Eglin buying big Boeing bombs

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - The Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., said it will buy 20 massive bombs designed to destroy hard targets or targets deep underground. The 30,000-pound bombs - Massive Ordnance Penetrator – were developed by the Air Force and Boeing. Five bombs will be used for tests. (Source: Air Force Times, 06/10/09)

Eglin named historic site

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics named Eglin Air Force Base a historic aerospace site for 2009. It was among four international locations getting the honor. The selection is to recognize noteworthy cultural and technological contributions made in both aeronautics and astronautics. A bronze plaque will be mounted at the Air Force Armament Museum at a ceremony in September. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 06/09/2009)

Whiting gets larger buffer

Nearly 1,400 acres near Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., are now protected from further development. Florida's Cabinet on Tuesday approved the $5.1 million acquisition of the land in Santa Rosa County. It's part of a larger Florida Forever project to fill in protected land between Whiting and the Blackwater River State Forest. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 06/10/09)

Fisherman hooks missile

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – A commercial fisherman caught an 8-foot missile while out in the Gulf of Mexico near Panama City and Tyndall Air Force Base late last month. He kept it on his boat for the rest of his 14-day trip until he returned to Madeira Beach, near Tampa. That’s when he learned it was a live air-to-air missile. The Gulf Coast region where he found the missile is used by the military for training. Target drones have also washed ashore. (Source: St. Petersburg Times, 06/09/09) Note: Later reports showed the missile was not live and did not have explosives.

Inouye keeps split tanker buy option

The chairman of the Appropriations Committee hasn’t ruled out directing the Pentagon to buy tankers from both Boeing and Northrop Grumman. Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, said he’s received industry reports suggesting a split contract would achieve savings of as much as $42 billion when buying at least 360 aircraft over 30 years. He says he can’t ignore that. (Source: Bloomberg via Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 06/08/09) Gulf Coast note: Boeing wants to build the planes in Washington State and Northrop and partner EADS want to build them in Mobile, Ala.

Commentaries urge split buy

Congressman Jeff Miller of Florida and former Navy secretary John Lehmann wrote separate commentaries in Politico and Defense News, respectively, pointing out that buying tankers from Northrop Grumman and Boeing may be less expensive. Lehmann argues that annual competition used to be the norm. He cites examples that show making companies compete every year tends to drive down prices. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates strongly opposes a split tanker buy. If Boeing wins it will build the planes in Washington State, and if Northrop wins the planes will be built in Mobile, Ala. (Source: Politico, 06/07/09; Defense News, 06/08/09)

Park's use of runway moves forward

MILTON, Fla. – A proposed aviation park’s hope to get access to a military base’s taxiway and runway has moved a step closer. The Office of the Assistant Under Secretary of the Navy gave approval to Naval Air Station Whiting Field to negotiate with Santa Rosa County for a limited use agreement. It would allow tenants of the proposed Whiting Aviation Park to use a 6,000 foot runway to bring in aircraft requiring maintenance. Crestview’s Bob Sikes Industrial Air Park has a similar joint use agreement with the Air Force. (Source: Santa Rosa County, 06/04/09)

GBU-53/B datalink ready to fly

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - Raytheon completed a series of hardware-in-the-loop lab tests on the GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II's datalink, a key step to clearing the datalink for flight tests later this month. Engineers verified the Rockwell Collins datalink worked as anticipated. Raytheon is competing for a GBU-53/B engineering and manufacturing development contract, scheduled to be awarded in late 2009 with delivery of production rounds beginning in late 2013. (Source: Raytheon, 06/05/09) Gulf Coast note: Eglin is home of the Air Armament Center, which develops and tests aerial weaponry.

Northrop: Split tanker buy less costly

A report prepared by Northrop Grumman says buying aerial tankers from Boeing and Northrop could offer significant long-term savings. That’s different than what Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says. He says a split buy would add $7 billion to $14 billion to the price tag. Northrop points out that it’s not advocating a split buy, just providing the information. (Source: Reuters, 06/04/09) Gulf Coast note: Northrop and partner EADS want to build the tankers in Mobile, Ala. Boeing wants to build its planes in Washington State.

Resolution possible in F-35 fight

VALPARAISO, Fla. – A break may be looming in the dispute between the city of Valparaiso and the Air Force over the F-35. WEAR-TV reports the city and Air Force filed a joint motion to put Valparaiso's suit against the Air Force on hold 90 days so they can work towards a settlement. The suit seeks to prevent the Air Force from establishing the Joint Strike Fighter Training Center at Eglin Air Force Base. Valparaiso, concerned about the noise, also has a suit over public records. (Source: WEAR-TV, 06/04/09)

ACCA a game-changer for plane makers?

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Air Force Research Laboratory and Lockheed Martin had a demonstration flight of the Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft June 2 at Palmdale, Calif. The ACCA is a modified Dornier 328J with the fuselage aft of the crew station and the vertical tail removed and replaced with new structural designs made of advanced composite materials fabricated using out-of-autoclave curing. The ACCA program manager said the program has the potential of changing aircraft manufacturing. (Source: AFNS, 06/03/09) Gulf Coast note: South Mississippi is known national for its advanced materials research; the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing is located in New Orleans; unmanned aerial systems are built in Moss Point, Miss.; EADS hopes to assemble tankers and cargo planes in Mobile, Ala.

Tanker tests underwing pods

The aircraft Northrop Grumman and partner EADS hope to use as an Air Force tanker, the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, conducted successful in-flight contacts using its new generation hose and drogue refueling pod. The tests of the underwing pods were performed with a Royal Australian Air Force A330 and F/A-18A fighter. The tanker also has a fuselage hose and drogue. (Source: EADS, 06/04/09) Gulf Coast note: Boeing and Northrop Grumman are competing for the Air Force contract. Northrop and partner EADS will assemble the planes, called a KC-45, in Mobile, Ala., if they win.

Lockheed gets $1.5B for SBIRS

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.5 billion contract for the third highly elliptical orbit (HEO-3) payload, the third geosynchronous orbit (GEO-3) satellite and associated ground modifications for the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) constellation. The SBIRS program provides early warning of missile launches, and simultaneously supports other missions including missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness. (Source: PRNewswire, 06/02/09) Gulf Coast note: SBIRS work locations include the SBIRS Wing at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Sunnyvale, and Azusa, Calif.; Boulder, Denver, and Colorado Springs, Colo.; Gaithersburg, Md.; Valley Forge, Pa.; and Lockheed Martin Space & Technology Center at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Airbus not expecting big sales at show

Tom Enders, the chief executive of Airbus, says he doesn’t expect big orders at this month’s Paris Air Show. Enders said Airbus must keep expanding abroad to stay competitive and leave national sentiment behind. “Airbus will only remain competitive in the long term if it develops resources and markets globally and becomes a genuinely international company, with development and production also in the U.S., China, India and elsewhere.” Airbus has already set up an aircraft assembly line in China, and India has pressed Airbus for a production line there as well. But Airbus has been busy in domestic restructuring, aircraft production delays and union opposition to offshoring. (Source: Liverpool Daily Post, 06/03/09) Gulf Coast note: Airbus parent EADS hopes to win an Air Force contract for tankers and assemble them in Mobile, Ala. It also plans to build cargo aircraft in Mobile if it wins.

Contract: Lockheed, $2.1B

Lockheed Martin is being awarded a $2,106,525,040 modification of a previously awarded Joint Strike Fighter air system low rate initial production Lot III advance acquisition contract to a cost-plus-incentive-fee/award-fee contract. This modification provides for the procurement of seven Air Force conventional take off and landing and one CTOL for the Netherlands; seven Marine Corps short take-off and vertical landing and two STOVLs for the United Kingdom. Work will be performed in Texas, California, Florida, New Hampshire, Maryland and the United Kingdom and is expected to be completed in December 2011. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force, Marine Corps, and the governments of the Netherlands and United Kingdom. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/02/09) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., will become home of the Joint Strike Fighter Training Center.

Space review panel named

An independent 10-member panel that will review the nation’s human space flight program will hold its first meeting June 17 in Washington. Recommendations will be made by the end of August. The administration last month announced formation of the panel and named former Lockheed Martin CEO Norman Augustine to head the panel. The remaining nine members were announced Monday. (Source: New York Times, 06/02/09) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are involved in the space program.

Gulfports gets another new flight

GULFPORT, Miss. - Grand Casino Biloxi and IP Casino Resort teamed with Southern Skyways to offer nonstop flights between Atlanta and Gulfport three days a week at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Flights on a 117-seat Boeing 717 operated by AirTran Airways will begin July 8. This is the third announcement of new service to Gulfport in the past three months. (Source: Sun Herald, 06/01/09)

Bonner, Davis weigh in on tanker fight

The Washington Times published a commentary by Reps. Jo Bonner and Artur Davis of Alabama, urging the Pentagon to build on the original Request for Proposal rather than go back to square one in the tanker competition. Boeing and the Northrop Grumman/EADS team are competing for the $40 billion contract to replace the fleet of KC-135s. Northrop won the contract but it was overturned following a Boeing protest. The competition is scheduled to get underway again this summer. (Source: Washington Times, 06/02/09) Gulf Coast note: Boeing wants to build the tankers in Washington State and Northrop wants to build them in Mobile, Ala.

Contract: AeroVironment, $7M

Aerovironment Inc. of Monrovia, Calif., is being awarded a $7 million modification to an existing contract increasing the contract maximum to $10 million for updated DDL compliant Raven B small unmanned aerial vehicle spares and retrofit kits in support of the U.S. Special Operations Command program executive office - fixed wing. The work will be performed in Simi Valley, Calif., and is expected to be completed by August 2011. (Source: DoD, 06/01/09) Gulf Coast note: AeroVironment has an operation in Navarre, Fla.

Rockwell buys DataPath

Iowa-based Rockwell Collins has completed the acquisition of satellite-based communication network developer DataPath Inc. Rockwell Collins acquired all outstanding shares of DataPath in a cash transaction worth some $130 million. (Source: Business Wire, 06/01/09) Gulf Coast note: Rockwell Collins has an operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.