Contract: McDonnell, $114.6M

McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $114,558,014 contract which will provide support for small diameter bomb Increment 1 production for munitions, carriages and technical supports. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 681 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/15/09)

New park likely to target aerospace

GULFPORT, Miss. – Harrison County is on its way to buying some 600 acres for an industrial park north of Interstate 10 that likely will be marketed to aerospace companies. Harrison County supervisors on Monday gave the OK to buy land in Saucier for the North Harrison County Industrial Park. Larry Barnett, executive director of the Harrison County Development Commission, estimates the park will be ready for tenants in 2013. Plans call for one site of 250 to 300 acres, along with four smaller lots of 50 acres each. Barnett expects manufacturing that would be appropriate for the aerospace corridor that runs along Interstate 10 from New Orleans to Florida. (Source: Sun Herald, 12/14/09)

Rocketdyne opens facility at UAH

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne celebrated the opening of the new PoWeR Innovations Research facility on the campus of University of Alabama in Huntsville last week. The facility is part of a collaborative effort designed to develop new technologies and business strategies for both company and the Alabama university. UAH will provide offices, laboratories and support so Rocketdyne personnel can collaborate on planning, research and development activities. Rocketdyne will provide access to its technical and business personnel co-located at the university. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne will help develop new technologies of interest to both parties. (Source: Pratt & Whitney, 12/11/09) Gulf Coast note: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has activities at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

EADS details helo contract

The Army awarded the fifth year contract for the Lakota Light Utility Helicopter to EADS North America for $247.2 million. This contract increases the company’s supply of 45 additional Lakotas along with hardware to equip the rotary-wing aircraft for medical evacuation, personnel transport and multi-mission applications. The contract funds fiscal year 2010 production of UH-72A Lakotas to be delivered through June 2011, and brings the total number of Light Utility Helicopters ordered by the U.S. Army to 178. The contract ensures continuity of UH-72A deliveries from the state-of-the-art facility in Columbus, Miss., operated by EADS North America’s American Eurocopter business unit. (Source: EADS North America, 12/10/09) Note: Initial story

Eglin to host air show

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - Eglin officials confirmed that the base will host an air show in 2010. "75 Years of Eglin Pride" is the theme for the air show scheduled for April 10-11. A wide variety of aerial performers, including the Thunderbirds, will headline the show, which will include static displays. Maj. Gen. C.R. Davis, Air Armament Center commander, said air shows allow the public to better understand the military mission. (Source: Eglin, 12/10/09)

RS-68 boosts DoD satellite

Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne helped boost into orbit the third in a series of Wideband Global SATCOM satellites designed to increase communications capabilities for the Department of Defense. The mission launched Dec. 5 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV with Rocketdyne RS-68 and RL10 engines providing the booster and upper stage propulsion, respectively. It was the 11th launch of a Delta IV vehicle powered by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne engines. (Source: Pratt & Whitney, 12/07/09) Gulf Coast connection: RS-68 engines are assembled and tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

United selects Trent XWB engine

Rolls-Royce has been selected by United Airlines to power its new fleet of Airbus A350 XWB aircraft. The contract for 25 Airbus A350 XWB plus long-term service support is worth $2 billion. The aircraft are due to be delivered between 2016 and 2019. In addition, the airline has also announced future purchase rights for a further 50 aircraft. Firm orders for the Trent XWB engine total more than 1,000 from 33 customers. The engine will enter into service in 2013. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 12/08/09) Gulf Coast connections: ATK will produce composite structures and tooling for the A350 XWB in Iuka, Miss.; XWB engines are scheduled to be tested the Rolls-Royce test stand at Stennis Space Center, Miss., beginning in 2010 or 2011.

Keesler air show wins award

BILOXI, Miss. – Keesler Air Force Base’s “Thunder on the Bay” air show held in April has been named the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Best Military Show Site 2009. Lt. Col. Gregory Thomas, Thunderbird commander/leader, presented the award at the annual International Council of Air Shows in Las Vegas. Thunder on the Bay was held April 4 and 5 and drew an estimated crowd of 142,000. Keesler's next air show will be March 19-20, 2011, showcased with a performance by the Navy Blue Angels, based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. (Source: Keesler, 12/08/09)

Block 40 Global Hawk takes to air

PALMDALE, Calif. - The first Block 40 configuration of the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial system successfully completed its first flight last month. Designated AF-18, the Global Hawk flew about two hours from Northrop Grumman’s manufacturing facility in Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Global Hawk production acceptance activities will transition in the near future from Edwards to Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale. The company performs Global Hawk subassembly work at its Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss., and final assembly at its Antelope Valley Manufacturing Center in Palmdale. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 12/08/09)

ST Aerospace lands contract

MOBILE, Ala. - ST Aerospace Mobile won a new airplane maintenance contract and could hire as many as 200 new employees. The contract calls for the company to maintain Airbus A320 and Boeing 767 planes belonging to an unnamed airline. The contract is worth $90 million for the first three years, and has an option for another two years worth another $80 million. The company has close to 1,300 employees and contractors. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 12/05/09)

Contract: Lockheed, $329.4M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $329,400,000 modification to the previously awarded Joint Strike Fighter air system low rate initial production Lot III cost-plus-incentive-fee/award-fee contract for special tooling and special test equipment. Work will be performed in Texas, California, Florida, New Hampshire, Maryland, and the United Kingdom. Work is expected to be completed in November 2011. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/04/09) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the JSF training center.

Contract: Composite Engineering, $29.3M

Composite Engineering Inc., Sacramento, Calif., was awarded a $29,342,315 contract which will provide Lot 7 option to procure a quantity of 36 additional BQM-167As, also known as the Air Force Subscale Aerial Target. 691 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/04/09)

Senators: Move forward on tankers

Two senators say the Air Force should move forward with plan to buy aerial tankers even if Boeing is the only bidder. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Kent Conrad, D-S.D., said in a joint statement that there have already been too many delays. Northrop, which wants to assemble the planes in Mobile, Ala., said Tuesday it would not bid on the contract unless the Pentagon makes big changes to its request for proposals. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 12/04/09)

Airbus' Trent named chamber chairman

MOBILE, Ala. - David Trent, head of the Airbus Engineering Center at Brookley Industrial Complex, has been named 2010 chairman of the board of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. Opened in 2007, the Airbus center has 145 employees who do interior design work on several Airbus commercial aircraft. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 12/03/09)

Contract: EADS, $247.2M

EADS North American Defense, Arlington, Va., was awarded a $247,242,722 firm-fixed-price contract for the funding of program year 2005 of the Army's Light Utility Helicopter program for 45 light utility helicopters, 30 medical evacuation mission equipment packages, 30 MEDEVAC B-kits, 30 hoist B-kits, four personnel mission equipment packages, 11 engine inlet barrier filters, 34 environmental control units, and 45 airborne radio communication 231s. Work is to be performed in Columbus, Miss., with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2011. U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, CCAM-BH-C, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/03/09)

Hearing becomes Constellation rally

WASHINGTON - A congressional hearing on astronaut safety turned into a pep rally for NASA’s Constellation program, with lawmakers and witnesses endorsing it as the best replacement for the shuttle. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona Democrat who heads the House subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, organized the hearing as a counter to a presidential panel that raised questions about the value of Constellation's Ares I rocket in favor of commercial launchers. (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 12/02/09) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are involved in the Constellation program.

Fire Scout may play CG role

The Coast Guard is actively pursuing a vertical-takeoff-and-landing unmanned aerial vehicle to satisfy requirements for its National Security Cutter. In October, the service used Northrop Grumman's company-owned Fire Scout, P6, for land-based tests from Webster Field at NAS Patuxent River, Md. The UAV was equipped with off-the-shelf imaging surveillance radar. Northrop used its own money to integrate the radar on the aircraft and has been pouring R&D funds into the Fire Scout to reduce risk. (Source: Aviation Week, 12/01/09) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scouts are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.

Contracts: GCC, CCI, $10M each

GCC/Thomco LLC, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and CCI Group, LLC, Shalimar, Fla., were each awarded a $10,000,000 contract which provides acquisition of base engineering requirements, maintenance, repair and minor construction efforts. 96 CONS/PKAC, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/01/09)

NG threatens not to bid on tanker

Northrop Grumman won’t bid for the Air Force refueling tanker program unless changes are made to the draft request for proposals. In a letter to the Pentagon, Northrop notes the draft request shows a clear preference for a smaller tanker than the A330 the Northrop and teammate EADS are offering. The letter said competing would be a financial burden. Northrop and EADS won the contract in February 2008 over Boeing, which offered the smaller 767. The decision was overturned following a Boeing protest, and restarted in September. Northrop/EAD planned to build the tanker in Mobile, Ala. (Sources: Multiple, including Bloomberg, Reuters, Mobile Press-Register, 12/01/09)

GATR test successful

Alliant Techsystems and Elbit Systems Ltd. have successfully conducted flight tests of the Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket (GATR) fired from an Army OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. The recent tests took place at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. GATR can be used in urban areas and against targets where a low collateral damage solution is required. GATR uses advanced acquisition, tracking and guidance algorithms to achieve one-meter accuracy against stationary and moving targets. The GATR system fills the gap between larger, more expensive guided missiles and the current family of unguided rockets. (Source: PRNewswire, 12/01/09)