L-3 nears Bragg contract

L-3 Communication Vertex Aerospace LLC of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $10,187,846 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Interim Logistics Support Services requirement supporting the Fort Bragg (NC) Logistics Readiness Center. One bid was solicited with one received. Work will be performed with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2016. Fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $10,187,846 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Fort Bragg, NC, is the contracting activity. (DOD 05/31/16)

Navistar-MS $29M upgrade pact

Navistar Defense LLC has been awarded a $29.79 million modification to a previously awarded contract by the U.S. Army Contracting Command to modernize 250 mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles. The upgrades will be performed at the Navistar Defense Plant in West Point, Miss., through May 2017. (Source Army Technology 05/27/16)

Golden Triangle employment up

The Mississippi Department of Employment Security released its unemployment data for April showing the jobless rates in all four Golden Triangle counties at its lowest in years. Lowndes County's rate was 5.2 percent, the lowest rate since April 2001 (Oktibbeha: 4.5%; Noxubee: 6.8%; Clay: 6.9%). Mississippi's unemployment rate for April was 5 percent. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 05/26/16)

ASSURE turning the corner

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. James Poss will be leaving the director’s post at the Mississippi State University-led Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) on July 1. He was instrumental in landing the Federal Aviation Administration’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The ISR Ideas firm will begin providing intelligence consulting services to the aerospace industry. Marty W. Rogers of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks has been serving as deputy director of ASSURE, and will assume the role of interim director on July 1. (Source: Mississippi State University 05/25/16)

L-3 gains $302M aircraft pact

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $302,208,932 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract for logistics services in support of the C-12 utility lift aircraft, including post-production, full commercial-type aircraft maintenance, logistics support, and materials for Marine Corps Reserve C-12 (UC-12B/F/M/W) and Navy TC-12B trainer aircraft. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas (42%); Patuxent River, Md. (6); Manama, Bahrain (6); Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (6); Atsugi, Japan (6); Beaufort, S.C. (4); San Angelo, Texas (4); New Orleans (4); Yuma, Ariz. (4); Iwakuni, Japan (4), New River, N.C. (3); Kadena, Japan (3); Manassas, Va. (2); Miramar, Calif. (2); Futenma, Japan (2); and Misawa, Japan (2). Work is expected to be completed in July 2021. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 05/25.16)

DOD dangling more cash buyouts

The Pentagon is about to dangle a larger cash buyout to its workers in an incentive to get them to resign or retire as part of an FY 2017 budget proposal before the U.S. Senate - and up for a vote this week. The bill would grant the Defense Department’s request to increase by $15,000 a “voluntary separation incentive payment” (VSIP) to $40,000. A Senate Armed Services Committee report indicates that the “increased maximum amount would adjust for inflation” from when it was first authorized in 1993. The increase apparently applies only to DOD, which has permanent authority to offer buyouts. The U.S. House passed its own version of the defense budget without a similar increase. Both bills contain changes in personnel policies. Many are designed to aid hiring into hard-to-fill positions or incentives for potentially dangerous temporary assignments. (Source: Washington Post 05/24/16)

LM small biz seminar for Meridian

Lockheed Martin will host a small business seminar May 26 at the MSU-Meridian campus to learn how to do business with one of the largest contractors in the aerospace, defense, security and technologies industry. The event is part of LM’s supply Chain Management Small Business/Supplier Program. For more information or to register, visit www.mscpc.com and click on the events calendar for a direct link. For more information call 601-693-1306 ext. 235. (Source: Meridian Star 05/20/16)

AirCare 3 adds critical care for MS

AirCare 3 helicopters have added to north Mississippi's needs for access to the state's most advanced medical flight service. On May 18, University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson celebrated expansion of its AirCare fleet to three helicopters and stationed an additional “helo” at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus. Other sites include UMMC's main campus and Meridian. “The unveiling of AirCare 3 is an important step forward for emergency response in Mississippi as we bring our unique capabilities to the Golden Triangle,” said Kevin Cook, CEO of University Hospitals and Health System. AirCare can transports patients to Mississippi's only Level 1 trauma center at UMMC-Jackson. Being based at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport “provides us with advanced aviation services that allow our helicopters to safely fly in marginal weather when other helicopters are grounded,” he said. AirCare 3 began operating April 1 in a leased hangar at Airbus Helicopters, located behind the Columbus airport. Airbus is manufacturer of AirCare 3 fleet. (Source: Vertical 05/19/16)

Ex-UA prez to be MSU provost

Mississippi State University has named former University of Alabama President Judy Bonner as provost and executive VP. Bonner will serve as the school's chief academic officer, and is scheduled to begin at MSU on July 1. MSU President Mark Keenum said Bonner's broad experience set her apart from three other finalists of a national search. Bonner is at the end of a paid sabbatical from UA. Following UA’s hiring of Stuart Bell, Bonner left office in June 2015. Bonner's salary and contract information won’t be finalized until the state’s College Board officially approves the appointment in June. (The AP 05/20/16)

L-3 mod pact for TH-57 work

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $79,895,466 modification to a previous contract to exercise an option for the organizational and depot level logistics services required to support and maintain the TH-57 fleet. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Whiting Field, Fla. (98%); and NAS Patuxent River, Md. It is expected to be completed in May 2017. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated against individual delivery orders as they are issued. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 05/19/16)

Aircraft crashes in Tupelo

Four people were killed Monday morning when a private Beech BE36 aircraft crashed in a field about a half-mile from Tupelo (Miss.) Regional Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft crashed about 8:30 a.m. (CT) after the pilot reported seeing smoke in the cockpit. The single-engine plane was carrying three passengers and a pilot, and was heading to Charlottesville, Va., according to FlightAware. The plane’s origin was Kerrville, Texas. It landed in Tupelo on Sunday. The names of the deceased have not been released. (Source: ABC News 05/16/16)

UM grad fired from FRCW post

Capt. Kenneth Brown, commanding officer of Fleet Readiness Center West, located aboard Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif., was removed from that post May 12 “due to a loss of confidence” and only weeks before a scheduled change of command. FRCW performs intermediate level maintenance on aircraft and their parts, according to Naval Air Force Pacific. Cmdr. Brett Ingle is serving as the acting commander until permanent relief, Cmdr. Steven Leehe, reports. AIRPAC indicated Leehe will take command June 2. (Source: Navy Times 05/14/16) Central Mississippi Note: Brown, a 1994 graduate of the University of Mississippi, was commissioned through the Naval ROTC program and was an aviation maintenance officer.

L-3 reverses MS firm’s name

NEW YORK - L-3 Communications announced May 9 that it has reinstated the name of its Madison, Miss.-based aerospace services business to L-3 Vertex Aerospace. ““The name Vertex Aerospace resonates with our customers and employees because it has long been synonymous with our hard-earned reputation for expertise, competitiveness and total commitment to our customers”Tweet thisThe L-3 Vertex Aerospace name stands for our legacy,” said Mark Von Schwarz, president of L-3 Aerospace Systems. L-3 Vertex Aerospace is a premier provider of specialized aerospace sustainment and support services and as a pioneer in the field of contractor logistics support and aerospace services. The Madison firm is a worldwide provider of aerospace sustainment and support, and aviation and aerospace technical services for the Defense Department, government agencies and foreign governments. (Source: Business Wire 05/09/16)

HURREX for Navy southeast bases

Navy Region Southeast bases under the auspices of Navy Installations Command – including NAS Meridian and NCBC Gulfport, Miss., and NAS-JRB New Orleans – will be participating May 9-20 in an annual hurricane preparedness exercise. HURREX/Citadel Gale 2016 is being conducted in preparation for the upcoming Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean area hurricane season that begins June 1. The exercise will consist of two simulated tropical cyclones that will develop and intensify to hurricane strength, and threaten the East Coast, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coastal regions. All Navy commands within Navy Region Southeast, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, and Naval District Washington will be reviewing and exercising heavy weather instructions and procedures and accounting for sailors and families in the “affected” regions through the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System (NFAAS). NFAAS standardizes a method for the Navy to account, assess, manage, and monitor the recovery process of personnel and their families affected or scattered by a wide-spread catastrophic event. The devastation caused by storms such as Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina and Sandy reinforced the Navy’s need for proper training and preparedness prior to a real-world natural disaster. (Source: Navy Installations Command 05/06/16)

MS rocket team going to nationals

AMORY, Miss. – Amory High School’s rocket team - the only Mississippi school - will be making their third consecutive qualifying trip May 11-16 to the national Team America Rocketry Challenge in Washington, D.C. Amory is one of only five schools in the southeast to qualify. The team is sponsored by Aurora Flight Sciences in Columbus, Miss. Team members are trying to raise funds to help pay for the trip. (Source: Monroe Journal 05/04/16)

Insitu partners with MSU

Insitu, a company that creates and supports unmanned systems and software information technology, will begin tapping into Mississippi State University’s UAS programs, by establishing a 23-person facility to support engineering, software development and customer-support services. In addition, Insitu will provide access to its training programs based on FAA and military testing standards; and participate in curriculum development, academic mentorship and guidance for design, coaching and evaluation. The office will be located at the Ralph E. Powe Center for Innovative Technology within the MSU’s Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park in Starkville. Insitu is a unit of Chicago-based Boeing Co. The announcement was made at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference in New Orleans. (Source: PR Newswire 05/04/16)

Miss. work on Silent Knight radar

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems of McKinney, Texas, was awarded a potentially-estimated $49.5M contract for continued low-rate initial production of the Silent Knight Radar system in support of U.S. Special Operations Command. The work will be performed in McKinney, Texas; and Forest, Miss., and is expected to be completed by October 2018. Silent Knight is a terrain-following/terrain-avoidance (TF/TA) radar allowing for special operations aircraft to fly low-altitude missions with low probability of detection. It is designed to be used for fixed-wing and rotary aircraft; and to serve on MH-47G Chinook and MH-60M Blackhawk helicopters, MC-130 transports, and CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. (Source: DOD 05/02/16)

Unmanned vehicle conference

Senior Army and Navy officials will deliver presentations at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s XPONENTIAL 2016 conference this week in New Orleans. It is the largest trade show for unmanned vehicle systems and the robotics industry. Gen. David G. Perkins, commander, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, delivers remarks May 3. Frank Kelley, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for Unmanned Systems and a retired Marine Corps brigadier general, speaks May 5. The conference is at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans through May 5. In addition, the conference will convene a general session panel to discuss the future of unmanned systems. Among panelists will be U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, chairman of the House aviation subcommittee; Marke Gibson, senior advisor for UAS integration at FAA; and Dr. John Cavolowsky, director of NASA’s Airspace Systems Program, will serve on the panel. (Source: XPONENTIAL 2016 04/30/16)