NASA selects Air Products

NASA chose Air Products and Chemicals Inc. of Allentown, Pa., for the follow-on contract for the agency-wide acquisition of liquid hydrogen. It has a one-year base performance period with a one-year option period. The maximum potential value of the contract is about $18 million. Air Products will supply about 10,860,000 pounds of liquid hydrogen to Stennis Space Center, Miss., Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; and Kennedy Space Center, Fla., in support of the agency's Space Operations Mission Directorate and Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. (Sources: Examiner, Spaceref, 11/15/10)

Marine F-35 variant need questioned

The co-chairmen of the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform issued a series of draft proposals to cut government spending, including buying fewer F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for the Air Force and Navy and eliminating the Marine Corps variant. The document is just a proposal, and it remains to be seen how much gets in the final set of recommendations due Dec. 1. (Source: Project on Government Oversight, 11/10/10) InsideDefense.com, citing DoD sources, reports that senior defense leaders are considering a restructuring of the program that could eliminate the Marine variant and accelerate the development of the Air Force and Navy variants. (Source: InsideDefense (subscription), 11/12/10) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., will be the home of a JSF training center.

Cubic gets test range work

Cubic Defense Applications of San Diego, Calif., was awarded a $35 million contract as part of an industry team developing the Common Range Integrated Instrumentation System (CRIIS) for U.S. military test ranges. CRIIS, which will be operational at eight ranges, including Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., provides data to support weapon system testing for a variety of platforms, including aircraft, ships, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, ground vehicles and soldiers. Cubic is a subcontractor for Rockwell Collins, which was awarded a $140 million contract to develop the first phase of CRIIS. Cubic, known for its air combat training systems, is expanding into the test and evaluation instrumentation market. (Source: Cubic, 11/11/10) Previous Cubic story

Contract: Diligent, $24M

Diligent Consulting Inc., San Antonio, Texas, was awarded a $24,000,000 contract which will provide for Air Education and Training Command Department of Defense information assurance certification and accreditation process support services. AAC/PKO, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 11/11/10)

AJ26 test fired at SSC

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center conducted a successful test firing Wednesday of the liquid-fuel AJ26 engine that will power the first stage of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Taurus II space launch vehicle. Orbital and its engine supplier, Aerojet, test-fired the engine on Stennis' E-1 test stand. The test directly supports NASA's partnerships to enable commercial cargo flights to the International Space Station. The initial test, the first in a series of three firings, lasted 10 seconds and served as a short-duration readiness firing to verify AJ26 engine start and shutdown sequences, E-1 test stand operations, and ground-test engine controls. (Source: PRNewswire, NASA, 11/10/10; Business Wire, 11/11/10)

Blue Angels wrap up season

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Blue Angels will close the 2010 season with the annual Homecoming Air Show at Naval Air Station Pensacola Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Along with the flying, more than 50 military and civilian aircraft will be on display. (Source: WALA-TV, 11/10/10)

Contract: Raytheon, $16.1M

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $16,185,862 contract modification which will exercise the high-speed anti-radiation missile targeting system fiscal 2011 contractor logistics support option. At this time, $4,302,000 has been obligated. AAC/IBAS, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 11/10/10)

New airline service offered

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - Vision Airlines has decided to offer service out of Northwest Florida Regional Airport beginning next month. The company, started in 1994 primarily as a charter service, is based in Suwanee, Ga. It will offer non-stop service to Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Miami beginning Dec. 17. Plans for the new service were first mentioned last week during a chamber breakfast in Okaloosa County. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 11/08/10; Destin Log, 11/10/10)

Mississippi aviator honored

GULFPORT, Miss. - A life-size bronze bust of Mississippi aviator John C. Robinson will be unveiled and dedicated at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. The bust by sculptor Edward Shumper was commissioned by the John C. Robinson Brown Condor Association in honor of the Gulfport aviation pioneer. The unveiling is the kick-off of an effort to build the Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum on the grounds of the airport. (Source: Sun Herald, 11/09/10)

ASI assets purchased

PENSACOLA, Fla. - LSI Inc. of Jacksonville plans to acquire the assets of Aviation Systems Inc. of Northwest Florida next month. The Pensacola company provides training device design, engineering, manufacturing and repair services. ASI's facility is 20,000 square feet and has 50 workers. LSI is an employee-owned training company and has more than 450 workers. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 11/09/10)

First Navy F-35 arrives

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. - The first F-35C Lightning II carrier variant, the Navy's first stealth fighter, arrived over the weekend at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The aircraft left NAS Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base in Texas Saturday morning and achieved successful air refuels at a maximum load of 19,800 pounds during the flight. At Patuxent River, the F-35C will conduct air-to-air refueling and performance testing. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 11/09/10) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., will be home of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter training center.

Delay in F-35 delivery to Eglin?

Lockheed Martin planned to delivery two F-35As to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., before the end of the year to begin training pilots. But according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram's airline, travel and aerospace blog, InsideDefense reported that the Pentagon wants the first low initial rate production F-35s off the assembly line outfitted with extra testing equipment for an additional six months of testing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. That will delay pilot training until at least the late summer of 2011. (Source: Fort Worth Star Telegram, quoting InsideDefense (subscription), 11/04/10)

Fire Scout part of LCS module package

Northrop Grumman won a $29 million Navy contract to begin production of three mission module packages for littoral combat ships, including an anti-mine warfare package that includes the Fire Scout unmanned helicopter. The project also includes two surface warfare packages. The LCS modular design means the ship can go to the port where mission packages are staged, off load its current package and replace it with a new one in a few days. The first package is scheduled for early 2012 delivery and the others later that year. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 11/04/10) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scouts are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.; Austal USA in Mobile, Ala., is one of two companies building LCS ships for the Navy; Northrop Grumman has multiple operations in the Gulf Coast.

Counties eye F-35 noise study

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. - Three Northwest Florida counties and the Air Force have taken the first step to study ways to reduce the impact of noise from Joint Strike Fighters. Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties agreed Thursday to find a consultant to conduct a noise reduction study of homes, businesses and public buildings within areas that will be exposed to noise levels of 65 decibels or more after all 59 F-35s arrive at Eglin Air Force Base. The commander of the 96th Air Base Wing and other Air Force officials also will participate. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 11/04/10) Eglin Air Force Base will be home to a JSF training center.

Foley Goodrich gets more C-5 work

Goodrich received a contract from Lockheed Martin to supply 160 pylons for the Air Force C-5 airlifter Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program. Work on the pylons, which attach engines to the wings, will be done in Foley, Ala., and Chula Vista, Calif., the company said. The contract extends an earlier deal between the two companies to provide pylons and nacelles for three test aircraft as well as nine airplanes in the initial phases of the enhancement program. Pylons are scheduled for delivery beginning in early 2011 through the end of 2015, the company said. Goodrich has 700 workers in Foley. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, Goodrich, 11/03/10)

Microwave weapon contract awarded

Lockheed Martin won a $230,000 contract from the Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to define requirements for an airborne weapon using high-power microwave energy beams instead to take out enemy electronic systems. The Non-Kinetic Counter Electronics Capability contract will lead to development of a new weapon to destroy electronic equipment without explosives. Lockheed Martin will deliver its findings in the first quarter of 2011. The system would be aimed at structures containing electronic equipment that high-power microwave bursts would render useless. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 11/02/10)

Airport marks 75 years

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport marked 75 years of service Monday at an event attended by about 100 people. The airport started as a private development before being sold to the city of Pensacola in 1935. The city has spent $50 million over the past several years on renovations. Federal funds paid for $45 million in runway improvements. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 11/02/10) Other Central Gulf Coast cities served by commercial airports include New Orleans, Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss., Mobile, Ala., Fort Walton Beach-Valparaiso-Crestview, Fla., and Panama City, Fla.

Contract: Boeing, $106.4M

Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $106,354,379 contract modification which provides for the exercise of the Lot 7 option for small diameter bomb production for munitions, carriages and technical support. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. AAC/EBMK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (Source: DoD, 11/01/10)

Contract: L-3 Vertex, $23.8M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $23,798,929 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract to exercise an option for organizational, selected intermediate and limited depot-level maintenance for F-16, F-18, H-60, and E-2C aircraft operated by the adversary squadrons based at Naval Air Station, Fallon, Nev. Work will be performed in Fallon and is expected to be completed in October 2011. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 11/0)

Science center topping out date set

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – A "topping out" ceremony has been scheduled for Nov. 17 for the Infinity Science Center being built near NASA's Stennis Space Center. The ceremony marks a milestone in construction of the multimillion-dollar education center, set to open in 2012. In addition to the placing of a tree at the highest part of the structure, there will be remarks by key officials. Infinity, located near the Mississippi-Louisiana state line and the Mississippi Welcome Center along Interstate 10, is designed to interest young people in science, technology, engineering and math, and to increase the public’s understanding of the earth, space and ocean science work done at Stennis Space Center. (Source: Tcp, 11/01/10)