Airport sets record in April

Northwest Florida Regional Airport had the busiest month in its 54-year history in April. The airport at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., had 96,788 passengers, up 43 percent from April 2010. Last month's figure also outpaced the airport's previous high set in July 2001 by more than 13 percent. Greg Donovan, the airport director, said Vision Airlines, which expanded its service to 15 new destinations in late March and early April, was the overwhelming reason for the large increase. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 05/21/11)

Contract: System Studies, $10.3M

System Studies and Simulation, Inc., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $10,277,453 firm-fixed-price contract to provide advanced aircraft flight training services at the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, Fort Rucker, Ala. Work will be performed in Fort Rucker, Ala., with an estimated completion date of May 22, 2012. The U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Center, Fort Rucker, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/18/11)

Lakota delivered to SD Guard

EADS North America delivered the first of six UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopters to the South Dakota Army National Guard during a delivery ceremony at the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota's Black Hills. The UH-72A Lakota is produced by American Eurocopter in its Columbus, Miss., manufacturing facility at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport. The South Dakota Army National Guard will ultimately receive six Lakota helicopters, four in the Medical Evacuation configuration and two in the Security and Support Battalion configuration. (Source: EADS, 05/16/11)

Contract: Northrop Grumman, $42M

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Aerospace Systems Unmanned Systems, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $42,000,000 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract to convert eight Army Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Navy configuration. Work will be performed in Moss Point, Miss., (71 percent), and San Diego, Calif. (29 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/16/11)

Contract: Boeing, $9.2M

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $9,285,819 firm-fixed-price contract modification to provide 389 MK-82 SAASM/AJ Joint Direct Attack Munitions under production Lot 15. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. AAC/EBDK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/16/11)

403rd gets new commander

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. - The 403rd Wing now has a new commander. It's Col. Jay D. Jensen. The command changed during a ceremony at the Event Center, during which the flag passed from Brig. Gen. James Muscatell Jr. to Jensen. From April 1999 to July 2008, Jensen served with the 403rd at Keesler, working with the 815th Airlift Squadron. Muscatell commanded the wing since January 2009. He's heading for Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. (Source: Sun Herald, 05/12/11)

AF picks housing contractor

It's still is undecided where to build privatized housing at Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, but there's now a contractor to do the job. The Air Force announced that Picerne Military Housing will build the homes and then be the landlord to active-duty service members for the next 50 years. In addition to Eglin and Hurlburt, the Air Force contract includes bases in California, Alaska, Kansas and North Carolina. The deal is valued at more than $545 million. The developer will build up to 929 homes at Eglin and 484 homes on Hurlburt. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 05/12/11)

DRS Technologies cuts workforce

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. - New Jersey-based DRS Technologies has laid off about 65 workers from its Fort Walton Beach office. The layoffs were the second time this year that workers were let go. DRS cut 38 employees in February. Officials blame it on the ebb and flow of contracts. The office in Commerce and Technology Park specializes in communications, unmanned aircraft and boarder security products. It now has about 790 people. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 05/11/11)

Contract: Lockheed Martin, $45.8M

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla., is being awarded a $45,757,735 firm-fixed-price contract modification for an increase quantity buy of 75 baseline missiles for the Joint-Air-to-Surface-Missiles Program Office. Work will be performed in Orlando. The AAC/EBJK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (Source: DoD, 05/09/11)

Eglin a Predator squadron candidate

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is a candidate for an Air Force Reserve Command MQ-1 Remote Split-Operation squadron, officials said. The base is the candidate for a single MQ-1 squadron of 140 personnel and associated equipment. There are no remotely-piloted aircraft associated with this action, only ground control systems. The primary mission of an MQ-1 RSO squadron is to support the MQ-1 Predator aircraft operations that conduct close air support, air interdiction, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Remote split-operations consist of launching a drone via line-of-sight operations from one location, and controlling the aircraft remotely from a mission control element that is operated at another location beyond line-of-site. Officials will begin conducting evaluations of Eglin, covering a range of operational and facility issues. Based on the results of these efforts, officials expect to announce the preferred alternative in summer 2011. (Source: AFNS, 05/04/11)

Airport to promote Vision

Northwest Florida Regional Airport at Eglin Air Force Base/Valparaiso will spend more than a half-million dollars to market Vision Airlines in its five newest destinations. The $550,000 will pay for billboard, newspaper and television advertising for the new flights to and from Las Vegas, St. Louis, Fort Lauderdale, Memphis, Tenn., and Lafayette, La. The flights are scheduled to start the week of June 1. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 05/03/11)

NASA awards services contract

NASA has awarded five indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity sole source contracts to Aerospace Corp. of El Segundo, Calif., for specialized engineering, evaluation and test services. These five cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts will support eight NASA centers, including John C. Stennis Space Center, Miss., and have a total maximum value of $658.25 million. The period of performance is from the date of award thru Nov. 30, 2018. (Source: NASA, 04/29/11)

Blue Angels to perform

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team will perform over Pensacola Bay Tuesday and Wednesday in commemoration of the centennial of naval aviation. The Blue Angels will perform at noon Tuesday and at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Both shows will also feature vintage aircraft fly-bys and various flight demonstrations. Viewing areas are at Fort Pickens and the seawall at Naval Air Station Pensacola. (Source: Pensacola News Journal via Navy Times, 05/01/11, Baldwin County Now, 05/02/11)

NASA facility named for Estess

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - NASA and community officials paid tribute to the late John C. Stennis Space Center Director Roy S. Estess on May 2, naming a site facility in his memory and announcing establishment of the annual Roy S. Estess Public Service Leadership Award. Estess, a Mississippi native and graduate of Mississippi State University, was director of Stennis Space Center from 1989 to 2002, gaining a reputation as an agency pioneer, as well as a mentor and coach to many who later led or still lead throughout NASA. "His legacy will not be forgotten," Stennis Director Patrick Scheuermann said during the ceremony at the south Mississippi facility. "The significant contributions of Roy Estess will be etched in our memories for generations.? (Source: NASA, 05/02/11)

SBIRS encapsulated in fairing

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. - The first Lockheed Martin-built Space Based Infrared System geosynchronous spacecraft was encapsulated into its payload fairing April 20 in preparation for an early May liftoff aboard an Atlas V rocket. SBIRS GEO-1 will enhance the nation's missile warning capabilities and improve other critical mission areas. The GEO-1 satellite includes sophisticated scanning and staring sensors that will deliver enhanced infrared sensitivity and a reduction in area revisit times over the current constellation. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 04/26/11) Gulf Coast note: SBIRS is an A2100 satellite-based spacecraft. Work on the A2100 core's propulsion system, which positions the spacecraft in orbit, is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: Alliance Insight, pp 4-5, July 2009)

RS-68A completes design certification

CANOGA PARK, Calif. - Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne successfully completed the design certification review for the upgraded RS-68A engine configuration, demonstrating the hydrogen-fueled engine has met all requirements to power heavy-lift vehicles into space. The first three flight engines, 30003, 30004 and 30005, have completed acceptance testing. Engine 30003 has already been integrated onto a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle in Decatur, Ala. Integration activities for engine 30004 have been initiated, and the third engine, 30005, has successfully completed its processing at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and is awaiting shipment to Decatur in May. The three engines are scheduled to boost a future Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle into orbit carrying a government payload. (Source: PRnewswire, 04/26/11)

Contract: L-3 Vertex, $10M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $10,000,000 firm-fixed-price task order under General Services Administration Federal Supply Schedule contract for T/AV-8B aircraft maintenance and logistics support for Marine Attack Training Squadron 203 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. This task order includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this order to $10,009,858. Work will be performed at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C., and is expected to be completed by April 2016. The Cherry Point Satellite Contracting Office at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/22/11)

Fire Scouts to fly Afghan missions

Navy Fire Scouts have been shipped to the Central Command to support Army and coalition forces in Afghanistan, the Navy said. The unmanned helicopter system, under development by the Naval Air Systems Command to operate from ships, will be land-based in CENTCOM for about a year. Fixed-wing drones have performed missions in the region and elsewhere ranging from surveillance to air strikes. Fire Scout is a small helicopter able to stay aloft more than eight hours, fly up to about 17,000 feet and travel about 115 knots. The system deployed to Central Command includes three MQ-8B aircraft, two ground control station and other hardware. Personnel from Northrop Grumman will operate the system. (Source: Navy Times, 04/21/11, NAVAIR, 04/20/11) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scouts are made in part in Moss Point, Miss.

Vision adding more flights

Vision Airlines plans to offer direct flights to five new locations from Northwest Florida Regional Airport at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Vision has announced plans to add flights the week of June 1 to and from Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., St. Louis, Memphis, Tenn., and Lafayette, La. In addition to the new destinations, Vision Airlines will expand its service to and from Atlanta from four trips a week to daily. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 04/20/11)

NASA picks projects for development

NASA has selected 27 small business proposals that address critical research and technology needs for agency programs and projects for final contract negotiations. The proposals have a combined value of about $16.2 million. The selected proposals were submitted by 27 high-tech firms in 18 states, partnering with 24 research institutions in 19 states. Negotiated individual awards, each with a value of up to $600,000, will be for research projects for two years. Three of the proposals involve technologies being developed for the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: NASA, 04/20/11)