00008 to a previously issued cost-plus-fixed-fee task order 0112, placed against basic ordering agreement N00019-12-G-0006. This modification provides for field representative and logistics support services in support of the V-22 aircraft for the government of Japan. Work will be performed at Camp Kisarazu, Japan (85 percent); Philadelphia, Pa. (11 percent); and Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (4 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2019. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $10,056,839 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, 11/13/17)

Blue Angels get new leader

NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA, Fla. – Capt. Ryan Bernacchi turned over command of the Navy Blue Angels to Cmdr. Eric Doyle at a ceremony Sunday at the Blue Angels Atrium inside the National Naval Aviation Museum. About 500 people, including former Blue Angels commanding officers, team members and other naval aviation leaders, attended the event. The 2018 Blue Angels will head to El Centro, Calif., for the winter and return to Pensacola in March. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 11/13/17)



C Series impact outlined

Bombardier Inc. is forecasting it plans to spend $300 million on its C Series assembly facility in Mobile, Ala., creating as many as 2,000 jobs in the U.S. Airbus and Canada-based Bombardier announced in October that they had agreed to form a partnership to build Bombardier's C Series passenger jets in Mobile. The C series project would create 400 to 500 direct jobs and 550 to 700 indirect jobs at supplier and support companies. The forecast was part of a regulatory filing. Still to be determined is the fate of the proposed import duties of 300 percent on the C Series tentatively imposed by the U.S. Department of Commerce in response to a price-dumping claim made by Boeing. (Sources: multiple, including Montreal Gazette, 11/08/17; al.com, 11/09/17; Witchita Business Journal, 11/10/17)

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Infinity displays Apollo module

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. -- An early artifact of America's moonshot program is now on display in Mississippi. Infinity Science Center is displaying the command module from Apollo 4, an unmanned 1967 mission that successfully demonstrated the full Saturn V rocket and the capsule that would carry men to the moon. The 9-hour mission showed the rocket's third stage would restart and that the command module's heat shield would withstand re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. The command module is on long-term loan from the Smithsonian Institution's National Air & Space Museum. The display is part of a redesign of the museum's space exhibits. The Saturn V rocket was among those tested at neighboring Stennis Space Center. The 8,000-pound module was stored for five years at Stennis out of public view. (Source: multiple, including AP via WREG-TV, Jackson Free Press, 11/06/17, Sun Herald, 11/10/17)

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Contract: Lockheed, $34.6M

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $34,622,661 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for weapons capabilities technology maturation and risk reduction pre-engineering, manufacturing and development activities for dual-capability F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft and small-diameter bomb 2 (SDB-II) in support of the Marine Corps and Air Force. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in July 2018. Fiscal 2017 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $6,000,000 are being obligated at the time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-18-C-1004). (Source: DoD, 11/09/17) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Tyndall hosts large exercise

And airman pushes tools along the flight line.
Air Force photo
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Personnel and equipment from Air Force installations across the country have converged on Tyndall Air Force Base in Northwest Florida to participate in Checkered Flag 18-1, a two-week, large-scale exercise that integrates the war-fighting capabilities of fourth-and fifth-generation aircraft. It’s being held with the concurrently running Weapons Systems Evaluation Program, Combat Archer. Tyndall is hosting the 525th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; 131st Fighter Squadron, Barnes Municipal Air National Guard Base, Mass.; 393th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; 79th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.; 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.; 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.; and 116th ACW, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. “What we have in our Checkered Flag airspace is an over water range that affords us the opportunity to be fully supersonic down to the ground,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Daniel Lee, 44th Fighter Group deputy commander and Checkered Flag 18-1 Air Expeditionary Wing vice commander. “This is not a capability that we have on a large scale at any other ranges within the United States.” The exercise wraps up Nov. 17. (Source: 325th Fighter Wing, 11/09/17)

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Norway gets F-35 data file

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 53rd Electronic Warfare Group's Partner Support Complex delivered the F-35 mission data file to Norway Oct. 26. This is the first overseas delivery of Block 3F mission data to a foreign nation and was accomplished in anticipation of Norway's first F-35s, which arrived last week and will be marked by a Nov.10 ceremony there. The delivery of Block 3F mission data enables the F-35 to accomplish its primary missions of air interdiction, close air support, and suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses. Mission data files enable the aircraft to know what threats to search for and when, providing the F-35 its means of deciphering the environment. The men and women of the PSC are charged with programming this essential mission data software for eight F-35 partner nations, to include Norway, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, and Denmark. (Source: 53rd Wing, 11/08/17) Previous related

Contract: Reliance Test, $48M

Reliance Test & Technology, Crestview, Fla., has been awarded a $48,000,000 modification (P00022) to a previously awarded contract (FA2486-16-C-0002) for Eglin operation and maintenance services. The modification increases the government-provided value of cost-reimbursable, contractor-acquired property for contract line item number 0005. Work will be performed at Eglin test and training complex, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., with an expected completion date of Sept. 30 2026. Fiscal 2018 research and development funds in the amount of $48,000,000 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Nov. 7, 2017) (Source: DoD, 11/08/17)

Bridenstine supports SLS, Orion

WASHINGTON — As the Senate Commerce Committee prepares to advance his nomination as NASA administrator to the full Senate, Jim Bridenstine offered pledges of continuity for many key agency programs. In response to questions submitted for the record by several members of committee, Bridenstine said he believed the Space Launch System and Orion programs are critical to the agency’s exploration plans, as well as contributions from commercial space ventures. “SLS and Orion will serve as the backbone to our country’s Deep Space exploration architecture,” Bridenstine said in response to a question from Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., about how those programs would fit into NASA’s long-term exploration plans. He used the same language in similar questions from other senators about the future of those programs. (Source: SpaceNews, 11/07/17) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are both involved in the SLS/Orion program as well as commercial space activities.

Airbus Americas getting new chief

HERNDON, Va. -- The leadership of European planemaker Airbus’ U.S. operations will change early next year when C. Jeffrey Knittel becomes chairman and chief executive posts at Airbus Americas. He will replace Airbus Americas CEO Barry Eccleston, who will retire on Feb. 28, 2018. Allan McArtor, chairman of Airbus Americas, will remain with the company as chairman emeritus. Knittel, who brings more than 25 years of global aerospace leadership experience to the position, will join the company at its Americas headquarters in Herndon Jan. 12. (Source: Airbus, 11/07/17) Gulf Coast note: Airbus Americas employs 5,000 people and its operations include an A320 series assembly line and Engineering Center in Mobile, Ala., and helicopter manufacturing facilities in Columbus, Miss., and Texas. Knittel is a trustee of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Terminal design to be shown

LAFAYETTE, La. – Design details for a new 120,000-square-foot, $90 million terminal at Lafayette Regional Airport are being unveiled this week during the airport commission’s regular meeting Wednesday. Lafayette Regional Airport was the fourth busiest in Louisiana in 2016 in terms of enplanements, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, but Airport Director Steven Picou said it operates with the smallest square-footage. “Every other airport in the state of Louisiana that has air carrier operations has had a terminal remodel or brand new terminal. Lafayette has not,” Picou said. “It’s kind of our turn.” (Source: Acadiana Advocate, 11/06/17) The airport in Lafayette, site of a Bell Helicopter facility, is along Interstate 10 west of New Orleans.

Monday, November 6, 2017

Contract: Raytheon, $17.3M

Raytheon Co. Missile Systems Division, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $17,255,491 modification (P00009) to a previously awarded contract (FA8675-15-C-0004) for High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile Targeting System (HTS) contractor logistics support (CLS) services. The contract modification provides for HTS pod CLS depot repairs and sustainment activities. Work will be performed in Tucson, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2018. Fiscal year 2018 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $12,825,015 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 11/06/17)

Flying Jennies ready again

C-130J over Keesler Nov. 3
U.S. Air Force photo by Shelton Sherrill
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. – The 815th Airlift Squadron on Friday completed its quest to reach full operational capability, four years after the squadron’s future was uncertain. The squadron and its C-130J Flying Jennies are again ready to deploy and provide combat-ready airmen for airlift mission, said Lt. Col. Stuart Rubio, 815th AS commander. As part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, the Air Force announced plans to transfer 10 of the Air Force Reserve 403rd Wing's C-130J aircraft. But two years later the Secretary of the Air Force reversed that recommendation, beginning the programming and budgeting work to restore personnel and mission capability at Keesler. The squadron trains weekly for this mission, and in honor of the squadron reaching FOC status they did just that Friday and flew a three-ship formation. During the low-level tactical flight, they practiced airdrops, flew with night vision goggles and performed other tasks to prepare for missions in a deployed location, said Rubio. (Source: 403rd Wing Public Affairs, 11/05/17) The initial plan was to deactivate the 815th and move the aircraft to North Carolina, then later the relocation site was Arkansas. Previous: Keesler to lose planes, squadron; Move of Keesler C-130Js delayed; 815th remains at Keesler for now.

Saturday, November 4, 2017

College gets new student center

LAKE CHARLES, La. -- SOWELA Technical Community College showcased its newest addition Thursday, the Sycamore Student Center. SOWELA also introduced its newly restored Boeing 727 instructional jet. The aircraft will be used to give hands-on training to students in various aviation programs. The new student center provides a number of services to students, including admissions, financial aid, enrollment and testing. (Source: KPLC-TV, 11/02/17) The center near Chennault International Airport along the Interstate 10 corridor in Southwest Louisiana trains about 130 aviation-related students every year.

Friday, November 3, 2017

Training exercise slated

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Residents of Biloxi and Keesler Air Force Base may hear an increase in noise this weekend due to a training exercise. The Air Force Reserve's 403rd Wing will hold the exercise on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the Unit Training Assembly. Sirens, alarms and loudspeaker announcements will be used to simulate realistic environments for personnel. Trainees will practice self-aid and buddy care, chemical warfare detection, and the ability to survive and operate in a deployed environment. (Source: WLOX-TV, 11/01/17)

PNS sets record; gets new route

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Pensacola International Airport (PNS) reaches a new all-time high serving 1,668,897 passengers during fiscal year 2017 (October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2017). That’s the highest count in a decade. A year before the Great Recession, the airport’s last passenger record was in FY07 when the airport served a total of 1,660,545 passengers. In addition to the record, PNS announced a second daily non-stop flight to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) aboard American Airlines will be added to the flight schedule in the spring. Beginning April 3, 2018, passengers will have the option of booking a morning nonstop flight to DCA, in addition to the current afternoon non-stop flight. (Source: City of Pensacola, 11/03/17)

Thursday, November 2, 2017

NASA opportunities discussed

MOBILE, Ala. -- Dozens of interested business representatives gathered at a NASA Business Forum that offered a chance to hear from experts involved in the business of space. Officials from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Stennis Space Center and NASA Shared Services in South Mississippi, as well as representatives from prime contractors attended the event. The message: NASA is committed to handing out hundreds of millions of dollars to small businesses every year, either through direct contracts or as subcontractors to the primes. (Source: al.com, 11/02/17) The forum was at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel. Related story, "The technology goldmine in our midst," Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor Newsletter, February 2017, p. 3-4

MAF adding tenant, jobs

NEW ORLEANS -- A new tenant is moving in and another expanding at Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in east New Orleans. The changes will add 45 new jobs. Gov. John Bel Edwards and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Todd May joined local and state officials Wednesday to announce the jobs and provide an update on the latest at MAF. In addition to the new jobs, state leaders announced plans for an aerospace program at nearby Nunez Community College to train students for careers at Michoud and other regional employers. Also, Sinter Metal Technologies, a global supplier of metal and ceramic parts that is based in Liechtenstein, announced Wednesday it will move some of its operations to MAF. The company intends to invest $5 million in a new sintering facility at Michoud to bond powder-based metals, material that will be used to make strong precision parts. The plan will create 15 jobs at an average salary of $55,000 a year. In addition, Advanced Cutting Solutions, which specializes in kit-cutting tough materials like fiberglass, Kevlar and dry carbon, also said it is expanding its presence at the facility, adding 30 new jobs at an average salary of $40,000 a year. (Source: nola.com, 11/01/17)

AF awards F-35 programmers

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The 53rd Wing’s 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron was awarded on Oct. 25 the Outstanding Scientist/Engineer Team of 2017 for their work on the F-35A Initial Operational Capability delivery at Eglin Air Force Base. This Air Force Science, Technology, Engineering and Math annual award recognizes the efforts and achievements of scientists and engineers who make significant contributions to technology and engineering. For the last seven years, 513th EWS airmen and sailors of the F-35’s U.S. Reprogramming Laboratory have been doing just that. Supercomputers, referred to as sensor fusion, make up the F-35’s brain. That brain provides the fighter with unique capabilities, making it more lethal, survivable and adaptable than any fighter aircraft on Earth, according to the Secretary of Air Force Public Affairs. However, without 513th EWS personnel inputting critical mission data into the F-35, sensor fusion wouldn’t work as intended. The aircraft wouldn’t know what threats to search for or when. In the electronic warfare world, engineers refer to this ability to understand the world, the ability to sift through stimuli and make informed decisions about how to react, as mission data software. This software helps compile countless pieces of information about the environment the F-35 will fly into. It also creates within the F-35’s brain the means of deciphering that environment. The men and women of the 513th EWS program this essential mission data software, thus teaching the F-35 how to distinguish between stimuli and making it efficient, intelligent and lethal. (Source: 53rd Wing Public Affairs, 11/01/17) Background story, "Putting the fight in the F-35," Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor Newsletter, April 2015, p. 1-2.

New air service at VPS

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – In May, travel between Okaloosa County and the nation’s capital will be easier for hundreds of military contractors and active duty personnel. The first non-stop American Airlines flights between Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) and Washington D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport will take off 11:05 a.m. May 4, according to a news release from the county. An earlier flight is scheduled to depart Washington D.C. at 8:45 a.m. the same day, with arrival in Okaloosa County expected at 10:07 a.m., the release said. The two flights will run daily. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 11/01/17) The airport is located at Eglin Air Force Base.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Contract: UTC, $19.3M

United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded a $19,266,207 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee and fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract (N00019-15-C-0004). This modification provides for procurement of extra-long-lead items in support of the low-rate initial production Lot XII F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft production. The extra-long-lead items include group hardware supporting the Lot XII delivery of conventional take-off and landing propulsion systems for the Air Force, Navy, non-Department of Defense (non-DoD) participants, and foreign military sales (FMS) customers, as well as group hardware supporting the Lot XII delivery of short take-off and vertical landing propulsion systems for the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in East Hartford (67 percent); Indianapolis, Ind. (26.5 percent); and Bristol, United Kingdom (6.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2019. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps), non-DoD participant, and FMS funds in the amount of $19,266,207, are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Marine Corps (88.04 percent); non-DoD participants (9.86 percent); Air Force (1.49 percent); FMS (0.41 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program; and Navy d.0 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 11/01/17) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center.

Contract: Multiple, $8.3B

Numerous companies, including UTS Systems LLC, Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (W911QY-18-D-0161), will share in an $8,276,161,000 hybrid (cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive, and fixed-price-redetermination) contract for Joint Enterprise Research, Development, Acquisition and Production and Procurement program to support research and development of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives defense systems, capabilities, equipment, supplies and material. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 178 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 3, 2027. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Natick, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 11/01/17)

Eglin conducting tests

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group is conducting operations from Nov. 1-3 and Nov. 6-8 in the Gulf of Mexico and Choctawhatchee Bay as part of a Weapon System Evaluation Program. Between 8 a.m. and noon jets will be releasing munitions about 20 miles south of Destin in the Gulf of Mexico. The test are being conducted within a cleared safety range. Between 1-5 p.m., about 30 boats traveling in formation will transverse between the Mid-Bay Bridge and the U.S. Highway 331 Bridge, including 10-to-20 miles south of Destin in the Gulf of Mexico, according to base officials. The boat formation will be used as visual targets by military aircraft flying over the area. Some boats will have fake deck guns and rocket launcher tubes, but no live weapons or ammunition will be involved. The boats also will be using marine flares as visual markers. (Source: News Herald, 10/27/17)