Contract: Raytheon, $497.1M

Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $497,131,017 firm-fixed-price contract to procure missiles, instrumentation units, test equipment, guidance sections, hardware, and contractor logistics support. The location of the performance is Tucson, Ariz. Work is to be completed by Jan. 31, 2015. AAC/EBAC, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/30/12)

F-22 oxygen issue a mystery

The Air Force Scientific Advisory Board can't explain what caused blackouts and dizziness among pilots flying F-22 Raptors. A separate investigation of the oxygen problem by Lockheed Martin is continuing. The F-22 is considered safe and continues to fly, with pilots using sensors, filters and other safety steps to mitigate potential problems. The fleet was grounded for four months last year after pilots complained of lack of oxygen. Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., is the home of the 325th Fighter Wing, whose primary mission is to provide air training for F-22 pilots, as well as maintenance personnel and air battle managers. (Sources: multiple, including AP via Business Week, Military, 03/30/12, ABC News, Panama City News Herald, 03/29/12)

Eglin's top civilian retiring

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Bruce Simpson, executive director of the Air Armament Center, plans to retire April 3 after a 31-year tenure. As head of AAC, Simpson was the center acquisition chief in charge of buying and developing weapons systems, as well as the top-ranking civilian on base. His retirement comes on the eve of a planned reorganization. The Air Force wants to absorb the Air Armament Center and two other centers into the new Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 03/29/12)

Historic engines to be recovered?

The five Rocketdyne F-1 engines that in July 1969 powered the first stage of the Saturn V rocket that launched Apollo 11 for its rendezvous with the moon have been found in the Atlantic Ocean. They were found by Bezos Expeditions, owned by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com. He said he hopes to raise one or more of the engines, which are owned by NASA, to put on display. The five engines, built in California, were assembled into the first stage at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Michoud was the manufacturing center for the entire Saturn V system. (Sources: multiple, including MSNBC, Time, New Orleans Times Picayune, 03/29/12) The F-1 engines were tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. When the five-engine cluster was test-fired for the first time in March 1967, windows shattered in nearby communities from the 7.5 million pounds of thrust; Bezos also founded Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., which soon will test its BE-3 engine thrust chamber assembly at Stennis Space Center’s E-1 test stand.

New type plastic bleeds, heals

A self-repairing plastic that turns red to show it's damaged could be important for big structures like bridges, aircraft and even battlefield weapons systems. Self-healing plastic isn't a new concept, but researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., developed one that keeps repairing itself. Professor Marek Urban presented the results of the research at the National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society in San Diego, Calif., this week. The research is partly funded by the Department of Defense. (Sources: PCWorld, 03/27/12, CNET, 03/28/12)

F-35 lifetime cost: $1.45 trillion

The government projects that the total cost to develop, buy and operate the Lockheed Martin F-35 will be $1.45 trillion over 50-plus years, according to a Pentagon document obtained by Reuters. The estimate is up from about $1 trillion a year ago, and includes inflation -- a third of the projected F-35 operating costs. Military officials and industry executives point out that no other weapons program's costs have been calculated over such a long period. (Source: Reuters, 03/29/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.

EU balks over merger

The European Commission is taking a closer look at the proposed $16.5 billion merger between United Technologies and Goodrich. One of the concerns is the high market share of a combined UT/Goodrich in areas such as engine controls and power generators, where UT's Hamilton Sundstrand unit and Goodrich are competitors. UT unveiled the takeover in September last year, which would reinforce its presence in the civilian aerospace market. Goodrich parts are used on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus' A320neo. The probe, which could last until August, may lead to the sale of assets to get approval for the deal. Hartford, Conn.-based UT's aviation activities include Sikorsky and Pratt and Whitney. It makes an array of products, including rocket engines, helicopters and elevators. Charlotte, N.C.-based Goodrich makes aircraft equipment including landing gears and electrical power systems. (Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg, 03/27/12) Previous. Gulf Coast note: UT's Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne has an operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Goodrich has a service center in Foley, Ala.

Ribbon-cutting set for expansion

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Avionics company LSI's Pensacola branch will have a ribbon-cutting Thursday for its newest expansion. The company retrofits helicopters for the military to use as training platforms. LSI operates out of a 20,000 square foot building and is expanding into a recently completed 10,000 square foot adjacent building. The company has said that by the end of the year it expects to add 20 workers to the 40 now working there. LSI is based in Jacksonville, Fla. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 03/27/12) Previous

Group tackling space debris

Although the U.S. Air Force tracks space debris swirling around the planet, some of the world's biggest commercial satellite operators are sharing data to help prevent collisions in what's considered a growing problem. They've formed the Space Data Association to create computer tools that help in what's called "space situational awareness." The swirling mass around Earth includes operational spacecraft and debris, and it's getting harder to track, much less clean up. (Source: Aviation Week, 03/27/12) Gulf Coast note: The 20th Space Control Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., tracks some 22,000 orbiting satellites with the world's most powerful radar. Previous post

CHARTS used in survey

BELIZE CITY, Belize -- The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) has been using airborne laser and imagery systems since early February to conduct cooperative hydrographic surveys in the coastal waters of Belize. It's part of a long-term project to survey the western Caribbean Sea off the coasts of Belize, Honduras and Nicaragua. The surveys are designed to improve safety of navigation by mapping the seafloor and locating shallow reefs and other obstructions in the approaches to Belize's major ports, Belize City and Big Creek, and are being conducted in cooperation with the government of Belize. The airborne laser system, called Compact Hydrographic Airborne Rapid Total Survey (CHARTS) system, uses light to map the bottom. U.S. and Belize governments will use the data for new charts. (Source: NNS, 03/27/12) NAVOCEANO is based at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and the CHARTS program is run by the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise at Stennis International Airport in Kiln, Miss.

Mississippi company showcased

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NVision, a Mississippi company that partnered with Stennis Space Center to create a disaster information system, is one of seven companies that will be highlighted in the 2012 NASA Technology Day on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. NVision, located at the Stennis Technology Park adjacent to SSC, teamed with NASA to create the Real-time Emergency Action Coordination Tool (REACT), which incorporates maps, reports, Internet-driven data and real-time sensor date into a geographical information system-based display to provide information during emergency and disaster situations. NASA Technology Day on Capitol Hill is sponsored annually by the agency's Office of the Chief Technologist to showcase technologies that improve life, and to inform Congress and the public about the secondary benefits of NASA partnerships and technology. (Source: NASA/SSC, 03/27/12)

F-35s continue sorties

F-35 pilots at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., have flown more than a half-dozen local area orientation flights around the base since flight operations began March 6, Flightglobal reports. Two pilots, one from the Air Force and the other from the Marine Corps, are flying the local sorties to gauge the readiness of the 33rd Fighter Wing's new F-35A, a conventional take-off and landing variant. (Source: Flightglobal, 03/27/12) Eglin will train pilots and maintainers from all branches of the services that will use the F-35, as well as pilots and maintainers from foreign purchasers.

Is BRAC 2013 dead?

Lawmakers are taking issue with the Pentagon over the request for two new BRAC rounds. One reason lawmakers are balking is the high cost of a BRAC at a time of belt tightening. Savings won't come for years. Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Armed Services' Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee, both denounced the Pentagon's request for a base closure round in 2013. McCaskill said she's willing to allow the closure of bases overseas, but not domestic bases at this point. Unless the Pentagon can change her mind, her opposition kills a 2013 BRAC round. (Sources: Defense Communities Daily, Navy Times, 03/21/12) Meanwhile, the Pentagon said the request for two new rounds of BRAC should be compared to the cost effectiveness of the first four BRAC rounds, not those done in 2005 to transform installations to match force structure. (Source: American Forces Press Services, 03/21/12)

Forest threat tool released

A Web tool that tracks threats to the nation's forests has been released by the USDA Forest Service. Called ForWarn, it's a satellite-based monitoring and assessment tool that can detect threats from fire, disease or other causes before the threat increases in severity or extent. It provides information on weekly changes in forest canopy conditions as they are impacted by insects, diseases, wildfires or extreme weather events. NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., worked with the Forest Service to develop the system. The prototype has successfully operated since January 2010 and uses NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellite to track changes in vegetation. ForWarn uses a web-based map tool, the Forest Change Assessment Viewer, to provide an 8-day coast-to-coast snapshot of the landscape. The coverage area is immense. According to the U.S. Forest Service, there are some 747 million acres of forest in the United States. (Source: Tcp, 03/22/12) Website and release. Background story

SBIRS beats expectations

The first Space Based Infrared System geosynchronous earth orbit satellite is exceeding performance requirements in a series of tests. SBIRS GEO 1 was launched by an Atlas V in May 2011 from Florida. Within two months it began sharing initial data with mission partners to determine performance. Sensors are detecting targets 25 percent dimmer than requirements, and payload pointing is nine times more precise than required. SBIRS provides early missile warning capability and improves other critical mission areas. "We've been extremely pleased with the performance of this first-of-its-kind spacecraft," said Col. James Planeaux, director of the Infrared Space Systems Directorate. (Sources: Spaceflight, 03/19/12, Space War, 03/21/12) 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. Previous

US Airways to add flight

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- The start of daily direct flights between Northwest Florida Regional Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is still a few days away. But it's popular enough US Airways plans to add a second flight. The late afternoon flights start next week on a 50-seat regional jet. Starting July 11 the airline will add a second, morning flight. Northwest Florida Regional Airport is at Eglin Air Force Base. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 03/20/12)

CSG test shows fix needed

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Testing of a vital component for the A-3 test stand did exactly what it was intended to do: it showed a problem in the chemical steam generator (CSG) that needs to be fixed. In testing at the E-2 facility, the two-inch angle-globe valves supplied with the unit were unable to stand up to operating conditions. Pieces of the seat material were "liberated" from the seat and valve stem, possibly allowing propellants to leak into the combustion chambers after minimal operational cycles, according to NASA. The procurement office is issuing a request for proposal from small businesses for 27 liquid oxygen (LOX) valves, 27 isopropyl alcohol (IPA) valves and related items. The new A-3 test stand will use nine three-module CSG units to generate superheated steam needed to create a vacuum that allows operators to test next-generation rocket engines at simulated high altitudes up to 100,000 feet. (Source: Tcp, 03/21/12) NASA solicitation; Previous related post

Robot to robot refueling tested

WASHINGTON -- The Naval Research Laboratory successfully demonstrated the robotic fluids transfer from a stationary platform to an unmanned surface vehicle in wave heights greater than three feet. The Rapid Autonomous Fuel Transfer project was able to track the motion of a Sea Fox naval vessel, emplace a magnetic refueling fitting to an on-board receptacle and complete fluids transfer. The testing was done at the Army Aberdeen Test Center wave simulator facility. Further robotic transfer tests may include land-based autonomous vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicle. (Source: NRL via Business Wire, 03/20/12) Gulf Coast note: This region is heavily involved in unmanned systems, including aerial and maritime, and is a major shipbuilding region; the NRL has an operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Blue Angels back home

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team is back in Pensacola after 12 weeks of training in El Centro, Calif. The team's practice sessions are open to the public. Regular practice takes place most Tuesdays and Wednesday through November. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 03/19/12)

NASA: E-4 a "great opportunity"

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A NASA official says an under-utilized test stand at Stennis Space Center is a "great opportunity" for a company interested in a partnership with NASA. The federal agency since November has been gauging industry interest in the E-4 Test Facility, which consists of a high-bay work area, control room space, personnel offices and concrete test cells. It also has road and barge canal access and utilities. The E-4 Test Facility can also be expanded to meet future requirements. "This is a great opportunity for a commercial company to explore partnership possibilities with NASA," said Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate Associate Director John Stealey. Projects conducted at the E-4 Test Facility also will have the ability to access Stennis onsite amenities and support capabilities, including cafeteria, medical clinic, laboratory, component, information technology, institutional and other services. (Source: NASA/SSC, 03/19/12) Previous

Contract: L-3, $21.2M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $21,209,470 modification to a previously awarded an indefinite-delivery requirements contract for logistics services support of 119 TH-57B/TH-57C aircraft. Services to be provided include repair and/or overhaul of aircraft, engines, avionics, and related components. Work will be performed at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Milton, Fla., and is expected to be completed in September 2012. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/15/12)

Bases off limits for exercise

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- About 90 percent of workers at Naval Air Station Pensacola will stay home next week as the base enacts tight security measures as part of a nationwide naval preparedness exercise. The base's commanding officer said access to most base facilities will be unavailable from noon Thursday until noon Saturday of next week due to Exercise Solid Curtain/Citadel Shield. Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton will also be participating. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 03/15/12)

NRL opens robotic lab

WASHINGTON -- The Naval Research Laboratory held a ribbon cutting for its Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research, which will focus on autonomous systems research for the Navy and Marine Corps. The lab will bring together scientists and engineers from diverse backgrounds. The one-of-a-kind lab has specialized facilities to support research in intelligent autonomy, sensor systems, power and energy systems, human-system interaction, networking and communications and platforms. It has multiple bays providing environments from desert to littoral and more. (Source: Business Wire, 03/16/12) Gulf Coast note: The NRL has a lab at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; unmanned systems are built in Moss Point, Miss.; there are multiple UAV-related activities in the region; a lab in Pensacola, Fla., does research on artificial intelligence and human-machine interaction.

It's official: Rocketdyne for sale

Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne is officially up for sale by its parent company, United Technologies. On Thursday, Rocketdyne's parent company, Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies, announced it was selling the company to help finance its $16.5-billion purchase of aerospace supplier Goodrich Corp. Rocketdyne was first formed by North American Aviation. North American later merged with Rockwell International, which became part of Boeing. In 2005, Boeing sold Rocketdyne to United Technologies Corp. (Source: Los Angeles Times, 03/15/12) Previous: Shareholders OK merger; UT eyeing sale. Gulf Coast note: Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne assembles and tests engines at Stennis Space Center; Goodrich has an operation in Foley, Ala.

Material for booster tested

Booster test at MSFC. NASA/MSFC photo

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- A sub-scale solid rocket motor designed to mimic NASA's Space Launch System booster design successfully was tested Wednesday at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The 20-second firing tested new insulation materials on the 24-inch-diameter, 109-inch-long motor. The motor is a scaled down, low-cost replica of the solid rocket motors that will boost SLS off the launch pad. ATK of Brigham City, Utah, is the prime contractor for the booster. (Source: NASA, 03/14/12, Huntsville Times, 03/15/12) Gulf Coast note: Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans builds the Orion crew capsule for the SLS and Stennis Space Center, Miss., will test the RS-25 and J-2X engines for the SLS.

Contract: Raytheon, $7M

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $6,973,286 firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for 18 range safety systems with jammer compatibility for Low Rate Initial Production 3, Reliability Assessment Program and initial operational flight tests. The location of the performance is Tucson. Work is expected to be completed Feb. 15, 2014. AAC/EBJM, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/15/12)

Military council re-established

The Mississippi Military Communities Council has been re-established by Gov. Phil Bryant. The commission will advise Bryant and staff on legislative issues that could impact Mississippi's bases as well as "promote Mississippi's military missions at the national level" and develop growth opportunities. The Pentagon is tightening its belt and two new Base Realignment and Closure rounds are expected. (Source: Sun Herald, 03/14/12) South Mississippi has military aviation activities at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Gulfport International Airport and Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg. South Mississippi is also home to a Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport and has a large Navy presence at NASA's Stennis Space Center.

Direct Air suspends flights

GULFPORT, Miss. -- Direct Air, which said last month that it will provide three non-stop flights a week beginning June 15 between Gulfport and Lakeland, Fla., suspended operations for two months. The Myrtle Beach, S.C.-based air carrier is working through contract issues with a fuel provider, officials said. (Source: Sun Herald, 03/13/12) The sudden suspension caused some problems in other airports already served by the carrier. (Source: Myrtle Beach online, 03/14/12) Previous

F-35 takes to air again

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- An F-35 jet had a successful second flight Tuesday, a week after a flight was aborted because of a fuel leak. U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Joseph Bachmann flew the 93-minute local orientation flight in aircraft AF-13, a conventional takeoff and landing variant. The F-35 Integrated Training Center at Eglin is scheduled to train about 100 F-35 pilots and 2,200 maintainers annually. (Sources: Star-Telegram, BayNet, 03/13/12) Previous

Abort engine hot-fired

CANOGA PARK, Calif. -- Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne completed mission-duration hot-fire tests on a launch abort engine on Friday, March 9. The engine is in support of Boeing's CST-100 spacecraft being developed for NASA's Commercial Crew Development Round 2. Boeing's Crew Space Transportation system is a reusable, capsule-shaped spacecraft designed to take up to seven people or a combination of people and cargo to low Earth orbit, including the International Space Station. The abort propulsion system is designed to push the crew capsule to safety if an abort becomes necessary during launch or ascent. (Source: PRNewswire, 03/13/12) The CST-100 is compatible with the Atlas V, Delta IV and Falcon 9 launch vehicles. Gulf Coast note: NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests RS-68 engines for United Launch Alliance's Delta IV, and also has a Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne operation.

Jacobs awarded contract option

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. announced Tuesday that it's been awarded its first option year by NASA for its Manufacturing Support and Facility Operations Contract at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The option year has a potential value of $137 million. MAF, capable of manufacturing large aerospace structures at a single location, has played a key role in the design, assembly and manufacture of the Space Shuttle external tank and continues to support the development and manufacture of hardware for future spaceflight programs. (Source: PRNewswire, 03/13/12)

Building named for Hurlburt pilot

FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- The Air Force's 23rd Flying Training Squadron named its new consolidated operations center after a Hurlburt Field, Fla., airman. The building was named after Maj. Randell Voas, a CV-22 Osprey pilot who died April 9, 2010, near Kandahar, Afghanistan, in a crash during a combat operation. Voas, stationed at Hurlburt at the time of the crash, had been a pilot instructor for the 23rd at Fort Rucker, which trains helicopter pilots for special operations, combat search and rescue and more. All Air Force helicopter pilots start rotary wing training with the 23rd. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 03/12/12)

Shareholders OK merger

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Goodrich Corp. announced that shareholders today approved the proposed merger with United Technologies Corp. More than 98 percent of votes were cast in favor of the transaction, or some 75 percent of the outstanding shares of Goodrich common stock as of February 6, 2012. Upon completion of the merger, Goodrich will become a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies. (Source: Goodrich via PRNewswire, 03/13/12) Gulf Coast note: UT owns Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, which has an operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Goodrich operates the Alabama Service Center in Foley, Ala.

Contract: Lockheed Martin, $56.3M

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $56,329,396 cost reimbursement modification to previously awarded contract to provide additional funding for the sustainment effort necessary to meet the requirements and delivery schedule for the F-35 Low Rate Initial Production V. Sixty percent of the work will be done at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and 15 percent at Fort Worth, Texas. El Segundo, Calif.; Warton, United Kingdom; Orlando, Fla.; Nashua, N.H.; and Baltimore, Md., each will do 5 percent. Work is expected to be completed in May 2012. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/12/12)

Contract: Lockheed Martin, $38.6M

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $38,599,999 modification to the previously awarded low rate initial production Lot 6 advance acquisition contract to provide additional funding for the procurement of long lead items for F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter low rate initial production conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft for the Air Force, and the governments of Italy and Australia. Work, which will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, is necessary to protect the delivery schedules of CTOL aircraft planned for delivery through January 2015. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/12/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.

Orion EFT-1 nears completion

NEW ORLEANS -- The initial construction of the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 vehicle built at Michoud Assembly Facility is nearing completion, NASA said. The EFT-1 will be launched in 2014 by a United Launch Alliance Delta IV. The test will be conducted for NASA by Lockeed Martin Space Systems. The unmanned capsule will be launched to an altitude of more than 3,600 miles above Earth. When EFT-1 is finished in May, it will be shipped to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., for final assembly and launch preparations. The capsule is designed to carry astronauts into deep space. (Source: NASA, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 03/08/12) Previous. Orion will eventually be launched by the NASA's Space Launch System. The SLS engines are being tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Cause of F-35 fuel leak found

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Three loose fasteners caused the fuel leak that shortened the first flight of an Eglin F-35 earlier this week. The 90-minute flight was cut to 15 minutes Tuesday when the pilot of an F-16 chase plane saw the leak from the F-35. Maintainers also found residual water from an earlier wash of the aircraft. The F-35 is expected to fly next week, with the goal of two flights a week. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, WEAR-TV, 03/09/12) Eglin, in northwest Florida, is home of the Joint Strike Fighter training center, which will train all aviators and maintainers from all three branches of service that will use the F-35. Previous

Contract: Lockheed Martin, $24.1M

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $24,138,848 modification to a previously awarded cost-reimbursement contract for the development of a data farm for the Joint Strike Fighter U.S. Reprogramming Laboratory to be located at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The data farm will interface with lab's prime mission equipment and is used to store software and data from the F-35 mission data testing. The ability to store and retrieve data is critical for mission data production which is vital to program execution. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas (95 percent), and Orlando, Fla. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2014. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 03/09/12)

Bunker buster against Iran?

The 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb designed to penetrate deep in the ground before exploding is one of the weapons in an arsenal that could be used in a clash with Iran over its nuclear program. That's what Lt. Gen. Herbert Carlisle, Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, told a conference on U.S. defense programs. The Pentagon is working on options if sanctions and diplomacy fail to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. (Sources: multiple, including Reuters, Bloomberg, 03/08/12, The Hill, 03/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., was involved in development of the bomb, called the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. Previous post

J-2X returned to A-2

J-2X at A-2 stand. NASA/SSC photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- J-2X engine 10001 is returned to the A-2 Test Stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center for its second round of tests. The developmental engine underwent an initial series of tests last year. Both the engine and test stand have been modified to begin simulated altitude testing in the coming months. The J-2X engine is designed and built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. The J-2X will provide upper-stage power for NASA's Space Launch System, a new heavy-lift vehicle capable of missions beyond low-Earth orbit. (Source: NASA/SSC, 03/08/12)

Test site selection starts

The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking public comments on the agency's selection process for picking six unmanned aircraft system test sites around the United States. Comments are due by May 9. The FAA is required to create the sites based on language in both a defense spending bill and the FAA reauthorization bill. The test sites will help the FAA develop the regulatory framework to govern the widespread use of UAVs in the national airspace. Congress called for full integration of unmanned systems into the national airspace by 2015. (Sources: Los Angeles Times, 03/08/12 Space War, 03/09/12) Previous related posts: Shelby picked for Guard UAV center; Mississippi player in growth field; Drones in national airspace?

Fourth crewmember recovered

MOBILE, Ala. -- The body of the fourth crewmember of a Coast Guard helicopter that crashed last week in Mobile Bay has been recovered. Flight mechanic Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Knight's body was recovered more than two miles southwest of the crash site. Four crewmen were aboard the MH-65C that was on a training mission out of the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center in Mobile. (Source: multiple, including Mobile Press-Register, 03/08/12) Previous

728th ACS faces decommissioning

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 728th Air Control Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base will be decommissioned as a result of force structure changes. About 375 airmen are assigned to the squadron, which falls under the 552d Air Control Group at Tinker Air Force Base, Fla. Air Combat Command determined divesting the 728th is the most feasible option because it's not co-located with operational aircraft and live, air-to-air training opportunities are limited. The changes will take place Sept. 1. (Source: 96th Air Base Wing, 03/07/12)

Eglin F-35 has short first flight

Eglin F-35 on first sortie. Air Force photo

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The first sortie of an F-35 from Eglin Air Force base today was short-lived when the pilot bought the jet back after 15 minutes because of an in flight emergency. Pilots and maintainers are meeting today to discuss the potential fuel leak that shortened the planned 90-minute flight. "Our first sortie is truly a milestone for the program," said Col. Andrew Toth, 33rd Fighter Wing commander. "Unfortunately things happen. We didn't want it to happen today but we were prepared. Our pilot did the exact right thing in returning the jet back to Eglin. Although there were issues we are doing whatever we can to move the program forward safely and effectively." Eglin is home of the Joint Strike Fighter training center, which will train all branches of the military to fly the stealth fighter. The F-35A received an airworthiness certification from the Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center Feb. 27, allowing the advanced fighter aircraft to begin flights at Eglin. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 03/06/12)

Rotary wing testing now at Duke

Huey at Duke. Air Force photo

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 46th Test Wing's UH-1N Hueys have left Eglin main to join the 413th Flight Test Squadron's operating location eight miles north at Eglin's Duke Field. While still under the 46th Test Wing, the helicopters will operate from Duke Field rather than from Eglin to allow the test wing to support a 250 percent increase in helicopter developmental test programs beginning in June. The move will centralize all Air Force helicopter developmental test and evaluation in one squadron, according to Capt. Garrett Knowlan, a flight commander and major architect of the helicopter bed-down. (Source: 46th Test Wing, 03/02/12)

Shelby picked for UAV center

CAMP SHELBY, Miss. -- Add another piece to Mississippi's unmanned aerial vehicle footprint. Camp Shelby, the nation's largest, state-owned military training site, was selected as the site of a new $48 million regional flight center for the Army National Guard's Unmanned Aircraft System. Shelby, picked from 19 sites nationally, has been used by many tactical unmanned air system units for training prior to overseas deployment. It's also home to a company of the 155th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, which has one of the Army's 30 TUAS units. But the training center won't be tied to mobilization but instead will train soldiers nationwide in the operation of UAVs. (Source: Hattiesburg American, 03/02/12)

SSC future looks bright

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's Stennis Space Center hosted a breakfast Thursday for community leaders from Mississippi and Louisiana to talk about the future, and it looks bright. Patrick Scheuermann, director SSC, said the center, where rocket engines are tested, has a $1 billion impact on the region. Work is booked on every test stand, he said. But the NASA center also hosts activities from other federal and state agencies and commercial companies. Martin Flinders, facilities engineering manager for the Rolls-Royce North America Outdoor Test Facility, said it was the 125,000-acre acoustical buffer zone surrounding Stennis Space Center that prompted the company to pick South Mississippi to test airliner engines. The first stand opened in 2007 and work will begin soon on a second stand. (Sources: Sun Herald, Times-Picayune, 03/01/12)

Two bodies recovered

MOBILE, Ala. -- The bodies of two crewmembers of a Coast Guard helicopter that crashed Tuesday into Mobile Bay have been recovered. Pilot Lt. Cmdr. Dale Taylor of Snow Hill, N.C., and co-pilot Lt. j.g. Thomas Cameron, of Portland, Ore., were found 100 yards from the crash site. Still missing is the flight mechanic, Petty Officer 3rd Class Drew Knight of Thomasville, Ala. Rescue swimmer Fernando Jorge was found Tuesday but was unresponsive and declared dead. (Source: multiple, including Mobile Press-Register, 03/01/12) Previous post

Leader picked for new center

An Air Force Materiel Command general has been nominated by President Obama to lead a new center that will be created in October as part of the AFMC restructuring. Lt. Gen. C.D. Moore II will serve as commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The center will manage Air Force weapon systems and foreign military sales, consolidating the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson, Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and functions at other AFMC bases. (Sources: Dayton Daily News, 02/29/12, Dayton Business Journal, 03/01/12) Previous related post

200th Lakota delivered

COLUMBUS, Miss. -- EADS North America delivered the 200th UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter to the U.S. Army during a ceremony at the American Eurocopter production facility in Columbus. It's the first production aircraft to be delivered with the new Security and Support Battalion Mission Equipment Package. The plant in Columbus, in addition to building Lakotas, is also where the initial S&S Battalion Lakotas were retrofitted. The Lakotas equipped with the S&S Battalion MEP will be operated by Army National Guard units across the country. (Source: EADS, 03/01/12) Gulf Coast note: EADS also has operations in Mobile, Ala.

More flights announced

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- American Airlines soon will more than double flights between Northwest Florida Regional Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. American Airlines, through its American Eagle affiliate, now flies to and from Dallas/Fort Worth three times a day during the week and twice a day on the weekend. Starting April 3, the airline will add four round-trip flights a day. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/29/12)

Bentley: No active project yet

Alabama's governor said Wednesday that his administration is in constant contact with Airbus about establishing an assembly plant Mobile, but Gov. Robert Bentley said no active project exists and no formal negotiations have been conducted. Airbus parent, EADS, had hoped to build an aerial tanker assembly plant in Mobile, but those plans vanished when Boeing won the Air Force contract last year. Airbus has an engineering center and a service center for military aircraft in Mobile. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 03/01/12)

Boeing gets AC-130U contract

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- Boeing received an $11.4 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract from the Air Force. The first delivery order under is worth $4.6 million and will provide parts to be used to complete installation of 25mm Ammunition Storage and Handling Systems on four AC-130U gunships. The Boeing Fort Walton Beach facility will build the components for delivery to Robins Air Force Base, Ga. (Source: Boeing, 02/29/12)

F/A-18 practing in region

PENSACOLA, Fla. - F/A-18 Hornets from Carrier Air Wing Seven are temporarily calling Naval Air Station Pensacola home while repairs are made to a landing field at Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. The Hornets will do field carrier landing practice at the Navy's Outlying Field Choctaw in nearby Santa Rosa County through March 10. Several carrier air wings are expected to use NAS Pensacola until repairs to Navy Auxiliary Landing Field Fentress are finished later this year. The initial group is from Fighter/Attack Squadrons 143, 103, 83 and 131. (Sources: WEAR-TV, Pensacola News Journal, WKRG-TV, Navarre Press, various dates, including 02/29/12)

Schwartz: Eglin losing nothing

The Air Force is not migrating anything from Eglin Air Force Base, according to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. Plans to merge Eglin's 96th Wing and 46th Test Wing and put the new super wing under the command of a general at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., has caused concerns that the wing will eventually be moved to California, bringing with it millions of dollars worth of research, development, test and evaluation work. But Schwartz told the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, in response to a question by Rep. Jeff Miller, that "Nothing is migrating from Eglin with respect to the proposal for the Air Force Materiel Command reorganization," Schwartz said. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/28/12)

Search continues for crew

MOBILE, Ala. -- The search continues today for three crewmembers missing in the Tuesday crash of a U.S. Coast Guard MH-65C helicopter in Mobile Bay. A fourth crewmember's body has been recovered from the crash site about three miles from Point Clear. The Coast Guard initially said one person was rescued, but later said the crewmember was unresponsive and pronounced dead. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 02/29/12)

CG helicopter crashes in bay

MOBILE, Ala. -- A Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter with four people aboard crashed in Mobile Bay Tuesday evening. One person was being taken to shore and three are missing, spokesman Lt. J.G. Timothy Williams told the Mobile Press-Register. The helicopter was on a training mission out of the Aviation Training Center at Mobile Regional Airport. The crash, about three miles southwest of Point Clear, was reported about 8:30 p.m. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 02/28/12)

A-29 contract canceled

The Air Force is canceling a $355 million contract to Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks, Nev., and Brazil's Embraer to build 20 Super Tucano A-29 light support aircraft, citing problems with documentation. The Air Force said it will investigate the December award for the planes to be used in Afghanistan. A stop-work order was issued in January after Hawker Beechcraft of Wichita, Kansas, filed suit when its AT-6 was kept out of the competition. (Sources: multiple, including Reuters, Dayton Daily News, Wall Street Journal, 02/28/12) Sierra Nevada and Embraer planned to assemble the planes in Jacksonville, Fla. Previous post

Eglin F-35A OKd to fly

The F-35As at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., have been cleared to fly. Officials at the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, issued a Military Flight Release Tuesday to allow the F-35A to begin initial operations at Eglin, home of the Joint Strike Fighter training center. The decision was made after an airworthiness board conducted an assessment that evaluated potential risks and the mitigation actions for unmonitored flights. Flying the Air Force variant of the F-35 will increase pilot and maintainer familiarity with the aircraft, exercise the logistics infrastructure and continue to develop aircraft maturity. These initial F-35A flights will be limited, scripted, conducted within the restrictions and stipulations of the MFR and flown by qualified pilots, officials said. Eglin also has three F-35B aircraft, the Marine Corps variant. (Source: AFNS, 02/28/12)

Termination fee still unsettled

Four years after Northrop Grumman and EADS won a contract to build tankers for the Air Force – a contract canceled 11 days later – a termination fee is still unsettled, according to Air Force Times. Under the 2008 award, EADS planned to assemble the planes in Mobile, Ala. Work started on the airframes. But the contract was overturned and Boeing won the new competition. The Air Force still partly owns two Airbus A330 airframes built as part of the original contract. One is in storage in Spain and the other in France. Air Force officials said they expect the contract termination issues to be settled soon. (Source: Air Force Times, 02/28/12)

Airport plans facelift

MOBILE, Ala. -- Mobile Regional Airport is getting a $2.9 million facelift. The Airport Authority plans to install canopies along the front of the building made from the same pipe-and-plastic-covering material used in front of the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel in downtown Mobile. The canopies will have LED lights so they can be highlighted with different colors, as is the case with the downtown RSA Tower and RSA-BankTrust Building. The facelift should take about seven months to complete. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 02/27/12)

BAMS marks milestones

Flight tests have begun for the first developmental multifunction active sensor (MFAS) radar destined for the Navy's MQ-4C Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System -- BAMS. The sensor has been integrated a Gulfstream II testbed aircraft at the Northrop Grumman facility in Palmdale, Calif. The system finished ground station testing in late November. In addition, the wings and landing gear were installed on the first BAMS at the company's Palmdale Manufacturing Center. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 02/27/12) Gulf Coast note: BAMS central fuselage work is done in Moss Point, Miss.

Second AEHF delivered

Lockheed Martin delivered the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellite to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., where it will be readied for an April 2012 liftoff aboard an Atlas V. The AEHF system will replace the five-satellite Milstar constellation. One AEHF satellite will provide greater total capacity than the entire Milstar system. Individual user data rates will be five times improved, providing transmission of tactical military communications, such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data. (Source: Lockheed Martin via PR Newswire, 02/27/12) Gulf Coast note: Core propulsion work for the AEHF is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Contract: Industria Paschen, $48M

Industria Paschen Group J.V., Chicago, Ill., is being awarded a $48,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity with economic price adjustment contract for simplified acquisition of base engineering requirements, such as minor, noncomplex construction projects, maintenance, alternation, or repair of real property at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and its associated sites. Work is expected to be completed by Feb. 26, 2017. The 325th CONS/LGCC, Tyndall Air Force Base is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/27/12)

Orion drop test Wednesday

The Orion Parachute Test Vehicle is slated for a drop test Wednesday at the Army Proving Grounds in Yuma, Ariz. The vehicle will be dropped from a C-17 aircraft for the test of the parachute system. Elsewhere, the Exploration Flight Test Orion is continuing construction in New Orleans, while the Ground Test Article is undergoing vibration testing in Denver. (Source: Spaceflight, 02/26/12) Previous post on parachute test

Hurlburt officer among two shot

One of the two U.S. officers shot in the head at a ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan, has been identified as an officer with the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Lt. Col. John Darin Loftis, 866th Air Expeditionary Squadron, died Saturday. Loftis, 44, of Paducah, Ky., and a major were found shot inside the heavily guarded Afghan Ministry of the Interior building. The Taliban claimed responsibility and said the killings were in retaliation for the burning of Korans. Loftis was the chief plans advisor and part of a cadre of specially trained U.S. service members skilled in Afghan and Pakistani culture and language. (Sources: from combined reports, including AFNS, 02/26/12)

F-35B rollout marked

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Marine Corps on Friday hosted a rollout ceremony to celebrate the arrival of the F-35B, the short takeoff-vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. Hundreds attended the event at Eglin Air Force Base in northwest Florida. Officials said military training flights could be approved by late March or early April. There are three F-35Bs at Eglin, along with six Air Force F-35A versions of the fighter. The first Marine Corps versions arrived in early January. The F-35B is slated to replace the Marine Corps' F/A-18 Hornet, AV-8B Harrier and EA-6B Prowler. Eglin is home of the JSF training center, which will train pilots and maintainers for all branches of the military and foreign allies. (Sources: Reuters, Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/24/12)

Contract: Composite Eng., $32.7M

Composite Engineering Inc., Sacramento, Calif., is being awarded a $32,701,017 firm-fixed-price contract to procure a quantity of 35 BQM-167As, also known as the Air Force Subscale Aerial Target. The location of the performances is Sacramento, Calif. Work is expected to be completed by April 30, 2014. AAC/EBYK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/24/12)

Eglin F-35s to fly soon

F-35s at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., could begin flying in a matter of weeks, the Air Force's top training officer said. Gen. Edward Rice, commander of Air Education and Training Command, made the comment during a news conference at the Air Force Association's winter conference in Orlando, Fla. But it could be much longer before student pilots begin flying. (Source: DoD Buzz, 02/23/12) Turkey still plans to buy 100 F-35 fighter jets for $16 billion, with an initial order of two planes for delivery in 2015, according to Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz. (Source: Reuters, 02/23/12) Lockheed Martin opened a new 57,000 square-foot facility in Pinellas Park, Fla., to produce canopy components for the F-35. The facility is an annex to Lockheed Martin’s existing 197,000 square-foot building. (Source: SpaceWar, 02/24/12)

Dempsey visits NAS Pensacola

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, saw joint training in action and spoke with students, staff and family members during a Feb. 22 visit to several commands at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Dempsey visited the Naval Education and Training Command, Training Air Wing 6, the Air Force 479th Flying Training Group and the National Museum of Naval Aviation. Dempsey also held a town hall meeting in the museum atrium. Topics included military transition, the defense budget, leadership, training and building the force of the future. (Source: NNS, 02/22/12)

RAF marks first with F-35

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- A Royal Air Force squadron leader became United Kingdom's first military test pilot to fly the F-35C, the carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. Jim Schofield, RAF squadron leader, said the F-35 is the best handling of any jet he's flown. Schofield's Feb. 21 flight is the latest in a series of milestones for the UK's program, which included the first F-35C launch on the test electromagnetic aircraft launch system Nov. 18 and the rollout of the first UK F-35 from the production line four days later. EMALS is the launching system of record for the future HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, currently under construction. (Source: Naval Air Systems Command, 02/22/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.

Garver visits SSC

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver was at Stennis Space Center today, and said the proposed NASA budget "will keep us on the cutting edge of the space program, the very best space program in the world." She said the $17.7 billion budget, $70 million less than the previous year, allows NASA to continue to utilize the International Space Station and develop the space vehicles -- the Space Launch System and Orion crew vehicle -- that will allow NASA to explore further into space than ever before. Stennis Space Center tests the rocket engines for the Space Launch System and Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans is involved in building both Orion and the SLS. Garver also visited Michoud Thursday. (Source: Tcp, 02/23/12)

New Orleans' VAW-77 targeted

NEW ORLEANS -- The Navy proposes to decommission a squadron at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse, eliminating a flying unit that focuses on stemming the flow of drugs to the United States. Under the 2013 spending plan released this week, the Navy Reserve's Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 77 would cease to exist Sept. 30. VAW-77 has about 100 active duty and reserve Navy personnel and about 55 civilian contractors. (Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 02/20/12)

RR XWB takes to skies

XWB at Stennis. Rolls-Royce photo

The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine took to the skies for the first time, powering an Airbus A380 test aircraft in Toulouse, France. The aircraft flew with one of its four Trent 900 engines replaced by a Trent XWB. The Trent XWB will power the new Airbus A350 XWB. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 02/18/12, Aviation Week, 02/21/12) Gulf Coast note: The Trent XWB engine type has been tested at Stennis Space Center.

F-35 has external weapons test

F-35 with weapons. Lockheed Martin photo

The first external weapons test mission was flown by an F-35A last week during a mission at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The Feb. 16 test involved the Air Force version of the F-35 carrying two air-to-air AIM-9X missiles on the outboard wings stations, as well as two GBU-31 guided bombs and two AIM-120 air-to-air missiles carried inside the weapons bays. The jet also had mounted four external pylons that can carry 2,000-pound air-to-ground weapons. No weapons were fired in the test. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 02/20/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.

Unmanned A-10 in works

Raytheon picked Aurora Flight Sciences to join the team that will create an unmanned version of the battle-tested A-10. The Persistent Close Air Support program is funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. Other members of the team include Rockwell Collins and GE Aviation. (Source: Aurora Flight Sciences, 02/16/12) Gulf Coast note: Aurora Flight Sciences has a UAV manufacturing center in Columbus, Miss.; Raytheon has multiple activities along the Gulf Coast; GE Aviation is building engine parts plants near Hattiesburg, Miss., and Auburn, Ala., and also operates a parts plant in Batesville, Miss.

Four Hurlburt airmen die

U-28A surveillance aircraft. Air Force photo

Four airmen from Hurlburt Field, Fla., died Saturday in an accident near Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti involving their U-28. Killed were Capt. Ryan P. Hall, 30, of Colorado Springs, Colo., assigned to the 319th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt; Capt. Nicholas S. Whitlock, 29, of Newnan, Ga., assigned to the 34th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt; 1st Lt. Justin J. Wilkens, 26, of Bend, Ore., also with the 34th; and Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten, 26, of Upper Marlboro, Md., assigned to the 25th Intelligence Squadron. The U-28 is a single engine aircraft that provides intelligence and surveillance for special operations forces. The cause of the accident is under investigation. Hurlburt Field is home of the Air Force Special Operations. (Sources: DoD, 1st Special Operations Wing, Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/20/12)

Two states team on megasite

PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- Four economic development groups in two states are working together on a megasite along the Interstate 10 corridor on a road linking Dothan, Ala., to Panama City, Fla. The organizations are the Bay County Economic Development Alliance, Alabama Development Office, Enterprise Florida and the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce. Neal Wade, executive director of the Bay EDA, told the Panama City News Herald that representatives have been meeting for more than six months to prepare for the project along State 77 and I-10. Wade described the megasite as an industrial manufacturing center. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 02/16/12)

ET-1 tested at Eglin

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command successfully completed a test flight of the new Economical Target-1, Feb. 15 at Eglin Air Force Base. The Economical Target-1 missile was launched from the Santa Rosa Test Site with the support of the 46th Test Wing on Eglin into the ocean area within the test range. The target missile's flight was tracked by several range sensors and preliminary indications are that all data collection objectives were met. (Source: Army, 02/15/12)

NASA tests J-2X powerpack

J-2X powerpack test. NASA photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Engineers conducted an initial test of the J-2X engine powerpack Feb. 15, launching a series of tests in development of the rocket engine that will help power the Space Launch System. This test is the first of about a dozen that will be conducted throughout the year at SSC. The first test was the first time cryogenic fuels were introduced into the powerpack to ensure the integrity of the facility and the test article in preparation for full power, longer duration testing. The powerpack is on the top portion of the J-2X and includes the gas generator, oxygen and fuel turbopumps along with related ducts and valves. (Source: NASA, Pratt and Whitney, 02/15/12)

Marines roll out F-35B

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will host the Marine Corps' official F-35B Lightning II rollout ceremony Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. at its Eglin hangar. Gen. James Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, is scheduled to be the presiding officer. U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller and Robert Stevens, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin, will also be speaking. The F-35B is slated to replace the Marine Corps' F/A-18 Hornet, AV-8B Harrier and EA-6B Prowler. Eglin Air Force Base is home to the F-35 training center for all branches of the military and allied nations that will be using the F-35. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 02/16/12)

Eglin needs to prep for inflow

DESTIN, Fla. -- The commander of the 96th Air Base Wing said Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., isn't worried about hits Eglin might take in any Base Realignment and Closure round. Instead, Col. Sal Nodjomian wants to base to take steps to ensure it can take in new missions. Nodjomian, speaking at Tuesday's Leaders in Business Lunch organized by the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce, played down the Air Force Material Command's decision announced in November to close the Air Armament Center and merge the 96th mission into the 46th Test Wing. He said the only impact for Eglin was the elimination of management positions. He said the 46th and 96th will be combined into a "super wing" that would now report to the Air Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (Source: Destin Log, 02/14/12) Previous related post

New flight added

GULFPORT, Miss. -- A new direct flight will be offered between the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport and the Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Fla., beginning in June. The 90-minute flight will be offered three times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. A special promotional fare of $99 is being offered through Feb. 22. (Source: Sun Herald, 02/15/12)

Airbus, ST Aerospace team

SINGAPORE -- Airbus, ST Aerospace and EADS EFW will work together on a program to convert A330 passenger jets into cargo freighters. A memorandum of understanding was signed at the Singapore Airshow. The P2F program will cover the conversion of A330-200 and A330-300 jets. ST Aerospace will lead the engineering development and EADS EFW will carry out most of the conversions in Dresden, Germany. About 2,700 freighters will be required over the next 20 years, and about half of these will be in the mid-sized freighter segment, including 900 conversions. EADS-EFW chief executive Andreas Sperl said that once the program is up and running, Dresden would be capable of converting 15-18 A330s a year. EADS EFW will become the European center for ST Aerospace's global maintenance, repair and overhaul operations. (Source: Wall Street Journal, Channel News Asia, ST Aerospace, Flightglobal, 02/15/12) Gulf Coast note: EADS, Airbus and ST Aerospace have operations in Mobile, Ala.

Contract: Boeing, $111.4M

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $111,397,676 predominantly firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of 4,844 joint direct attack munitions. The location of the performance is St. Charles, Mo. Work is expected to be completed by May 2014. AAC/EBDK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/14/12)

AT-6 has a first at Eglin

Hawker Beechcraft said its AT-6 light attack aircraft successfully fired laser-guided rockets during tests last month at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., making the AT-6 the first fixed-wing aircraft to launch a laser-guided rocket. The 2.75" laser-guided rocket testing included BAE Systems' Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System and Raytheon's TALON. The weapons were fired from about three nautical miles and guided to their targets using either an airborne laser from the AT-6 or a ground laser from the Eglin range. Both rockets were scored as hits on their respective targets. Hawker is fighting a decision by the Air Force to award a contract for light attach aircraft to Sierra Nevada and Embraer. A stop work order on the contract as issued after Hawker took the matter to federal court. (Source: Wichita Business Journal, Hawker Beechcraft, 02/13/12)

Eglin gets new lab

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The new High Pressure Particulate Physics Facility officially opened this month at Eglin Air Force Base. The facility was built to enhance the role of science and technology in smart munitions development, and contains a 60-mm smooth bore gun, complemented with high-resolution, high-precision, time-resolved diagnostics for use with various imaging technologies. The gun will be able to launch a few kilogram mass at high speed and will address basic questions on material behavior, as it relates to munition weapon systems and weapon effects. (Source: Air Force Materiel Command, 02/14/12)

Contract: Jacobs, $36M

Jacobs Technology, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was awarded a $36,097,935 firm-fixed-price and level-of-effort contract. The award will provide for the technical and administrative services in support of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protection vehicle. Work will be performed in Kuwait; Warren, Mich.; Stafford, Va.; Aberdeen, Md.; Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Benning, Ga.; Afghanistan; Camp Atterbury, Ind.; and Red River Army Depot, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 6, 2013. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/13/12)

Contract: Jacobs, $157.2M

Jacobs Technology Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was awarded a $157,209,880 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide for the systems engineering and technical assistance support services. Work will be performed in Fort Belvoir, Va.; Natick, Mass.; Eatontown, N.J.; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; Springfield, Va.; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Knox, Ky.; and Fort Benning, Ga., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2015. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/13/12)

Budget wants two BRAC rounds

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon's 2013 budget calls for two rounds of base closings, according to documents released Monday. The last Base Realignment and Closure round was in 2005. All BRACS have pit communities and states against each other because bases are major employers. The budget asks for BRAC rounds in 2013 and 2015. (Source: USA Today, 02/13/12) Gulf Coast note: This region is home to a heavy concentration of military bases, as well as military activities at non-DoD facilities. Previous on BRAC

GE Aviation growth

GE Aviation's production rates are expected to grow from about 3,000 commercial and military engine deliveries in 2011 to 3,400 in 2012 and 3,800 in 2013, according to the company. "We're firing on all cylinders," said David Joyce, president and CEO of GE Aviation. The company, which has about 25,000 workers in the U.S., is investing some $580 million in plant, equipment, and tooling across 55 U.S. operations. It will add more than 400 employees over the next three years. By the end of the year GE Aviation will complete construction of a 300,000-square-foot factory in Ellisville, Miss., to make composite components for jet engines, and another 300,000 square-foot facility in Auburn, Ala., that will make machined parts for commercial and military engines. Construction is also under way on GE's new electric power integrated systems R&D center in Dayton, Ohio. (Source: GE Aviation via Business Wire, 02/13/12)

Mississippi player in growth field

Mississippi is a key player in the growing unmanned aerial systems field. In addition to the Global Hawks and Fire Scouts built in Moss Point, Mississippi has two other companies building four types of UAVs, as well as airspace where UAV flights are permitted and companies that work on sensors and advanced materials, both important to the industry. (Source: Sun Herald, 02/12/12)

Airbus to build in Mobile?

SEATTLE -- There was speculation at the aerospace suppliers' conference this past week that Airbus could announce this summer that it will build commercial jets in the United States. The heavy favorite is Mobile, Ala., where Airbus parent EADS had planned to build aerial tankers until it lost the competition to Boeing. Two people who have contact with Airbus and its suppliers said they believe Mobile will build up to 10 A320 jets a month. Last month, the chief financial officer of EADS raised the possibility that Airbus will soon resurrect the idea of building jets in the U.S. (Source: Seattle Times, 02/11/12) Previous related post

Carroll: Committed to Eglin

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll told fellow task force members she's committed to work with them to help preserve the Air Armament Center and 46th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base. State Sen. Don Gaetz, who sponsored the bill to create and fund the task force, had been critical of Carroll, saying he thought she was hesitant to engage in effective lobbying in Washington. He said he welcomed her "change of view" on the Eglin issue. The task force is hoping to prevent the Air Force from placing Eglin's 46th Test Wing under the command of a two-star general at California's Edwards Air Force Base. They fear it's a first step toward moving the wing's research, development, test and evaluation function to California. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/11/12) Previous post

Bill has NATO Global Hawk funds

Bloomberg reports that the Pentagon proposes in its new budget spending $1.2 billion for the first three NATO variant Global Hawk unmanned aircraft and three more Navy variants, according to an official. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization said this month it planned to buy five Alliance Ground System through 2017. The Navy already has two demonstration versions of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance System. Congress will get the budget Feb. 13. (Source: Bloomberg, 02/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Northrop Grumman builds the Global Hawk fuselages in Moss Point, Miss. Previous related posts: NATO getting Global Hawks; Global Hawk variant to be cut; NATO to ink AGS deal in May

Drone foreign sales discussed

Navy leaders are considering selling Scan Eagle unmanned drones to Kuwait, Pakistan and the Netherlands, according to a presentation by Marine Corp. Col. James Rector of the Naval Air Systems Command. He made the comment during the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International's annual program in Washington. There are also informal talks involving Australia and Japan to buy Global Hawk fixed-wing reconnaissance drones built by Northrop Grumman. (Source: AOL Defense, 02/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawks are built in part in Moss Point, Miss. Correction note: AOL Defense initially reported the drone being considered for sale was Fire Scout, rather than Scan Eagle.

UT eyeing sale

United Technologies is studying the sale of a pump- and compressor-making division to raise cash for the planned purchase of aerospace supplier Goodrich Corp., according to Bloomberg, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Also under way is an effort to find a buyer for Pratt and Whiteny Rocketdyne, which makes engines for civilian and military rockets, the same sources said. (Source: Bloomberg, 02/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne has an operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Goodrich owns the Alabama Service Center in Foley, Ala.

Contract: Lockheed Martin, $14.8M

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $14,800,000 modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract to procure long lead items for F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter low rate initial production Lot 6 short take-off vertical landing aircraft for the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is necessary to protect the delivery schedules of STOVL aircraft planned for delivery through December 2014. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/09/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center.

Contracts: 2020, Oasis, COLSA

2020 Co. LLC., Falls Church, Va.; Oasis Systems LLC., Lexington, Mass.; and COLSA Corp., Huntsville, Ala. are each being awarded a $53,511,834 firm-fixed price, labor-hour, cost-reimbursement contract for the Technical and Acquisition Management Support Program. This program provides a wide range of diverse non-engineering, technical, and acquisition management support required in the acquisition, development, production, and support of various equipment and weapon systems within the Air Armament Center and other organizations at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The location of the performance is Eglin. Work is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2013. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/08/12)

Gaetz wants more base advocacy

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- State Sen. Don Gaetz is critical of how Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll is handling her role as the state's advocate for the Defense Support Task Force. "I think the lieutenant governor has been hesitant to engage in effective lobbying in Washington on Eglin issues," Gaetz told the Northwest Florida Daily News. The task force was created to preserve Florida's military bases and missions in an age of Pentagon cuts. Members decided the first priority should be lobbying to prevent the Air Force from placing Eglin’s 46th Test Wing under the command of a two-star general at California's Edwards Air Force Base. They fear it's a first step toward moving the wing's research, development, test and evaluation function to California. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/06/12)

Contract: Boeing, $18.3M

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $18,300,000 cost-plus-incentive-fee and firm-fixed-priced items contract for an acceleration effort, regression testing, and a fuze risk reduction effort. The location of the performance is Saint Louis, Mo. Work is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2013. AAC/EDBK/EDBJ, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/07/12)

Group to take base fight to D.C.

MILTON, Fla. -- The Santa Rosa County Commission was given an update Monday on local plans to protect area bases from a possible Base Realignment and Closure round and other military cuts. Pete Gandy, a consultant with TEAM Santa Rosa, praised the work that Santa Rosa County commissioners have done for nearly 10 years to purchase and preserve the land around Naval Air Station Whiting Field, which trains military aviators. He said a five-county delegation supporting the military bases will go to Washington at the end of February to meet with congressional leaders to discuss issues facing Northwest Florida military bases. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/06/12)

Old airport to transfer this week

PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- The final transfer of the old airport in Panama City to its new owners will take place Wednesday or Thursday, officials said. The sale will help the airport pay off a number of debts and eliminate some $120,000 per month in costs at the old site. St. Andrew Bay Land Co. plans a village-type development at the 700-acre site. Air operations transferred to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport near West Bay on May 23, 2010. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 02/06/12)

Drones in national airspace?

The House passed a bill Monday that starts the clock on safely integrating unmanned aerial vehicles into the national airspace, with full integration by the Sept. 30, 2015. The bill, previously passed by the Senate and now awaiting President Obama's signature, provides a number of deadlines for the Federal Aviation Administration. One is to establish six UAV test sites within six months. (Source: Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, USA Today, 02/06/12) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawk and Fire Scout UAVs are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.; several companies at Stennis Space Center, Miss., work with UAV sensors; the Coast Guard Aviation Center is involved in UAV training in Mobile, Ala.; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is involved in UAV navigation systems.

Contract: Sikorsky, $26M

Sikorsky Support Services, Inc., Pensacola, Fla., was awarded a $26,063,162 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery requirements contract to exercise an option for logistics services and materials for organizational, intermediate, and depot-level maintenance to support 161 T-34, 54 T-44, and 172 T-6 aircraft based primarily at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas; NAS Whiting Field, Fla.; and NAS Pensacola, Fla. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi (50 percent); Whiting Field (39 percent); Pensacola (8 percent); and various sites within the continental United States. Work is expected to be completed in April 2012. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/06/12)

Tyndall to get new F-22 squadron

PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- A new combat F-22 squadron will be coming to Tyndall Air Force Base in Northwest Florida beginning this summer, bringing up to 1,000 additional personnel. That's according to Brig. Gen. John K. McMullen, commander of the 325th Fighter Wing. He provided an assessment of Tyndall during the Bay County Chamber First Friday meeting. McMullen said the first personnel will begin arriving in July and aircraft in January 2013. McMullen also said 20 T-38s will be coming to the base over the next year. (Source: Panama City News Herald, 02/03/12)

NATO getting Global Hawks

NATO broke a nearly two-decade logjam and agreed to jointly fund operations of an airborne ground- surveillance system, including five Northrop Grumman Block 40 Global Hawks. The 28-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization approved a plan this week for all members to pay for support and operations, according to a statement Friday. The Alliance Ground Surveillance project, which is scheduled to come into use from 2015, will have its main base at Sigonella, Italy, and several associated command-and-control base stations. Virginia-based Northrop is the prime contractor. The drone is powered by Rolls-Royce engines. (Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters, 02/03/12) Previous

Cuts hit Keesler AFB

The proposed 2013 military budget designed to save the Air Force $8.7 billion over five years will eliminate hundreds of fighters, cargo planes, surveillance drones and surveillance planes from bases nationwide, according to details released Friday. Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., best known for its electronics training and home of the 403rd Reserve Wing, will lose 10 C-130Js in fiscal year 2014. That's half its total. The wing transports personnel and equipment and was a major player in combat operations in Southwest Asia. Another Mississippi base, Key Field Air National Guard in Meridian, will lose six C-27J in FY13 and one RC-26 in FY14. They'll be replaced by between nine and 11 MC-12s in FY14. Also of interest to the Gulf Coast region is the FY13 retirement of 18 Block 30 Global Hawks stationed at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. Fuselage work on Global Hawks is done in Moss Point, Miss. The force structure changes also affirms the Air Force's commitment to the F-35. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the joint training center. (Source: Tcp, 02/03/12) Details

Becoming astronaut still popular

More than 6,300 people applied between Nov. 15, 2011 and Jan. 27 to become a NASA astronaut, the second highest number of applications ever received by the agency. The highest response occurred in 1978 with 8,000 applicants. After a thorough selection process, which includes interviews and medical examinations, nine to 15 people will be selected to become part of the 21st astronaut class. NASA expects to announce a final selection in the spring of 2013. The new astronauts will be the first to launch aboard a commercial rocket to the space station, said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. (Source: NASA, 02/03/12) South Mississippi is involved in space programs through NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center.

Contract: SRI, $13.2M

SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., is being awarded a $13,200,000 cost-plus-award-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for the acquisition of a five-year research and development program. The Digital Video Laboratory (DVL) provides highly specialized hardware/software for data /video transmission, video compression, video data manipulation, image sensors, data/video storage, data/video retrieval and data/video searches. This contract will be used to acquire hardware, software, prototype systems, spiral software enhancements, installation and training support to support the 46 Test Wing's requirement to improve and modernize potential capabilities using digital data. The location of the performance is on an as required basis by delivery order. Work is expected to be completed by March 12, 2014. AAC/PKET, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/02/12)

Squadron changes command

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 will have a change of command ceremony Friday. Lt. Col. David R. Berke will take command from Lt. Col. James B. Wellons in a 10 a.m. ceremony at the Department of Navy and Marine Corps Hangar at Eglin Air Force Base. Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, is the first Marine Corps squadron to receive F-35B aircraft for pilot and maintainer training at the 33rd Fighter Wing F-35 Integrated Training Center. (Source: Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., 02/02/12)

Eglin to get 17 F-35s this year

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- Eglin Air Force Base is scheduled to get another 17 F-35 jets this year, according to a Lockheed Martin official. Stephen O'Bryan, vice president of Lockheed's F-35 program integration, provided the local media with an update Wednesday. Eglin, where pilots and maintainers from all branches of the military will be trained, already has nine of the jets, three of them the Marine Corps variant F-35B and the other six Air Force F-35A. The jets to arrive this year will include the first Navy version, the F-35C. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 02/01/12)

Contract: EADS, $10.1M

EADS - NA, Herndon, Va., was awarded a $10,128,500 firm-fixed-price contract. The award will provide for the modification of an existing contract for contract logistic support services. Work will be performed in Columbus, Miss., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2013. Five bids were solicited, with three bids received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 02/01/12)

Tyndall to test ceramic coating

Test buildings at Tyndall. Air Force photo

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Air Force engineers and researchers are hoping to find out whether a ceramic coating can help the military reach energy savings goals. Engineers at the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency will test the coating in April using two nearly identical buildings. The ceramic coating product, which is flexible, has been around for 20 years, but was never mass marketed. It performs well in a lab setting, and if it does the same in the field it could have multiple applications in warm climates, possibly even in an expeditionary setting. (Source: AFCESA, 01/31/12)