Contract: FPL, $7.6M

Florida Power and Light Co., Juno Beach, Fla., is awarded a $7,625,323 firm-fixed-price task order (N6945022F0100) under previously-awarded basic ordering agreement N69450-19-G-0101 for implementation of energy improvements at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., based on the findings of a preliminary assessment and investment grade audit. Work will be performed in Pensacola and is expected to be completed by December 2023. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy) (energy reinvestment) funds in the amount of $1,100,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One proposal was received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/21/22)

Human error, tape blamed for crash

Several mistakes, including maintenance, pilot and technology errors, plus a piece of tape, combined to cause a May 2020 crash in Northwest Florida that totaled an F-22 Raptor fighter, according to the results of an Air Force investigation. Redacted results of a commander-directed inquiry into the $202 million incident, obtained by Air Force Times via the Freedom of Information Act, sheds the most light so far on what was behind the crash of one of the nation’s most advanced airframes at the Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., training range. (Source: Tampa Bay Times, 01/21/22) Previous

Airbus plans hiring spree

Airbus intends to recruit 6,000 new employees during the first half of 2022. The hiring drive will take place worldwide, with an emphasis on acquiring new skills to support the company’s decarbonization efforts, digital transformation, and cyber technology. Most of 2020 and 2021 were times of uncertainty in the aviation industry due in large part to the pandemic. Now some actors are beginning to look to the future and the aerospace industry at large is beginning to show significant signs of recovery. Airbus announced on Wednesday it is looking to hire new talent and will start 2022 with a recruitment plan across the entire group, particularly to help implement Airbus’ roadmap for decarbonization. (Source: SimpleFlying, 01/20/22) Airbus assembles both A320 and A220 passenger jets in Mobile, Ala., where it also has an engineering center.

First RS-25 test of year

RS-25 test. NASA/SSC photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - NASA conducted its first RS-25 engine hot fire test of the new year Jan. 19 on the Fred Haise Test Stand at Stennis Space Center. The test was the second hot fire in the latest series that began in mid-December. Each test in the series is providing data to NASA's lead contractor, Aerojet Rocketdyne, on a variety of new engine components manufactured with state-of-the-art fabrication techniques as the company begins production of new RS-25 engines. These engines will help power the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on future deep-space missions. During launch, four RS-25 engines will power the SLS, generating a combined 2 million pounds of thrust during ascent. The RS-25 engines for the first four SLS flights are upgraded space shuttle main engines and have completed certification testing. NASA will use the data from this test to enhance production of new RS-25 engines and components for use on subsequent SLS missions. The testing is part of NASA's and Aerojet Rocketdyne's effort to use advanced manufacturing methods to reduce the cost and time needed to build new engines. (Source: NASA/SSC, 01/19/22)

SSC expects active 2022

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - As the new year begins, seven of the nine test stands at Stennis Space Center (SSC) are being used for testing. Four stands are being operated by NASA directly, one is under a Reimbursable Space Act Agreement with Aerojet Rocketdyne, and two have been turned over to Relativity Space Inc. for operation under a Commercial Space Launch Act. The outlook for 2022 activity is a carry-over from 2021, when rocket engine testing featured 11 test campaigns, including seven NASA-led projects, on eight test stands. The year’s activity totaled 434 tests and 7,341 seconds of cumulative firing time. On the commercial front, SSC partnered with seven companies on rocket engine and component testing projects during the recent year – Aerojet Rocketdyne, Relativity Space, Virgin Orbit, Blue Origin, Ursa Major, Launcher, and Firehawk. Aerojet Rocketdyne conducted the final scheduled RS-68 hot fire acceptance test on the B-1 Test Stand in April. However, several of the other companies are continuing testing projects into 2022. There also is the possibility of participating in partnerships with additional companies in the new year. (Source: NASA/SSC, 01/18/22)

Contract: HII, $10.6M

Huntington Ingalls Inc., Pascagoula, Miss., was awarded a $10,600,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract action for temporary dock services and maintenance to the ship, including but not limited to, preventative and corrective maintenance, as required, to prepare for the combat system availability for DDG 1002. Work will be performed in Pascagoula and is expected to be completed by May 2022. Fiscal 2022 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $5,300,000 was obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) — only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-22-C-2300). (Awarded Jan. 13, 2022) (Source: DoD, 01/18/22)

SLS progress updated

Casting Artemis 4 booster in Utah. NASA photo

NASA on Tuesday provided an update on the rockets that will carry NASA astronauts to the moon in a few years. NASA officials wrote that the agency and manufacturing partners have made "great progress" on putting together the Space Launch System (SLS) for Artemis 2, a crewed moon-orbiting mission targeted to lift off in 2024. Testing and manufacturing of SLS parts is also underway for the moon-landing Artemis 3 mission, expected no earlier than 2025, and its successor Artemis 4. In July, the Artemis 2 SLS's interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) arrived in Florida, near its launch site at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The ICPS is now finishing final preparations at facilities of United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Boeing for delivery to KSC. The ICPS for the Artemis 3 SLS is under construction at ULA's factory in Decatur, Ala. The boosters and RS-25 engines for both the Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 rockets are in the final stages of assembly, NASA officials said. The Artemis 2 engines are ready for integration with the SLS core stage at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, while the Artemis 3 engines are under preparation at an Aeroject Rocketdyne facility at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. Also, technicians with Northrop Grumman have completed casting booster motor segments for Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 in Utah and are starting to work on the segments for Artemis 4, NASA officials said. NASA also pointed to progress on elements such as the cone-shaped launch vehicle stage adapters for Artemis 2 and 3, along with panel manufacturing for a universal stage adapter test article for future missions. (Source: NASA, 01/11/22)

AC-130 105mm upgraded

Dahlgren engineers with new GAU. Navy photo

DAHLGREN, Va. – Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) engineers designed, developed, and delivered an upgraded 105mm Gun Aircraft Unit (GAU) specifically made with the Air Force Special Operations AC-130 gunships in mind. The new weapon replaces the former gun system, comprised of the M102 Howitzer and M137A1 recoil mechanism, which are no longer supported by the Army, forcing an upgrade. Dahlgren engineers behind the 105mm gun worked with the warfighter to get real-time feedback from experienced gunners and technicians at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Robins Air Force Base, Ga.; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Hurlburt Field, Fla.; and Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. Gunners and technicians also came to Dahlgren to provide insight on the hardware’s performance after testing. (Source: NSWCDD Public Affairs Office, 01/12/22)

Media invited to SLS roll out

Artemis I inside High Bay 3. NASA photo

NASA has reopened media registration to capture images and video of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft rolling out for the first time. The combined rocket and spacecraft will move out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., for testing not earlier than mid-February 2022. NASA is currently reviewing the exact date for the move. SLS and Orion will journey to Launch Pad 39B atop the transporter-2crawler in preparation for the agency’s Artemis I mission. The test is tentatively targeted for later in February. (Source: NASA, 01/11/22) Gulf Coast note: Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans builds major portions of the SLS and Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests the RS-25 engines that launch the SLS. Previous; Previous related

Faury: Airbus eyes production hike

CEO Guillaume Faury hinted Airbus will raise A320neo series production above the current 2023 target of 65 aircraft per month in 2024 and 2025. Market dynamics and the momentum for new orders led Faury to say Jan. 10 that an increase in rates is “very likely at a point in time.” A decision will be made by the middle of 2022. Airbus delivered 611 aircraft in 2021, 8 percent more than a year earlier. The growth was entirely based on expansion of narrow-body production. The manufacturer secured 771 gross orders for the year, but also 264 cancellations. Deliveries included 50 A220s, 12 more than in 2020, and 483 A320 series aircraft, up from the 446 in 2020. In 2019, it delivered 48 A220s and 642 A320s. Seventy-seven aircraft were delivered from the U.S. final assembly line in Mobile, Ala. The 771 gross orders compare to 383 in 2020 and 1,131 in 2019. (Source: AviationWeek, 01/10/22)

Airbus and sustainable fuel

MOBILE, Ala. – All Airbus aircraft from its U.S. manufacturing facility are being delivered with a blend of U.S.-sourced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and conventional jet fuel. It's part of Airbus’ long-term goal is zero carbon-producing commercial aircraft by 2035. Since the launch of this initiative, American Airlines, Breeze Airways, Delta Air Lines and Spirit Airlines have taken delivery of Airbus aircraft with SAF. The remainder of Airbus customer airlines will be added to this list in accordance with delivery schedules.“We have reached an agreement with Signature Flight Support to supply SAF to our Mobile facility,” said Daryl Taylor, vice president and general manager of the Mobile plant. Signature Flight Support is working in partnership with World Energy to provide the U.S.-sourced SAF to Airbus. The Mobile plant produces A220 and A320 passenger jets to U.S.-based customers. Since 2016, the company has delivered 284 Airbus aircraft from Mobile. (Source: AviationPros, 01/11/22)

Base getting new leader

NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA, Fla. - A change of command is coming to Naval Air Station Pensacola this month. Captain Terrence Shashaty will assume command of NAS Pensacola from Captain Tim Kinsella in a Jan. 13 ceremony. Shashaty, a Brooklyn, New York, native and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, is reporting to NAS Pensacola following duty with the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the electronic warfare branch chief for the Deputy Directorate for Global Operations. Shashaty began his aviation training at NAS Pensacola and earned his pilot wings in 2000. (Source: WEAR-TV, 01/07/22)

United ending Destin-FWB service

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — United Airlines announced that as of March 4 it will discontinue service at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. The carrier, one of five operating out of the airport locate within the base, said in a statement that it was "due to changes in the long-term sustainability" of the route. Okaloosa County Airports Director Tracy Stage said he said he did not expect United's departure to be permanent. Airline officials had informed airport officials that the decision had been made to take a year-long hiatus while it addressed a significant shortage of pilots. (Sources: WEAR-TV, Northwest Florida Daily News, 01/06/22)

Contract: Peraton, $18M

Peraton Inc., Herndon, Va., has been awarded an $18,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for sustaining engineering services support for the B-1B Reprogrammable Electronic Warfare Systems test and B-52 Bomber Electronic Attack Systems test facilities and special test equipment. Work will be performed in Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 10, 2027. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,158,666 are being obligated at the time of award. This is a sole-source acquisition. Air Force Test Center, Eglin AFB, is the contracting activity (A2486-22-D-0001). (Source: DoD, 01/07/22)

AFSOC history office wins award

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. - The Air Force Special Operations Command History and Heritage Office received the Department of the Air Force’s Excellence in Command History Program Management Award for 2021. The award recognizes the best primary or field command history office for outstanding history and heritage programs leadership that provided exemplary historical services to improve organizational effectiveness, esprit de corps, and combat capability. The primary roles of a history office is gathering and submitting annual histories, which detail the significant events of the unit. The AFSOC History Office also documents the actions of air commandos of the past, focusing on the insight of their operations to reinvest important information into the command’s decision-making process. (Source: AFSOC Public Affairs, 01/06/22)

Feed shuts down this month

After 13 years covering aerospace/aviation activities in the Gulf Coast I-10 region, this daily news feed will suspend operations Jan. 31, 2022 due to the loss of underwriters/funding. - Editor

Contract: Lockheed, $8.2M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded an $8,240,416 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001922F0016) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001919G0008). This order provides program management, delivery management, project engineering, and logistics support services required to deliver air vehicle initial spares for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Foreign Military sales (FMS) customers, and non-Department of Defense (DOD) partners. Work will be performed in Fort Worth and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,991,586; fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $3,316,265; FMS funds in the amount of $1,023,201; and non-DoD partner funds in the amount of $1,909,364 will be obligated on this 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, 01/04/22) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of an F-35 training center and reprogramming labs.

Report on crash released

NAVAL AIR STATION WHITING FIELD, Fla. — A Navy investigation into the 2020 crash of a T-6B Texan II training aircraft that killed a Navy instructor pilot and a Coast Guard student pilot has determined their deaths were "not due to misconduct or negligence." Navy Lt. Rhiannon Ross and Coast Guard Ensign Morgan Garrett died on impact Oct. 23, 2020, when their plane came down in a residential area near Foley, Ala. They were going to a landing field east of the city when the plane struck the ground upside down, according to an investigative report released by the Navy in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The report recommends the Navy conduct briefings on procedures to follow in the event of an inadvertent departure from controlled flight, and recommends the Navy review training on ejection procedures for the T-6B Texan II. In comments, the commander of Training Squadron Two at NAS Whiting Field, to which the two aviators were assigned, indicate that he could not reach any conclusions on the circumstances leading to the crash. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 01/05/22) Previous

Contract: BAE Systems, $32.3M

BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services, Rockville, Md., is awarded a $32,295,592 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00027) to a previously awarded contract (N0042120C0003). This modification exercises options to provide research and development, engineering, technical, and logistics support services in support of the delivery of fully integrated command, control, communications, computer, and intelligence electronic radio communication systems for shipboard installation in support of the Ship and Air Integration Warfare Division, Naval Air Warfare Center Webster Outlying Field, Saint Inigoes, Md. Work will be performed in Saint Inigoes (60%); California, Md. (30%); Bath, Maine (5%); and Pascagoula, Miss. (5%), and is expected to be completed in June 2027. Fiscal 2022 working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,210,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/04/22)

Contract: Booz Allen, $13.4M

Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Va., is awarded a $13,354,687 firm-fixed-price order (N0001922F1207) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (FA830720G0032). This order provides for the development, buildout, and sustainment support of the development, security, and operations in support of the F-35 Joint Program Office cloud software ecosystems. Work will be performed in Arlington, Va., and is expected to be completed in January 2023. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount $1,780,727 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air System Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/04/22) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of an F-35 training center and reprogramming labs.