Marines get first F-35C

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - The first F-35C for the U.S. Marine Corps arrived on the flight line earlier this month from the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas, to begin training in support of carrier-based operations. Lt. Col. J.T. "Tank" Ryan, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501 detachment commander and F-35 pilot, delivered the new F-35C to Strike Fighter Squadron 101, the Navy's only F-35 fleet replacement squadron. This aircraft is the first of five Marine Corps F-35Cs that will be delivered to VFA-101 at Eglin. Marine F-35 pilots primarily fly F-35Bs, the short take-off vertical landing variant. The F-35C is the carrier variant, designed to catapult from a carrier. It has a longer range and a larger weapons bay. The first operational Marine Corps F-35C fleet squadron, VMFA-115, is scheduled to stand up at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., in 2019. (Source: 33rd Fighter Wing via DVIDS, 01/23/15)

Contract: L-3, $15.6M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $15,634,434 modification (P00001) to contract W912NW-15-F-0002 for a six month extension of the current bridge contract at Corpus Christi Army Depot, Corpus Christi, Texas, to provide highly specialized aircraft production indirect labor services augmenting the civilian workforce. Fiscal 2015 other procurement funds in the amount of $15,634,434 were obligated at the time of the award. The estimated completion date is July 28, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Corpus Christi Army Depot, Corpus Christi, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/23/15)

Union rates released

The percent of wage and salary workers who were members of unions in 2014 was 11.1 percent, down 0.2 percent from 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The number of union members, 14.6 million, was little different from 2013. But the drop from 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available, was significant. In that year the union membership rate was 20.1 percent, and there were 17.7 million union workers. In the four states that are part of the I-10 aerospace corridor, the rate went up slightly in three of the four and remained the same in the other. Mississippi had the lowest union membership with a rate of 3.7 percent, same as in 2013. Louisiana had a union membership rate of 5.2 percent in 2014, up from 4.3 in 2013, and Florida had a union membership rate of 5.7 percent, up from 5.4 in 2013. Alabama's union membership rate was 10.8 percent in 2014, up from 10.7 in 2013. (Source: GCAC, 01/23/15)

Bases to host three solar farms

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Gulf Power is partnering with the Air Force and Navy at three military bases in Northwest Florida to build large-scale solar energy farms. Tentative plans call for the farms to be located at Eglin Air Force Base near Fort Walton Beach (30 megawatts), Holley Outlying Field in Navarre (40 megawatts) and Saufley Field in Pensacola (50 megawatts). As an intermittent engery resource, the solar farms will not replace Gulf Power's generation plants, but will be able to provde energy that will diversify the power supply and provide a cost-effective alternative during peak energy usage. If approved by the Florida Public Service Commission, HelioSage Energy of Virginia would begin construction in February 2016 and the solar farms could be in service by December 2016. (Source: Gulf Power, 01/22/15) According to Eglin officials, the base has entered into negotiations to lease 240 acres adjacent to Northwest Florida Regional Airport for the Gulf Power/HelioSage project.

Contract: L-3, $16.4M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $16,445,946 modification (P00001) to contract W912NW-15-F-0001 for a six month extension of the current bridge contract at Corpus Christi Army Depot to provide highly specialized aircraft production direct labor services, which augment the CCAD civilian workforce. Fiscal 2015 other procurement funds in the amount of $16,445,946 were obligated at the time of the award. The estimated completion date is July 28, 2015. Work will be performed at the Corpus Christi Army Depot, Corpus Christi, Texas. Army Contracting Command, Corpus Christi Army Depot, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/22/15)

Praxair gets SSC-related contract

DANBURY, Conn. -- Praxair Inc. has been awarded a NASA a contract valued at $53 million over five years for acquisition of liquid hydrogen. Praxair's hydrogen supply network will provide liquid hydrogen to Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; Marshall Space Flight Center, Ala.; and Glenn Research Center, Ohio. NASA uses liquid hydrogen as fuel for rocket engine development, testing and the launching of spacecraft. NASA also awarded Praxair a five-year liquid oxygen supply agreement for Kennedy. Previously, the Department of Defense awarded Praxair a five-year liquid hydrogen supply agreement for missions launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. (Source: Business Wire, 01/22/15)

Japan to host Marine F-35Bs

The U.S. Marine Corps is moving forward with plans to base its fleet of F-35B's in Japan and the United States. In 2017, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, the "Green Knights," will permanently relocate from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. Marine F-35 squadrons will also routinely deploy to Japan on six month rotations as part of the service's unit deployment program. F-35Bs at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where pilots and maintainers are trained, will be included in the rotation. (Source: Marine Corps Times, 01/21/15) Previous related

Airport name change delayed

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- Okaloosa County commissioners voted Tuesday to rename Destin Airport by adding “Executive” to the middle of its name. But they delayed changing the name of Northwest Florida Regional Airport to Destin-Ft. Walton Beach International Airport. The commission decided to delay any decision on the larger, commercial airport because two commissioners wanted more time and there was also a technical issue with the documents. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 01/20/15) Previous

Contract: Lockheed, $37.6M

Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems Inc., Bethesda, Md., was awarded a $37,556,621 modification (P00008) to contract W912DY-14-F-0423 to exercise the first option for the Next Generation Technical Services (NGTS) III requirement. The scope of this effort contains the management and technical support necessary to advance high performance computing services, capabilities, infrastructure and technologies. It includes the development of new techniques, analytical methods and computational approaches to solve particular high performance computing problems or to generally advance the state of the art in high performance computing effectiveness and efficiency. Fiscal 2014 and 2015 research, development, testing and evaluation, other procurement (Army) and operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $20,400,771 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is May 19, 2015. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Vicksburg, Miss.; and Lorton, Va. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/21/15)

IHMC expansion moves ahead

Artists drawing of new IHMC building

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition is back on track with an expansion of its research facility following a nearly year-long delay caused by flooding in April 2014. Completion is scheduled for February 2016. The three-story, 30,000-square-foot building will consolidate work done at several buildings, increase IHMC's footprint and allow for future growth. The building facade will be reminiscent of the historic old brick warehouses that dominate the area. IHMC is a research institute investigating a broad range of topics related to building technological systems aimed at amplifying and extending human cognitive, perceptual, and physical capacities. Some of its work is in the field of aerospace. (Source: IHMC, 01/20/15)

MUOS has successful launch

The third Navy Mobile User Objective System satellite launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Tuesday night atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V. The MUOS satellite is designed to improve secure satellite communications for mobile U.S. forces. Five of the Lockheed Martin MUOS satellites will eventually be launched to form the constellation. Two MUOS satellites launched in 2012 and 2013 are already providing communications capability from their orbits 22,000 miles above Earth. Ultimately, the constellation and network will extend narrowband communications availability past 2025. Work on the core propulsion system for the A2100 satellite-based spacecraft is done by Lockheed Martin at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: GCAC, 01/20/15) Previous

Milton lands Aerosync

MILTON, Fla. – Aerosync Support, which specializes in helicopter repair, modifications and upgrades, will set up shop at the Santa Rosa Industrial Park. The company, which will employ 25 workers, bought the former West Coat Metal Roofing building and is making a capital investment in excess of $1.75 million. Aerosync qualified for a performance-based incentive program aimed at increasing high-skilled, high-wage jobs in Florida. Aerosync provides support for Bell and Sikorsky helicopters for both the commercial and military markets. Greg Bartlett, president of Aerosync, said the company decided on Santa Rosa County because of the large aerospace market, and the Santa Rosa Industrial Park offers the opportunity for expansion. The company also has operations in Wichita, Kan., and Bogota, Colombia. (Source: GCAC, 01/20/15)

Airport name change weighed

Okaloosa County Airports Director Sunil Harman will ask commissioners on Tuesday to change the name of Northwest Florida Regional Airport to the Destin-Ft. Walton Beach International Airport. The proposal also calls for renaming the Destin Airport the Destin Executive Airport. Officials began considering the changes after a study showed that passengers saw the Northwest Florida Regional name as too vague, generic and wordy. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 01/19/15)

Silver to serve PNS, ECP

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Silver Airways announced today that it will serve both Pensacola and Panama City in Northwest Florida beginning March 19. Silver Airways is launching nonstop service between Pensacola International Airport (PNS) and Jacksonville. On the same date it's also launching daily flights between Panama City's Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) and Orlando and Tampa. Silver Airways uses 34-seat Saab 340B Plus turbo-prop aircraft for all its flights. (Sources: Silver Airways ECP, Silver Airways PNS, 01/19/15)

UTC splits propulsion, aero systems

United Technologies Corp. on Thursday said it will eliminate UTC Propulsion and Aerospace Systems and create two stand-alone business units: engine-maker Pratt and Whitney and UTC Aerospace Systems. Alain Bellemare, president and chief executive officer of UTC Propulsion and Aerospace Systems, elected to leave the company at the end of the month but continue serving as a consultant. The company said creation of the two stand-alone business units is the result of Bellemare's decision along with the successful integration of Goodrich Corp., purchased in 2012. UT Aerospace Systems has 160 locations in 26 countries, including Foley, Ala., and has nearly 42,000 employees. UTC is based in Hartford, Conn.  (Sources: multiple, including UTC, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, 01/15/15) Gulf Coast note: The UTC Foley aerostructures unit designs, builds and supports nacelle systems for both civilian and military aircraft and operates the Alabama Service Center, a maintenance, repair and overhaul site dedicated to nacelle components.

Contract: L-3, $60.3M

L-3 Communications Corp., Madison, Miss., was awarded a $60,320,578 modification (P00143) to contract W58RGZ-10-C-0107 to support maintenance for the Army's fleet of C-12/RC-12/UC-35 fixed wing aircraft. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $60,320,578 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is July 31, 2015. Work will be performed in Madison. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/15/15)

Air Europa selects Trent 1000

Spanish carrier Air Europa has selected Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines and long term service support, worth $1.1 billion, for 14 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Air Europa already has eight Trent 1000-powered 787-8s on order that will enter service in 2016. Rolls-Royce powered the very first Boeing 787 test flight in December 2009, the first 787-8 to enter service in October 2011, and the first 787-9 to enter service last year. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 01/15/15) Gulf Coast note: Rolls-Royce Trent engines are tested at the company's outdoor test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Airbus to juggle jetliner production

Airbus moved closer towards raising production of its best-selling A320 on Tuesday, declaring the supply chain stable and hinting at a decision to produce more of the A320 in coming months. But it also conceded it may have to reduce production of its wide-body A330 further than previously anticipated, amid waning demand for the jet that faces competition from Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Airbus builds 42 A320-family jets a month and is targeting 46 a month. Boeing has set plans for 52 a month and industry sources say it has started sounding out suppliers on whether they could support as many as 58. Airbus produces 10 A330s a month and plans to trim this to nine. Analysts believe it could have to cut to as few as six a month. (Source: Reuters, 01/13/15) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., that will open in the fall of this year.

Swoop resigns Florida post

Florida's top jobs recruiter is stepping down from his post at the end of next month. Gray Swoope, the state's secretary of commerce and head of Enterprise Florida, served during the entire first term of Gov. Rick Scott. The 53-year-old Swoope, who came to Florida after serving as Mississippi's economic development chief, said he plans to remain in Florida but did not say what he plans to do next. (Sources: multiple, including release from Enterprise Florida, AP via Orlando Sentinel, Tampa Bay Business Journal, 01/14/15)

Contract: HX5, $3M (corrected)

HX5 LLC, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., has been awarded a $3,074,596 (corrected by DoD 01/16/15) cost-reimbursement incentive contract for advisory and assistance services. The contractor will provide combat rescue helicopter program support. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 29, 2020. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition via the General Services Administration's One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) utilizing the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business segment with five offers received. Fiscal year 2015 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,500,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, is the contracting activity (FA8622-15-F-8105). (Source: DoD, 01/14/15)