Gorgon Stare gets thumbs up

The Air Force's wide-area surveillance sensor, Gorgon Stare, is performing with at least a 90 percent availability rate in Afghanistan and has been well-received by commanders in the field. "The combatant commanders love it," Lt. Gen. Larry James, the chief of USAF intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, told IHS Jane’s in an April 18 interview. More than two years ago a Department of Defense report blasted the Sierra Nevada-made sensor, intended to provide 'city-size' images taken twice per second. It received a poor operational assessment from testers at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Source: IHS Jane’s, 04/30/13) Previous

B-2 being prepped for SLS

Duel position B-1/B-2 stand.
NASA/SSC photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Before NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS) flies to space on its inaugural mission in 2017, it will fly in place at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The B-2 Test Stand at Stennis, originally built to test the Saturn rocket stages that propelled humans to the Moon, is being renovated to test the SLS core stage in late 2016 and early 2017. When ready, the SLS stage, with four RS-25 rocket engines, will be installed on the stand for propellant fill and drain testing and two hot fire tests. The site's engineers spent 18 months assessing the cost of the work needed to upgrade the B-2 Test Stand from Apollo- and space shuttle-era testing specifications. After NASA made the decision to proceed, engineers began the first of three project phases. NASA is developing the SLS to send humans to asteroids and Mars. The SLS, once operational, will launch NASA's Orion spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The first test flight of SLS will be in 2017, when the rocket will send an unmanned Orion spacecraft around the Moon. (Sources: Astronomy, Space Fellowship, 04/29/13)

Nepal getting two A320s

Nepal Airlines signed a deal with Airbus to buy two A320 aircraft equipped with sharklet fuel-saving wing tips. The deal is valued at $183 million at catalogue prices. Nepal Airlines, founded in 1958, currently flies to four international destinations and 25 domestic airports in the heart of the Himalayas. Last week Airbus announced an $8 billion deal to provide 60 planes to China Aviation Supplies Holding Co. (Sources: al.com, hindu business line, 04/29/13) Previous

GE Aviation opens plants

ELLISVILLE, Miss. -- Gov. Phil Bryant and GE Aviation President/CEO David Joyce will be on hand Tuesday for the grand opening of the company's new 340,000-square-foot aviation components factory in Ellisville, northeast of Hattiesburg. The event is in the Howard Technology Park. The company expects to hire 250 workers within five years to make composite parts for aircraft engines and systems. GE Aviation is investing $56 million in the plant to meet growing aerospace demand. The state is providing $8 million in incentives. The plant originally was to be 300,000 square feet to 340,000 square feet. (Source: Hattiesburg American, 04/28/13) GE Aviation also officially opened on Monday a $50 million facility in Auburn, Ala., that will make parts for jet engines. It’s in Auburn Technology Park West. GE Aviation also has a plant in Batesville, Miss.

Exelis tapped for MK 105

VAN NUYS, Calif. -- ITT Exelis has been awarded a contract valued at more than $10 million to provide one MK 105 Mod 4 airborne minesweeping system for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division in Panama City, Fla. Introduced to the Navy fleet in 1972, the Exelis MK 105 system has been used in every major mine-clearance operation. The Navy's MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter tows the system through the water, and twin magnetic tails, consisting of open-electrode magnetic sweeps, are towed behind the sled, detonating mines to clear the water for vessels. The work will be done in Panama City by the Exelis radar, reconnaissance and undersea systems business area, which designs and develops integrated minesweeping systems for the U.S. and allied navies. (Source: Business Wire, 04/29/13)

China buying Airbus jetliners

China Aviation Supplies Holding Co. (CAS) signed a deal with Airbus for 60 aircraft. Airbus said the deal includes 18 wide-body A330s and 42 single-aisle A320s. The deal is worth at least $7.7 billion based on list prices. The A320's high reliability and low operational cost has appealed to Chinese airlines, while the A330 offers a solution to airport congestion in large Chinese cities as larger planes can carry more passengers with fewer flights, said Fabrice Bregier, president and chief executive officer of Airbus. As of the end of March, there were some 750 A320 aircraft in operation with 14 airlines in China and more than 110 A330 planes in service with six air carriers. (Sources: Reuters, Xinhua, 04/25/13) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in  Mobile, Ala.

Bolden: SLS on track

WASHINGTON – NASA Administrator Charles Bolden reassured lawmakers Thursday that the agency isn't foot-dragging on developing a rocket to take astronauts into deep space. "We need a 70 metric-ton vehicle and we are on schedule, on target and on cost," Bolden told members of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees NASA funding. NASA is asking for $17.7 billion for fiscal 2014, which begins Oct. 1. That includes $2.73 billion to develop the Space Launch System (SLS) consisting of an Orion multi-purpose crewed vehicle and the deep-space rocket that will carry it. (Source: Florida Today, 04/25/13) Gulf Coast note: SLS rocket engines are tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss; Orion is built in part at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, which will also build the core stage of SLS.

Airport, BP settle

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – When the Deepwater Horizon exploded in April 2010, officials at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in West Bay were preparing for a grand opening. Now three years later, the airport board put the oil spill in the past Wednesday by accepting a $5.98 million economic-loss settlement from BP instead of seeking litigation. Airport Attorney Franklin Harrison expects ECP to receive the check no later than May 1. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 04/24/13)

Residents may hear exercise

PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- Air Force Special Operations Command is hosting a field exercise to train forces in combat scenarios through May 3. Training events will take place in parts of Liberty, Calhoun and Franklin counties, but may spill into Bay County airspace. Most of the exercises will be at night, said a military spokesman. In addition to hearing aircraft noise at night, residents may also hear simulated munitions fire. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 04/24/13)

Orders for 60 F-35s eyed

Lockheed Martin may receive a $9 billion U.S. order in June for 60 F-35 jets, consolidating the sixth and seven production contracts, said the Pentagon’s program manager. The number of F-35s may rise to as many as 71 if orders from other nations are included. Some of the money for the next group of fighters already has been obligated, sparing those funds from the across-the board reductions of sequestration. The F-35’s estimated cost for a fleet of 2,443 aircraft has risen to $395.7 billion, up 70 percent from $233 billion in 2001 in current dollars. Air Force Lieutenant General Christopher Bogdan, manager of the Pentagon's F-35 program, has pressed Lockheed Martin to do a better job containing costs. He gave a generally upbeat assessment of the F-35’s progress. Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, said he feels "much more comfortable" about the F-35 program than he did a year and a half ago. (Source: Bloomberg, 04/24/13) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.

Hyatt Place at airport opens

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The new 127-room Hyatt Place Hotel Pensacola Airport is now open. More than 200 people turned out for the grand opening Wednesday. Developed by Innisfree Hotel owner Julian MacQueen, the hotel is adjacent to the airport on land leased through a long-term contract. The hotel's interior is themed around the city's Five Flags history and extensive aviation activities. Airport Director Greg Donovan said the Hyatt's amenities are "exclusive to Pensacola International." The hotel is projected to generate over $420,000 annually in non-airline revenue for the airport through lease fees, and $100,000 in local option sales taxes for the city. It will also create over $4 million in payroll revenues through 235 new jobs. (Sources: WEAR-TV, Pensacola News Journal, 04/24/13) It's the 18th Hyatt Place branded property in Florida. (Source: TravelWorld.com, 04/10/13)

Jets retired from displays

PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- Two F-101 Voodoo jets are being removed from their display perches at the city marina and Gulf Coast State College. There was a ceremony Wednesday marking the occasion. The jets will be disassembled and taken by the Air Force to a temporary storage location. The jets are being moved to make way for redevelopment and because of the cost of ongoing maintenance. The F-101 Voodoos were originally designed as deep penetration bomber escorts, but later served a reconnaissance role. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 04/24/13)

Key F-35 data link tested

The Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) waveform was successfully demonstrated in an F-35 flight test, validating an eight-year development effort. MADL, provided by Northrop Grumman's F-35 integrated communications, navigation and identification (CNI) avionics, provides pilots the equivalent capability of more than 27 avionics subsystems. The F-35 CNI avionics on two F-35 aircraft established the MADL link between two airborne platforms for the first time. Data passed between aircraft via MADL was correlated with data from other F-35 sensors by Lockheed Martin's fusion system to form a simplified situational awareness picture on the cockpit displays. Northrop Grumman, part of the Lockheed Martin F-35 team, also produces the center fuselage; designed and produces the radar and electro-optical subsystem; develops mission systems and mission planning software; leads the team's development of pilot and maintenance training system courseware; and manages the team's use, support and maintenance of low-observable technologies. (Source: Northrop Grumman, PRNewswire, 04/23/13) Gulf Coast ties: The F-35 training center is at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

NASA awards contractors

Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne of East Hartford, Conn., is NASA's large business prime contractor of the year and A2Research of Huntsville, Ala., is the agency's small business prime contractor of the year. The awards were presented Tuesday by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden in Washington. (Source: al.com, NASA, 04/23/13) Gulf Coast note: At Stennis Space Center, Miss., A2Research performs test stand calibration and support and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne tests rocket engines. The Mississippi Enterprise for Technology's March-April newsletter mentions A2Research in a feature story.

Tyndall cutting 14 positions

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Air Force will trim 16,000 civilian employees from its ranks, but only a few will come from Tyndall Air Force Base. Herman Bell, chief of Tyndall's 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, said there are about 14 civilian employees that may be impacted, and they'll likely be lost through attrition. The Defense Department announced last week the civilian force at about 60 Air Force installations would be impacted by a reduction in force. Officials pointed out the reductions are not part of the sequestration cuts, which would come later. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 04/22/13) Previous related: RIF impacts AF, Eglin; Keesler budget cut 20 percent

RR, Safran agree on RTM322

Rolls-Royce today said it reached agreement to sell its shareholding and interest in the RTM322 helicopter engine program to Turbomeca, a Safran company. Rolls-Royce's 50 percent interest in the engine program will be progressively transferred to Turbomeca, which will then hold 100 percent of the program. The RTM322 engine powers the Apache, EH101 Merlin and NH90 helicopters. The RRTM Adour engine program, which powers Hawk and Jaguar aircraft, is unaffected by the agreement, as are the other helicopter engine programs in the Rolls-Royce portfolio. The sale is expected to complete before year end, subject to closing conditions. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 04/23/13) Gulf Coast ties: Rolls-Royce has its outdoor jet engine test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Safran this month opened an engineering office at Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile, Ala.

J-2X: Steering to the future

April 4 record test. NASA/SSC photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Engineers developing NASA's next-generation rocket closed one chapter of testing with the completion of a J-2X engine test series on the A-2 test stand at the agency's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Now begins the new chapter of full motion testing on test stand A-1. The J-2X will drive the second stage of the 143-ton heavy-lift version of the Space Launch System. The rocket will provide an entirely new capability for human exploration and send humans in NASA's Orion spacecraft into deep space. J-2X engine 10002 was fired for the last time on the A-2 test stand April 17. This engine set a duration record for J-2X engine firings at Stennis' A-2 test stand on April 4 when it fired for 570 seconds, beating the previous mark set less than a month earlier on March 7, when the same engine ran for 560 seconds. This is the second J-2X engine Stennis has test fired. Last year, test conductors put the first developmental J-2X engine, called 10001, through its paces. According to J-2X managers, both performed extremely well. When the engine is eventually used in space, it will need to be able to move to help steer the rocket. (Source: NASA, 04/22/13, Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne via PRNewswire, 04/24/13)

RR wins IAG Trent order

Rolls-Royce won a $1.6 billion order from International Airlines Group (IAG) for Trent XWB engines to power 18 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. In addition, IAG has placed options for a further 18 A350 aircraft. The A350-1000 aircraft is powered exclusively by the higher-thrust version of the Trent XWB. The engine, specifically designed for the A350 XWB, is the fastest selling Trent engine ever with more than 1,200 sold. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 04/22/13) Gulf Coast ties: Rolls-Royce Outdoor Jet Engine Test Facility at Stennis Space Center tests Trent series of Rolls-Royce engines, including the XWB; the thrust reverser for the XWB was built by Goodrich, since purchased by United Technologies. It has a service center in Foley, Ala; Airbus will be building A320 jetliners in Mobile, Ala.

Vice commander retires

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Col. Andrew Cain, 2nd Air Force vice commander, retired with 30 years of military service Friday at the Bay Breeze Event Center. Maj. Gen. Len Patrick, 2nd Air Force commander, was the presiding officer for the event. (Source: Keesler AFB, 04/22/13)

Contract: Northrop, $35.7M

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Aerospace Systems Sector, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $35,696,841 contract modification for Global Hawk engineering and manufacturing development. The total cumulative face value of the multi-year contract is $2,297,747,550. Work will be performed at San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by January 2017. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WIGK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/22/13) Gulf Coast note: Fuselage work on Global Hawks is done in Moss Point, Miss.