Lockheed Martin 2Q report

BETHESDA, Md. - Lockheed Martin Corp. today reported second quarter 2009 net earnings of $734 million compared to $882 million in 2008. Net sales for the second quarter of 2009 were $11.2 billion, compared to $11.0 billion in 2008. Cash from operations for the second quarter of 2009 was $1.1 billion, compared to $1.5 billion in 2008. (Source: Lockheed Martin via PRNewswire, 07/21/09) Gulf Coast note: Lockheed Martin has operations in the Gulf Coast.

Feds could anchor proposed complex

MOBILE, Ala. - The government wants to lease 24,000 square feet of office space downtown or at the Brookley Field Industrial Complex for Department of Homeland Security agencies. Mobile Airport Authority officials said they've offered the first building in a proposed office park that the authority would like to build on South Broad Street, south of Fort Whiting and across the street from the Airbus engineering center. (Source: Mobile Press Register, 07/21/09) Brookley is also the site chosen by EADS to assemble an aerial refueling tanker if the company wins an Air Force contract.

Airborne tool would aid in ASW training

Antisubmarine warfare training may get a new airborne tool to detect marine mammals that sometimes limit training exercises. Advanced Coherent Technologies LLC of San Diego, Calif., was awarded a $7.7 million contract for a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research project called “Living Marine Resources Imaging Sensor.” The contract provides for the continued development of a flight ready prototype sensor. Sixty percent of the work will be done in Mobile, Ala., and 40 percent in San Diego, and is expected to be completed in July 2014. The Phase I solicitation requested development of a radar system and associated algorithms to detect breaching whales in various sea states. (Source: DoD, 07/20/09)

Second contractor pleads guilty

A former government employee at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., pleaded guilty Monday and agreed to cooperate with an investigation of appropriations members of Congress steer to defense contractors. Mark O’Hair pleaded guilty to a false statement and conflict-of-interest charge. He’s the second defendant now cooperating with federal prosecutors looking onto allegations of wrongdoing by contractors with ties to Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa. Last week Richard Ianieri, former chief executive of a defense contractor with ties to Murtha pleaded guilty to soliciting kickbacks from a subcontractor in Pennsylvania. (Sources: multiple, including AP, The Hill, Northwest Florida Daily News, 07/20/09) Previous story, February 2009

Lakotas bound for Puerto Rico

The first two EADS North America-built UH-72A Lakota helicopters to be based outside of the continental United States have been delivered to the Army for operations in Puerto Rico. The helicopters are made in Columbus, Miss., by American Eurocopter, an EADS North America company. (Source: EADS North America, 07/20/09) Gulf Coast note: EADS also hopes to build a tanker assembly facility in Mobile, Ala. Another EADS company, EADS-CASA, has a maintenance facility in Mobile.

UAVs integrated into AF plans

Air Force leaders last month approved the Air Force Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Plan. The plan outlines a coordinated strategy for UAV integration across all Air Force functions. While the vision does not advocate replacement of manned missions, it does identify UAS alternatives for some manned missions. The plan highlights capabilities that will revolutionize UAV operations, including multi-aircraft control. The UAS Flight Plan is a long-range vision to 2047. (Source: AFNS, 07/15/09) Gulf Coast note: Northrop Grumman builds two unmanned systems, Global Hawk and Fire Scout, in Moss Point, Miss.; UAV-maker AeroVironment has a training operation in Navarre, Fla.

Contract: McDonnell, $12.1M

McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $12,100,000 contract to provide massive ordnance penetrator on B-2 platform. At this time $6,000,000 has been obligated. AAC/708th, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 07/16/09)

More work done on Stennis stand

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – Work on a pair of transfer docks for the new rocket test stand at John C. Stennis Space Center has been completed. The docks allow barges to deliver fuels to the A-3 Test Stand via Stennis’ seven-and-one-half-mile canal system that connects the site to the Pearl River. From the docks, liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen will be loaded into run tanks and used to conduct engine tests. The docks also are outfitted to allow for direct liquid transfer during a test. The A-3 stand will be used to test the J-2X engine for the Constellation Program. (Source: NASA, 07/17/09)

Keesler chosen for cyber training

BILOXI, Miss. - Keesler Air Force Base was chosen as the site for the new Undergraduate Cyberspace Training Unit, a program that will teach its students how to protect communications networks. The new unit will mean more students and teachers at Keesler. The first class begins in the fall of 2010. The training will include how to design, secure, assess, exploit, attack and defend various communication networks, including telephones, Internet protocol, satellite, land mobile radio, industrial control systems, integrated air defense and tactical data link. (Source: The Sun Herald, 07/17/09)

60-year Keesler program ends

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. – A course that’s been taught for six decades at Keesler is ending and being merged with other career fields. The last radio communications operations class in the 336th Training Squadron graduates next week. Radio operators deploy radio transmitters, receivers and ancillary equipment for line-of-sight, air-to-ground and satellite communications in fixed and tactical environments. The training in the reconfigured career fields will continue to be done at Keesler. (Source: Keesler Air Force Base, 07/15/09)

City's FOIA suit accord reached

VALPARAISO, Fla. - City commissioners voted Wednesday to approve a settlement in their Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed against the Air Force. Most of the meeting with attorneys was held in executive session. As a part of the settlement, the Air Force agreed to give Valparaiso all of the noise data within 30 days of the settlement’s signing by both parties. The suit is connected to the establishment of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Training Center. Valparaiso has been concerned over the noise associated with the aircraft. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 07/15/09)

Contract: Pratt & Whitney, $571.1M

Pratt & Whitney of East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded a $571,114,320 modification to the previously awarded Joint Strike Fighter F-135 (engine) low rate initial production Lot III advance acquisition contract to a cost-plus-incentive-fee/award-fee contract. It sets the final price and fully funds the procurement of seven Air Force conventional take off and landing propulsion systems, one spare main engine, initial spare modules and spare parts; one Royal Netherlands Air Force CTOL propulsion system, one spare main engine, and spare parts; seven Marine Corps short take off and vertical landing propulsion systems; initial spare modules and spare parts; two United Kingdom Royal Navy STOVL propulsion systems, one spare main engine, initial spare modules and spare parts. The contract also provides for associated special tooling, test equipment and more. Work will be performed in Connecticut, Indiana and the United Kingdom and is expected to be completed in February 2012. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 07/15/09) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is schedule to become home of the Joint Strike Fighter Training Center.

Contract: Bell Boeing, $24.5M

Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $24,500,000 contract for the development and delivery of safety corrective actions, reliability and maintainability improvements, and quick reaction capability improvements in support of V-22 Osprey missions for the Air Force Special Operations Command and the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Pennsylvania and Texas and is expected to be completed in December 2010. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 07/15/09) Gulf Coast note: Ospreys are used by the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

Contract: Northrop, $26.6M

Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $26,640,000 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for additional operations and maintenance support for the Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration Program. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed in August 2010. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 07/15/09) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawks are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.

Fire Scout shows off real-time vid

A Northrop Grumman Fire Scout unmanned helicopter testing in the United States provided real-time video feed of electro-optical/ infrared sensor imagery to participants at the Paris Air Show last month. The video was of selected areas of Chesapeake Bay and the shoreline of Southern Maryland. The Navy Fire Scout will complete operational evaluation this summer. (Source: Globe Newswire, 07/15/09) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scouts are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.

UK A330 set for tanker conversion

The first Airbus A330 slated for the United Kingdom’s strategic tanker program has arrived ahead of schedule at the Airbus facility in Madrid, Spain, to begin its conversion into a multi-role tanker transport. The Royal Air Force tanker uses the same airframe as Northrop Grumman’s KC-45, which is proposed for the U.S. Air Force’s tanker fleet. (Source: EADS North America, 07/15/09) Gulf Coast note: If EADS and partner Northrop Grumman win the Air Force contract, the KC-45 will be assembled in Mobile, Ala. If Boeing wins it will be assembled in Washington.

L-3 Crestview cuts jobs

CRESTVIEW, Fla. - L-3 Crestview Aerospace cut 28 jobs this week. That’s the same number of positions that were cut in May. The company blamed the cuts on the decrease in demand in the commercial aviation sector. The company, one of the largest employers in Okaloosa County, is a subsidiary of L-3 Integrated Systems and does aircraft modification and aerostructure fabrication. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 07/15/09)

Stennis projects among 20 picked

Two Stennis Space Center projects are among the 20 selected for NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program. The NASA Innovation Fund was established to advance work from NASA innovators on novel technologies and concepts that have the potential to revolutionize the way NASA performs its missions. More than 230 proposals were submitted. Each project is funded for a maximum of $50,000, with work to be completed by the end of September. The two Stennis projects are titled “Harvesting Vibrational Energy to Power Wireless Instrumentation Systems” and “Coanda Rocket Plume Deflectors for Large-Scale Test Facilities.” (Source: NASA, 07/10/09)

Waveland incubator study funded

WAVELAND, Miss. - The U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration is providing a $24,000 grant to Waveland to develop a feasibility study on establishing a business incubator in the city. Sandra Walters, EDA chief financial officer and chief administrative officer, said the grant will determine the viability of a business incubator to nurture technology and engineering-based businesses and help Waveland capitalize on its proximity to Stennis Space Center. (Source: Times Picayune, 07/13/09)

F-15 to be displayed at airport

VALPARAISO, Fla. – An F-15 from the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base will go on permanent display at the Northwest Florida Regional Airport. The plane was transported Monday and will be part of a display, expected to be completed in August, honoring the military. Another Eglin F-15 was sent to Mobile, Ala., where it will be part of the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. The F-15s are being phased out at Eglin and replaced by F-35s. (Source: Multiple, 07/13/09)