FAA picks drone sites

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Dec. 30 that six organizations in Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota and Virginia, will develop unmanned aerial system test and evaluation sites that will help integrate drones into the nation's air space. The University of Alaska's proposal includes seven climatic zones and test site range locations in Hawaii and Oregon. New York's site at Griffiss International Airport will look into integrating drones into congested airspace. Virginia Tech's proposal includes test ranges over both Virginia and New Jersey. The congressionally-mandated test sites will conduct research into the certification and operational requirements necessary to safely integrate UAS into the national airspace over the next several years. (Source: FAA, 12/30/13) Previous; FAA Roadmap.

Raytheon’s Forest plant garners piece of order

Raytheon Technical Services of Indianapolis, Ind., was awarded a $40,911,284 delivery order against a previous Navy agreement for the repair of 40 Weapon Replaceable Assemblies of the APG 65/73 Radar System used in support of F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. The large majority of the work will be in Indianapolis (57%); but Raytheon’s Forest, Miss., plant will take on 17 percent of the work. The Mississippi plant produces hundreds of radars that use a revolutionary type of sensing technology known as active electronically scanned arrays (AESA). The company is now the world’s biggest producer of tactical AESA radars. Work is expected to be completed no later than December 2015. Naval Supply Systems Command, Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity. (Source: Defense Department, Dec. 27, 2013)

ANG to purchase buffer acreage around Camp Shelby

The Army National Guard is scheduled to purchase more than 1,500 acres in South Mississippi around the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center to establish a buffer zone to limit the effects of commercial encroachment and in support of the base’s mission. The announcement will be made Monday, Dec. 30, at the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at 1 p.m. The 1,522-acre purchase, owned by Weyerhauser, will be obtained through the Defense Department’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program. Camp Shelby is the largest reserve component training site in the United States. A portion of the property will be registered as carbon offset credits through the state of California's carbon market. The project is expected to generate an estimated $10.5 million which will be utilized for future Army Compatible Use Buffer projects at Camp Shelby. Source: Camp Shelby JFTC media release, Dec. 27, 2013; Previously in Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor, Dec. 13. [Gulf Coast Note: Similar land purchases through REPI have occurred in NW Florida around NAS Whiting Field and Eglin AFB.]

Mississippi awaits FAA’s drone decision worth billions

Economic development offices and major research universities across the nation, including at Mississippi State, are waiting with great anticipation for a decision from the Federal Aviation Administration as to where to place research and test sites for drones. The FAA decision could be worth billions of dollars in economic activity and tens of thousands of new jobs. Mississippi's site would be at Camp Shelby, near Hattiesburg, where the National Guard has been testing Predator drones for years, said James Poss, a retired Air Force major general, who now directs strategic initiatives at the High Performance Computing Collaboratory at Mississippi State University. (Source: Washington Post, ‘Government Beat’ blog, Dec. 19, 2013. GCAC, Dec. 14, 2013.)

Aurora-Columbus lands DoD X-Plane contract

Aurora Flight Sciences, a Columbus, Miss., firm that designs and builds robotic aircraft and other advanced aerospace vehicles for scientific and military applications, has been awarded a $14 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract to assist in development of an experimental Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft for the Defense Department. Work will be performed at the East Mississippi plant, according to a Saturday media release from U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), vice chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee. This award, says Cochran, is “an example of Mississippi companies successfully competing for programs that bring high tech jobs to our state, while providing the best equipment and capabilities to our Armed Forces." Source: The Associated Press, Dec. 15, 2013.

Unmanned program launched from Camp Shelby

The ‘Open Source Unmanned Remote and Autonomous Vehicle Systems’ program launched Friday from Camp Shelby, Miss., could be an attraction for firms interested in unmanned systems to come to south Mississippi, according to John Weathersby, executive director of the Open Source Software Institute. OSSI, along with the U.S. military and Department of Homeland Security, launched a program that merges two technology trends: Unmanned vehicle systems and open source software. The program outlined at Camp Shelby is designed to drive innovation and reduce costs in part by utilized open source software. The research program is to be based out of Camp Shelby and administered in conjunction with the Air Force, Army, Navy, DHS, Defense Acquisition University and non-government entities. Weathersby said economic development opportunities are very likely, and a UAS conference, tailored specifically for the OSS community, is being scheduled for Fall 2014. Commercial entities are being invited to visit or set up shop at Camp Shelby throughout the South Mississippi Defense Corridor, Weathersby said. (Source: GCAC, Dec. 13, 2013)

GE Ellisville delivers first nacelles component

The Nexcelle joint venture between Safran and GE Aviation marked a first with the shipping of its first major production component for the next generation for GE Aviation’s Passport business jet engine. The Nexcelle air inlet component is the first element to be completed at the GE Composites factory in Ellisville, Miss. The Mississippi plant transported the air inlet to GE Aviation's Peebles Test Operation facility in Ohio, where it will be integrated with a Passport engine for propulsion system icing tests in Canada. (Source: Business Wire, Dec. 11, 2013)

Central Mississippi/Golden Triangle Note: Safran has an engineering operation in Mobile, Ala.; nacelles are also produced by UTC in Foley, Ala.; and Rolls-Royce tests airline engines at an outdoor test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Native American IT firm earns Columbus AF contract

WYANDOTTE, Okla. - Bearskin Services, a 100 percent tribally-owned Small Business Administration-certified firm, and established supplier of IT and telecom products and services, announced it has secured a $5.5 million base network and telephone systems contract for the Air Force's 14th Fighter Training Wing at Columbus, Miss. Bearskin technicians will furnish comprehensive base network and telephone services to support that mission. Source: Bearskin Services, Dec. 10, 2013.

Camp Shelby to launch UV robot innovation program

The U.S. military, Department of Homeland Security and the private sector will meet at the Camp Shelby, Miss., Joint Forces Training Center near Hattiesburg on Dec. 13 to launch an innovative, multi-agency technology systems research program for unmanned vehicles (UV). JFTC-Shelby will host the collaborative program, which will be administered in conjunction with military, DHS and non-government entities. The 'Open Source Unmanned Remote and Autonomous Vehicle Systems' program will be from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the Shelby training center, the nation's largest Reserve mobilization station. Source: Camp Shelby Public Affairs, Dec. 10, 2013.

MDA to lead business on European mission

The Mississippi Development Authority plans to lead a state-business development delegation on a 5-day trip to Western Europe at the end of March 2014. The trip is to have stop-overs in France and the UK. MDA says the trip is designed to connect state businesses with expanded trade and business relationships with the European market. The Mississippi State Trade Export Promotion program, funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, is helping to offset some of the costs. MDA did not identify any of the state companies. Source: MDA, Dec. 9, 2013.

Southwest Airlines to jilt Jackson

Southwest Airlines will cease flying out of the Jackson-Medgar Evers International Airport in Mississippi on June 7. Company spokesman Brad Hawkins said passenger numbers were no longer financially feasible and below expectations. SWA’s merger with AirTran, which once catered to second-tier markets, is expecting to move into the nation’s largest airports. Jackson has been a Southwest destination since 1997. It is the only legacy airport SWA is leaving, but the airline will also cease servicing Key West, Fla., and Branson, Mo., both previously served by AirTrain, in June. No other current Southwest destinations are slated for closure. SWA’s 37 Jackson airport workers will be offered jobs elsewhere with SWA. Delta, American [likely to merge next week with U.S. Air] and United remain the only airlines serving Jackson. Source: Mississippi Business Journal business blog, Dec. 6, 2013.

MSU/USM partner basic econ workshop

The University of Southern Mississippi’s Trent Lott National Center, in partnership with the Stennis Institute at Mississippi State University, will host its first workshops on basic community economic development for elected officials on both campuses at Hattiesburg and Starkville Dec. 11 and Dec. 18 respectively. The workshops will focus on the roles of elected officials. Key topics include: trends, infrastructure development, revitalization, financing, planning and partnership development in creating employment opportunities. Source: Hattiesburg American, Dec. 3, 2013.

Students encouraged to join NASA’s Rover Challenge

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has issued an engineering-design challenge to high school and college students to create a space-exploration vehicle that can travel across simulated other-word surfaces. The Human Exploration Rover Challenge is a more complex follow-up to NASA’s Great Moonbuggy Race. Competition registration closes Feb. 7 for American student-teams. The competition is slated for April 10-12 at the U.S. Space and Rocket in Huntsville, Ala., home to the U.S. Space Camp. Sponsors will award prizes for the winners. Source: NASA Press Release, Nov. 29, 2013.

MRS gets $10M Stennis contract

The Mississippi Research Consortium was awarded a $10 million contract to provide engineering and scientific research to NASA, other government agencies and various tenants at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Areas of work include rocket propulsion testing research and development, project formulation, new business development, remote sensing applications, ecosystem integration and analysis, coastal community resiliency and sustainable development, water quality, climate change and variability effects on regional ecosystems, acoustics, image analysis, geographic information systems, computational fluid dynamics, polymers/ceramics, electron microscopy, micro-electromechanical systems, magneto hydrodynamics, diagnostics instrumentation, and other associated scientific, computational and engineering areas. The consortium is a collaboration of Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, University of Southern Mississippi and University of Mississippi. The period of performance shall be a one-year base period with four one-year options through Nov. 30, 2018. (Source: FBO, 11/27/13)

DoD seeks plan to shutter U.S. commissaries: 4 in Mississippi

The Defense Commissary Agency has allegedly been asked to come up with a plan to close all 178 commissaries in the United States - about 67 percent of its entire fleet of stores, according to an unnamed resale community source detailing information about a meeting between the Joint Staff and Pentagon comptroller office representatives. The source told Navy Times that the meeting was held in early November and was part of FY-15 defense budget requests being worked up for February submission. DeCA also operates 70 overseas stores. DeCA negotiates lower prices for products based on volume. Closing commissaries would lead to higher prices and a degraded benefit in remaining stores, said Tom Gordy, president of the Armed Forces Marketing Council that represents more than 330 manufacturers who sell products at commissaries and exchanges. Gordy presented written testimony Wednesday to the House Armed Services Committee’s military personnel panel. He says discussion of closing commissaries didn’t come up at the panel meeting, but wrote that closing U.S. stores “would eliminate the benefit for millions of families, breaking a commitment that has been made to every service member.” He indicated in testimony that the Joint Staff allegedly had asked DeCA to look into cutting out two-thirds of its $1.4 billion annual budget. Source: Navy Times, Nov. 21, 2013.
[Central Mississippi/Golden Triangle Note: There are four DeCA commissaries located in Mississippi at Columbus AFB, Gulfport NCBC, Keesler AFB and Meridian NAS.]

Court rejects Eaton’s multi-million dollar lawsuit

In a unanimous decision Thursday, the Mississippi Supreme Court refused Eaton Corp’s request for reinstating a trades-secret lawsuit against Frisby Aerospace. Eaton had sued Frisby and six of EC’s former engineers for taking alleged company secrets to the North Carolina-based firm in 2004. The justices’ upheld the Hinds County Circuit Court’s previous ruling that Eaton sanctioned communications between one of its lawyers and the initial judge overseeing that lawsuit. Hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts were on the line between the two rival companies vying for aerospace parts contracts for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. A countersuit claims Eaton sued to destabilize Frisby will now continue in Jackson, Miss. Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer, Nov. 21, 2013.
[Central Mississippi/Golden Triangle Note: Eaton’s Jackson, Miss., facility operates one of the most advanced aircraft hydraulic test laboratories in the world.]

Lowndes: RFPs for land-use development around CAFB

Lowndes County officials are in the midst of requesting consultant proposals to assist in the implementation of recommendations from an early 2013 Joint Land Use study regarding economic development of property around Columbus Air Force Base that is compatible with military operations. Those requests for proposals will allow the county to determine what property is suitable for development without affecting CAFB's mission. In the interim, Lowndes got a federal grant to hire a planner to update maps of the property around CAFB. The RFP deadline is Nov. 29. Source: Columbus Dispatch, Nov. 19, 2013.

Mississippi Raytheon expanding

Raytheon plans to increase the size of its Forest, Miss., manufacturing facility by more than 20,000 square feet and hire more than 150 new workers. That's according to an announcement today by Raytheon and state officials. The expansion is to support anticipated growth in airborne radar and electronic warfare markets. At 340,000 square feet, the plant already is one of the largest defense manufacturing plants in the Magnolia State. This year, the Forest plant ramped up its fighter jet radar production rates 10-fold. It also delivered more than 500 Active Electronically Scanned Array aircraft radars. In addition to fighter jet radars, the facility makes the Sentinel air defense radar, with 57 additional ones in production for the U.S. Army. (Source: Raytheon via PRNewswire, 11/11/13)

Tupelo groups wrangling over airport expenditures

The Tupelo City Council unanimously voted last week against authorizing a $1.2 million expenditure, from the Tupelo Airport Authority, to repair the taxiway and part of an old runway at the airport primarily used by Universal Asset Management, the airport’s largest tenant. The city has agreed to pay $107,000 for repairs and that UAM should pay the rest. The city contends UAM tore up the taxiway and should pay half. In response, a UAM official insinuated that without the repairs the company may move out. City Council members voiced support for the firm and were said to be willing to negotiate, but, according to Mayor Jason Shelton, the city isn’t going to respond well to ultimatums. Shelton said UAM hasn’t provided sufficient information on how the firm developed their future investment wish-list numbers – between $4 million and $7 million – and are waiting for that additional information. Source: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Nov. 7, 2013.

States up R&D spending

A National Science Foundation study shows state government expenditures for research and development hit $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2011, up 11 percent from the previous year. Individual state government expenditures varied widely with New York, Ohio, Florida, California and Pennsylvania accounting for 51 percent of all state government R&D. Gulf Coast states’ spending numbers included: Florida at $150.8 million, Texas $47.4 million, Alabama $19.7 million, Louisiana $9.2 million and Mississippi $7.4 million. Source: National Science Foundation, November 2013.

FAA releases drone roadmap

The Federal Aviation Administration has developed a roadmap for allowing widespread use of unmanned aircraft in the national airspace, but it will take longer than Congress wants. The FAA said that for the next several years access of robotic aircraft will be limited to permits the FAA grants on a case-by-case basis to operators who agree to procedures to reduce safety risks. Congress last year directed the FAA to grant drones widespread access by September 2015. Six sites nationwide will be chosen by FAA as test sites for the integration process. (Sources: multiple, including FAA, Bloomberg, AP, 11/07/13) UAS Roadmap; UAS Comprehensive Plan. The Gulf Coast’s I-10 corridor is heavily involved in unmanned systems. Fire Scout and Global Hawks are built in part in Moss Point, Miss., and the military uses drones in training, from hand-held types to full-scale target drones at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

[Central Mississippi/Golden Triangle Note: Stark Aerospace, with three divisions at Columbus’ Golden Triangle Regional Airport, makes Huron and Hunter drones; and Mississippi State’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory is developing a UAV prototype drone for battlefield surveillance and communication capabilities for the U.S. military from its Bryan Field location.]

Miss. Supreme Court halts Eaton-Frisby aerospace lawsuit

The Mississippi Supreme Court has agreed to halt and rule on an attorney-client privilege claim within litigation reports of a 9-year accusation-filled Eaton Corp-Frisby Aerospace trade-secrets trial. The trial was to have started Nov. 4. The case involves former Eaton engineers allegedly stealing thousands of pages of proprietary aerospace-parts data and providing them to Frisby. The Mississippi high court is considering whether the reports can be declassified and whether the information in it implicates Eaton officials with knowing one of its outside attorneys tried to influence the initial Mississippi trial judge in 2004.The scheduled Nov. 4 court case in Hinds County, Miss., was a counter-claim by Frisby that the initial Eaton lawsuit’s purpose was to disrupt the North Carolina firm’s $1 billion contract with Boeing. Source: Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer, Nov. 5, 2013.

Miss. firm partners in buy of fire-fighting craft

Montreal-based Bombardier, the world’s only manufacturer of both aircraft and trains, celebrated the sale of its 50th super-scooper Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft to a partnership led by Tenax Aerospace of Ridgeland, Miss. It will be used under contract to the U.S. Forest Service beginning in December. Also, it is the first B-415 to be sold in the United States. The Bombardier contract is approximately valued at $35 million. The aircraft is a world-renowned firefighter and the only aircraft specifically built as an aerial fire-fighting aircraft. It can land on on unpaved runways, lakes, rivers and seas, which enables rapid attacks in extinguishing and containing fires. Source: Bombardier, Nov. 3, 2013.

L3 jobs at Columbus AFB

L3 Communications is looking for a senior Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) specialist and a Corrosion Control Worker for work at Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base. The senior NDI specialist uses predetermined methods, operations, setups and prescribed specifications to inspect visually in-process and completed products such as electronic units and subsystems, precision electromechanical assemblies or mechanical units, subassemblies, structural flaws, internal defects, and missing welds. The CC worker accomplishes all actions following orders and directions of higher grade corrosion control personnel; and will strip, pre-treat and paint Aerospace Group Equipment, aircraft component and parts. Source: My Jobs and My Jobs, October 2013.

Thad Pad Expansion II Developing

Mississippi State University's vice president for research and economic development has indicated there is a growing interest and discussions regarding a second phase of expansion on about 50 acres with the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park. The results of the discussions may culminate into new partnerships in 2014. VP David Shaw says those discussions have been with at least two unnamed organizations about development at the park. The Phase II premium-space expansion – expected to be more densely configured - will focus on a tract of land roughly 50 acres near a facility housing II-VI (pronounced "two-six") Inc., a high tech manufacturer based in Pennsylvania. Coupled with other current projects, Shaw says the Golden Triangle - Starkville, Oktibbeha County and MSU - will begin to start reaping a resurgence of economic benefits within the next 10 years. Source: Columbus Dispatch, Nov. 1, 2013.

Contract: L3, $22M

L3 Communications Corp., Systems Field Support, Madison Miss., has been awarded an estimated $22,049,546 modification (P00025) to exercise option year three of the firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contract (FA8106-11-D-0002) for C-12 contractor logistics support. Work will be performed worldwide at 19 sites to support C-12 aircraft for Pacific Air Forces, Air Force Material Command, Defense Intelligence Agency and Defense Security Cooperation Agency, consisting of maintenance, repair and support functions. The work is expected to be performed until Oct. 31, 2014. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WLKLC, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 11/01/13)

CAFB will join Vets' Day activities

Columbus Air Force Base’s 14th Training Wing personnel will be among the active duty participants for the Nov. 9 Lowndes County Veterans Day Parade and wreath-laying ceremony Nov. 9. The veterans’ parade begins at 10 a.m. at the Columbus Municipal Complex. The wreath-laying ceremony is at 11 at the county courthouse. Organizations and veterans wishing to participate may contact the base public affairs office at (662) 434-7068 or American Legion Post 69 at (662) 329-4130. Source: Columbus, Miss., Dispatch, Oct. 26, 2013.

State econ VP touts economic growth

The senior VP for the Mississippi Economic Council told members of the Olive Branch, Miss., Rotary Club that the state continues to score high marks among its southeastern neighbors in business and economic outlook, and is No. 1 nationally in shipbuilding and manufacturing growth – which includes the aerospace industry. Scott Waller also stressed the importance of carrying forward with the ‘Blueprint Mississippi’ strategic plan and the state’s Common Core standards – adopted by 45 other states - for schools despite growing criticism among some groups over the past year. Source: Desoto (Miss.) Times, Oct. 24, 2013.

Aurora awarded Navy drone contract

The Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency (DARPA) has awarded Aurora Flight Sciences, which operates a production facility in Tupelo, Miss., with a $2,811,232 contract to design, develop, and demonstrate an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for technologies to enable future launch, recovery, and operations from small Navy ships. The Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node program is to provide war-fighters an affordable solution allowing fixed-wing drones, with surveillance and communications capabilities, to routinely operate from aboard ships, and extending range and operational capabilities. AFS designs and builds aerospace vehicles for commercial and military applications; and is headquartered in Manassas, Va. Source: WVTA-TV Tupelo, Oct. 24, 2013.

Stark may be considered for howitzer project

The Israel Defense Forces’ Artillery Corps has plans to set out on a modernization program – as state and international companies prepare to post contract offers - to build a next generation of the 50-year-old M109 self-propelled howitzers. If updating plans get approval, potential suppliers will be asked to prepare an autonomously loading 52-caliber cannon, with a 155mm barrel, integrated on a refurbished or new, low-cost chassis. Israeli firms expected to compete: privately-owned Elbit Systems (ES), and the state-run Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Israel Military Industries (IMI). Internationally: America’s Lockheed Martin and Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall Defense. IAI reports it is basing “specs” on a KMW artillery gun module that is integrated onto a Lockheed Martin-built rocket-launch system chassis. Final assembly of the artillery piece may be built at either ES’ Stark Aerospace facility in Columbus, Miss., or LM’s plant in Dallas. Source: Jewish Business News, Oct. 21, 2013.

GA Tupelo to work carrier contract

General Atomics headquarters has been awarded a $51,997,981 Navy contract order of a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement for procurement of Advanced Arresting Gear equipment required to stand up Runway Arresting Landing Site (RALS) simulation testing for the first-in-class Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) aircraft carrier. RALS equipment enables the Navy to troubleshoot issues discovered during certification and deployment of carrier. General Atomics’ Tupelo, Miss., facility will conduct about 15 percent of the overall work for this project which is tentatively scheduled to be completed in October 2016. Source: Defense Department, Oct. 17, 2013

SXP sets up NW Miss. foundation scholarships

Schulz Xtruded Products of Tunica, Miss., will provide a matching gift endowment to The Northwest Mississippi Community College Foundation for new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) scholarship assistance for the 2014-15 school year. SXP specializes in extrusion steel pipes, high-alloyed materials, and metallurgical bonded pipes for oil and gas firms as well as a variety of titanium profiles for the aerospace industry. For information about the scholarship program call the Northwest foundation at (662) 560-1103. Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal, Oct. 12, 2013.

Aero accident probes take back seat during gov't shutdown

National Transportation Safety Board investigators have been unable to probe 13 accidents since the partial government shutdown Oct. 1. The government agency has also postponed two others, including one scheduled for November involving an Asiana Airlines jetliner that crash-landed July 6 in San Francisco. In total, NTSB has put 1,500 investigations on hold; and sent home 383 of its 405 employees. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) said the shutdown has “recklessly been putting our economy at risk of a relapse.” Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker warned that both political parties must be willing to compromise. Aerospace Industries Association CEO Marion Blakey warned a congressional panel Friday that the longer the shutdown continues, smaller aerospace supply businesses will suffer potential collapses and be hurt worse than the more established aviation firms. Source: Bloomberg, Oct. 11, 2013.

MSU fund-raiser reaches $345M

Mississippi State University is in the midst of a $600 million fund-raising effort that was begun quietly in 2010. It is designed to support the school’s eight academic colleges – including the Meridian campus - libraries and athletic programs for scholarships to endowed faculty positions, a new engineer and science facility and future projects within the athletics department. MSU Provost Jerry Gilbert says the effort has raised nearly $345 million to date. Source: The Associated Press, Oct. 11, 2013.

MSU names new alumni director

Seasoned alumnus Jeff Davis was named the new executive director for Mississippi State University’s Alumni Association. The announcement ends a 3-month research to replace 38-year MSU alumni veteran Jimmy Abraham, who retired in June. Davis comes to Starkville from duty as an alumni association executive at Stephen F. Austin University. Davis begins his new role at MSU in November. Davis has family history with MSU. His grandfather played football at State in the late 1930s and graduated with an engineering degree. Source: The Reflector (MSU), Oct. 11, 2013.

Pre-teen’s STEM brewsky experiment headed to ISS

A sixth-grade Colorado student’s space-science experiment, one he developed at his science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) school 20 miles south of Denver, has won an all-expenses paid trip to the International Space Station. Astronauts aboard the ISS will test the effects of Michal Bodzianowski’s cosmic beer-making experiment. The 11-year-old claimed the prize as part of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education's Student Spaceflight Experiments Program. The experiment is scheduled to launch in December aboard Orbital Science's robotic Cygnus spacecraft. Source: Space.com, Oct. 11, 2013.

Aerospace teen rocket contest opens

Over the next six months, thousands of students from across America - and hopefully Mississippi - will push the educational envelope and test gravity’s limits by building and launching model rockets for the Aerospace Industries Association’s 12th annual Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC). Official registration has opened to as many as 1,000 student-teams from grades 7 through 12. TARC is a conduit for recruiting diverse students for careers in the aerospace and defense industry. For additional information on TARC and to register visit www.rocketcontest.org. Source: AIA, October 2013.

NC judge shoots down Eaton appeal

A federal judge in North Carolina scuttled Eaton Corp.’s decade-long alleged stolen trade secrets legal battle with Frisby Aerospace by dismissing the Cleveland-based aerospace firm’s lawsuit. Eaton had claimed a group of its former engineers stole company designs, took them to Frisby, where they were used to create mimicked-designs of Eaton’s state-of-the-art hydraulic parts. Judge William L. Osteen Jr. ruled that a Mississippi state court had already settled the issue three years ago leaving Eaton with no standing in a North Carolina courtroom. Source: Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer, Oct. 4, 2013.

(Central Mississippi/Golden Triangle Note: Eaton’s Jackson, Miss., facility operates one of the most advanced aircraft hydraulic test laboratories in the world.)

USM’s Army ROTC program to close

The University of Southern Mississippi’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program will be one of 13 nationwide to close at the end of the 2014-15 academic year. USM officials were baffled by the official Army announcement in a September letter to President Rodney Bennett, and plan to reverse the decision. Other southeast regional universities scheduled to lose their AROTC programs are the University of Tennessee at Martin, University of North Alabama, East Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University and Georgia Regents (Augusta State) University. USM was the state’s only Army ROTC to receive a closure notice. There are five other ROTC programs in Mississippi: Jackson State University, University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, Mississippi Valley State University and Alcorn State University. Source: Hattiesburg American, Oct. 4, 2013; U.S. Army, Oct. 2, 2013.

Columbus AE plant names new GM

Samuel Adcock was named today as VP and GM of American Eurocopter’s helicopter production plant at Columbus, Miss., He will assume that role beginning Oct. 7. As its new leader, Adcock will oversee all plant operations and serve as AE’s executive committee. He was EADS North America’s Senior VP for Strategy and Business Development and among the original architects of EADS’ strategy that led AE to invest in the Columbus facility. For more than 20 years, he served in the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government. Prior to 1997, he served as Director of Defense and Security Policy for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi. He began his federal career with the Navy’s Supervisor of Shipbuilding. Also, AE announced that Earl Walker, plant GM, will assume the new post of Senior Director of Government Relations. The Mississippi native joined AE in 2006; and has a business degree from Mississippi State University. Source: American Eurocopter, Oct. 3, 2013.

[Central Mississippi/Golden Triangle Note: AE recently announced it will install a full assembly line at the Columbus plant to produce AS350 commercial helicopters beginning in October 2014. The plant will also continue to produce the UH-72A Lakota helicopters for the U.S. Army.]

The ‘Shadow’ will compute for MSU

There’s nothing shadowy about Mississippi State University’s supercomputing prowess; but that reputation will get 10-fold more powerful following an announcement that the Starkville facility will get a “revolutionary” high-performance supercomputer for shared research beginning in December. MSU’s High Performance Computing Collaboratory will get the boost from Cray Inc.’s CS300-LC ‘Shadow’ cluster supercomputer. The ‘Shadow’ will be located at the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park adjacent to campus. Once operational, the warm water heat exchangers and liquid-cooled design will even use less energy. MSU computer system supports a coalition of research centers that share computational science and engineering computations. Among those groups is the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems which is comprised of research, engineering design and development, and technology transfer teams for industry and government partners. Source: Mississippi Business blog, Oct. 3, 2013.

L-3 earns Air Force helo modification contract

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace of Madison Miss., was awarded an $11,094,779 Air Force existing contract modification for helicopter maintenance at Kirtland (NM) AFB. The work is tentatively scheduled to be completed by Sept. 30, 2014. Source: Defense Department, Sept. 30, 2013.

L-3 lands another major Navy contract

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss., was being awarded a $64,982,586 modification to a previously awarded Navy contract – on the final day of the government’s FY-13 - to provide additional logistics services and materials for depot level maintenance support work for 36 T-45A and 168 T-45C aircraft based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Miss.; NAS Kingsville, Texas; NAS Pensacola, Fla., and Patuxent River, Md. The award also includes maintenance work on the aircrafts’ engines. Meridian will conduct 36 percent and Pensacola 6 percent of the contract. The work is tentatively scheduled to be completed in March 2014. It is the sixth Navy contract award – totaling $273 million - for the Mississippi firm since Sept. 25. Source: Defense Department, Sept. 30, 2013.

GDT set to announced $20M initiative on Thursday

The Golden Triangle Development LINK, a north-central Mississippi regional group representing the economic development interests within a 15-mile triangular radius of the cities of Columbus, Starkville and West Point, is tentatively scheduled to make a major announcement Thursday regarding a $20 million technology initiative for the region. The announcement will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Thad Cochran Research Park in Starkville. GDT LINK officials say the initiative will boost the region’s business technology infrastructure and bring new investments and expansion opportunities. Among those scheduled to attend the announcement are Joe Max Higgins, CEO of Golden Triangle Development LINK; Dr. Mark Keenum, president of Mississippi State University; and Jack Wallace, executive director of Oktibbeha County’s Economic Development Agency. Source: Business Wire media release, Sept. 30, 2013.

Contract: Gulf Coast Arch., $30M

Gulf Coast Architectural Group Inc., Pensacola, Fla., is being awarded a maximum amount $30,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract for complete architect and engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast area of responsibility. Task order 0001 is being awarded at $117,879 for full design specification for the demolition of four buildings at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by March 2014. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southeast AOR including, but not limited to Texas (50 percent), Louisiana (25 percent), and Mississippi (25 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2018. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-13-D-0012). (Source: DoD, 09/27/13)

Contract: L-3 Vertex, $55.6M

L-3 Communications Systems Field Support, Vertex Aerospace, LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $55,627,456 firm-fixed-price, cost reimbursable modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity requirements contract (N00019-11-D-0010) to exercise an option for aircraft maintenance and logistical life cycle support for 54 C-12 aircraft for the U.S. Navy (48) and the U.S. Marine Corps (6). Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas (46 percent); Patuxent River, Md. (8 percent); Manama, Bahrain (5.5 percent); Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (5.5 percent); Atsugi, Japan (5.5 percent); New Orleans, La. (4 percent); Kadena, Japan ( 3.7 percent); Yuma, Ariz.(3.7 percent); Iwakuni, Japan (3.7 percent); Beaufort, S.C. (3.5 percent); New River, N.C. (3.5 percent); Manassas, Va. (2 percent); Miramar, Calif. (1.8 percent); Futenma, Japan (1.8 percent); and Misawa, Japan (1.8 percent). Work is expected to be completed in September 2014. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activities. (Source: DoD, 09/27/13)

GAO criticizes Navy UCLASS program

The Government Accountability Office has issued a report to Congress criticizing the Navy’s plan to design, build and deploy its $3.7 billion Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) aircraft in 2020 without ever conducting a “Milestone B” review. The criticism of that strategy indicates that Congress would not have the ability to oversee the program, schedules, cost or performance of the UCLASS. Major program-buys require the Defense Department to undergo comprehensive reviews after the initial design. During a "Milestone B" review, officials look at the military requirements and cost estimates; and then sign-off on reasonable estimates. The Navy argues that the plane is a technology-development project and not a major program acquisition. Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and General Atomics are expressing interest in bidding on UCLASS. Source: Reuters, Sept. 26, 2013.

[Gulf Coast/Golden Triangle Note: Mississippi's aerospace-aviation related facilities include Lockheed Martin at Stennis and Meridian, Miss.; Northrop at Moss Point; Boeing at Flowood; and General Atomics at Tupelo.]

Contract: L-3 Vertex, $102.6M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., has been awarded a $102,586,003 modification to an existing firm-fixed-price contract (FA8106-09-C-0001) for logistics support of the T-1A aircraft at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., Vance AFB, Okla., Randolph AFB, Texas, and Laughlin AFB, Texas. The contract modification is for the exercise of an option for an additional year of services under the basic contract. Work will be performed at Madison and is expected to be completed by Oct. 1, 2014. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WLKLA, Tinker AFB, Okla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/26/13)

Contract: L-3 Vertex, $8.3M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded an $8,271,023 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-13-D-4001) for contractor logistics services in support of T-39N and T-39G aircraft and associated equipment used in student naval flight officer training. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and is expected to be completed in March 2014. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/25/13)

Contract: L-3 Vertex, $11M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $10,956,633 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract (N00019-12-D-0016) to exercise an option for logistics support services in support of the Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. Half the work will be done in Pensacola and half in Corpus Christi, and is expected to be completed in September 2014. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/25/13)

Contract: Rolls-Royce, $50.7M

Rolls-Royce Defense Services Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., is being awarded a $50,728,950 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract (N00019-09-D-0002) to exercise an option for intermediate and depot level maintenance and related logistics support for about 223 in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Miss. (47 percent); NAS Kingsville, Texas (46 percent), NAS Pensacola, Fla. (6 percent), and NAS Patuxent River, Md. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2014. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/25/13)

Columbus airport upgrades

Columbus’ Golden Triangle Regional Airport is getting a $3.4 million grant for its runways and taxiways; and the widening of on- and off-ramps that will allow the hub to handle larger aircraft. The airport can already handle the Airbus A320 commercial jetliner. Airbus is to start turning out A320s at its new assembly plant in Mobile, Ala., by 2016. Work at the Columbus airport is tentatively scheduled to start in October and will take about 90 days. The Federal Aviation Administration will fund 90 percent of the cost; and the remainder will come from the Mississippi Department of Transportation and airport. Source: Jackson Clarion Ledger, Sept. 24, 2013.

Contract: Raytheon, $39M

Raytheon Co., El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded $39,000,000 for firm-fixed-price delivery order 0048 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement for the procurement of 15 AN/APG-79 AESA radar systems for the F/A-18 E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in Forest, Miss. (80 percent), and El Segundo, Calif. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2015. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/23/13)

USM-Long Beach offering biz research program

The University of Southern Mississippi at Long Beach - in an attempt to find, develop and train workers for the state’s business communities – has launched a new multi-degree and certification program in Human Capital Development, which has been identified as the No. 1 challenge for CEOs worldwide. The academic programs in the Department of Human Capital Development provide students with opportunities to conduct research with experienced scholars; and earn a doctorate in HCD; a master’s in workforce training; a bachelor’s in applied technology; or a training and development certification. The department also has conducted more than $5 million in applied research from sponsors that include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Labor. Source: Mississippi Business Journal blog, Sept. 19, 2013.

EMS helo damaged in hard landing near Canton

A Winona, Miss.-based MedStat EMS medical helicopter, en route to a Jackson hospital with a patient, was damaged – and pilot injured – in a hard emergency landing east of Canton on Sept. 19. A second MedStat helicopter transported the patient to Baptist Medical Center in Jackson. The pilot was flown to the University of Mississippi Medical Center along with two additional helicopter crewmen. The patient was not injured further as a result of the crash, according to WLBT-TV’s interview with Madison County’s Emergency Management Director Butch Hammock. The pilot's skillful landing "saved everyone's life," he said. MedStat operates helicopters in Winona and near Columbus. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident. Source: The Associated Press, Sept. 22, 2013.

Blog: Mississippi’s economy, poverty growing

Mississippi’s economic growth is out-performing the national level by 3 decimal points right of a full percent; and has created 4,827 jobs this year - most of which were on the lower end of the pay scale. It also lost 11,000 jobs in July and August; and has the lowest median income in the nation. In 2012, the Magnolia State was one of three states to see a growth in its poverty rates. Gov. Phil Bryant gives credit to the state’s GOP and its economic development organization (MDA). However, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves had MDA’s director on the carpet this past week in budget hearings over travel expenses in FY-13 and its request for more money in FY-14. Still, Mississippi had 20,400 more jobs in August than a year ago. Source: Clarion Ledger blog, Sept. 21, 2013.

Contract: L3 Vertex, $11.8M

L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison Miss., has been awarded an $11,781,299 modification to previously awarded FA3002-11-C-0001 for trainer maintenance services. Work will be performed at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas and Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2014. The 82nd Contracting Squadron, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/20/13)

MSU welcomes aerospace Fulbright Scholar to campus

Mississippi State University is welcoming a new class of international exchange program scholars to campus this semester. MSU Provost and Executive VP Jerry Gilbert said the Fulbright Scholars have gone through a competitive selection process and are excellent students in their respective fields. Among the scholars arriving to Starkville is aerospace engineering master’s degree candidate Maximilian Roethig of Germany. In addition to encouraging foreign nationals to study and conduct research in the United States, the program also enables Americans to engage in similar activities abroad. Sources: WCBI TV, Columbus, Miss., Sept. 13, 2013.

AE to become assembly plant for AS350 helos

Eurocopter will install upgraded industrial capabilities to its American Eurocopter plant in Columbus, Miss., to turn the Golden Triangle facility into a final assembly and test site for Eurocopter AS350 helicopters, the top-selling civilian helicopter on the American market. The plan, tentatively scheduled to be realized in 2014, has two major objectives that include a way to offset the likely reduction in U.S. Army contract orders for the UH-72A Lakota helicopters; and to provide a sales boost – within the largest light helicopter market in the world - to government and law enforcement agencies within the American market. The Columbus plant will become the final assembly facility for the AS350, and test site for Eurocopter and its supplier-produced parts, and the retrofit of Lakotas for federal agency and foreign military buyers. Source: PR Web, Sept. 20, 2013.

Dozen-plus firms considering Golden Triangle area

East Mississippi Business Development Corporation’s president reported at Wednesday’s board meeting that it is working to land at least one or more of at least a dozen companies to the Meridian area – three on which are in the aerospace industry. Most of the projects are in manufacturing. EMBDC President Wade Jones would not elaborate on what industries are considering the Golden Triangle region. Source: WTOK TV, Meridian, Sept. 18, 2013.

MDA’s pitch for SK satellite biz office draws questioning

The Mississippi Development Authority floated - in front of Monday’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee - a proposal to establish an overseas business satellite office in South Korea. MDA already has overseas satellite offices in Chile, China, Japan and the UK promoting trade and economic investment. The SK “idea” came up in MDA’s pitch for an additional $646K in funding. The request drew tough questions from Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who took issue with MDA’s FY-13 spending habits including the spending of $500K for out-of-state travels to NYC and South Korea. SK is not one of Mississippi’s traditionally strong export markets. But figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce show Mississippi’s largest export markets in 2012 was Panama, Canada, China and Honduras. Top-market exports were petroleum, coal products and chemicals. Source: Jackson, Miss., Clarion Ledger, Sept. 19, 2013.

SASC, Wicker deliver state-smoozey to AF nominee

Lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee sent a set of personalized signals Thursday to Deborah Lee James, the nominee for Secretary of the Air Force. During the nomination hearing, committee members provided lots of parochial concerns over military bases in their home states. These are the same lawmakers who have battled the military over plans to cut Defense Department costs threatening to cancel programs, close bases; and balking at hikes in fees for military health care. Just not in their backyards. Oklahoma Republican Jim Inhofe was concerned about the possible retirements of multiple Boeing-built aircraft that have a major presence in his state. Oklahoma supports about 28,000 jobs through direct or indirect work through more than 100 subcontractors. Later, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) touted two drones built in part on the state’s Gulf Coast regional: Aurora Flight Sciences’ Orion and the Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk. The AF had proposed mothballing its Global Hawk Block 30s because they couldn’t afford to fly them, under sequestration. But that plan was shot down when powerful congressmen objected. Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) expects the panel to vote next week on James’ nomination and is aiming for Senate confirmation by Oct. 14. Source: POLITICO, Sept. 19, 2013.

La. firm earns ship separators pact

Maritime International Inc., a small business firm in Broussard, La., was awarded a $47,502,090 fixed-price Navy contract Thursday for the procurement of triangular and cylindrical fender separators, guided missile destroyer (DDG) ship separators, Kevlar straps, and contract support services for mooring equipment of U.S. ships at stateside and foreign ports. FY-13 procurement, and operations and maintenance funding of $643,000 was to be obligated upon awarding of the contract. Contract funds expire Sept. 30. Work will be performed in Broussard and is expected to be completed by September 2018. Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity. Source: Defense Department, Sept. 20, 2013.

Oxford firm to build commissary for Army helo base

Carothers Construction of Oxford, Miss., was awarded a $16,930,000 fixed-price Defense Commissary Agency contract Thursday to construct a new commissary building at the Army’s helicopter base at Fort Rucker, Ala. The 520-day contract is expected to begin in November. The Defense Commissary Agency, Enterprise Acquisition Division, Construction Design Branch, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is the contracting agency. Source: Defense Department, Sept. 19, 2013.

Airbus highlights Columbus-built Lakota at AF expo

Airbus’ multi-national, 4-engine turboprop military transport aircraft (A400M) and UH-72A Lakota helicopter – built at Columbus, Miss. - are highlighted at this week’s Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition at National Harbor, Md. The A400M debuted at the Paris Air Show earlier this year. The Lakota was recently used by the Colorado National Guard to extricate flood victims from their homes. Watch this video, and catch up with the latest from Airbus. Source: Military.com, Sept. 17, 2013.

Panda poop has MSU researchers hopping

Biochemical researchers at Mississippi State University, seeking alternatives in the production of bio-fuels from food crops, are turning their attention to feces coming out of Memphis. MSU researchers have found that the Memphis Zoo’s pandas produce more than 40 microbes in their stomachs that can efficiently turn their waste into bio-fuel. Researcher Ashli Brown is hoping the find will help pioneer better sources of ethanol. Source: Oil Price.com, Sept. 16, 2013.

Madison firm awarded Keesler food contract

The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services of Madison, Miss., was the recipient of a $6,827,220 Air Force modification contract to provide full food services at Keesler AFB, Miss., through Sept. 30, 2017. The 81st Contracting Squadron at Keesler AFB is the contracting activity. Source: Defense Department, Sept. 16, 2013.

Robotic research at MSU

A new breed of humanoid-like robotic research and technology development are on the cusp of ushering in a revolution. Robots can collaborate with humans at home, work or in space. Some have human traits. But one approach involves sensors to foster “social bonding.” In experiments carried out at Yale University, children were as willing to share secrets with a biped humanoid as with adults. Yale researcher Cindy Bethel, who not conducts robotic-children interaction research at Mississippi State University, has found that kids who’ve seen crimes are more likely not to be misled in a robot-led forensic testimony interview than they might be by trained humans. Starkville Police Department’s Mark Ballard, who is working with Dr. Bethel, says child-friendly, robotic-led forensic interviews may be possible by 2020. Source: The Economist, Sept. 7, 2013.

Gov. Bryant heads biz junket to Brazil

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is in Brazil this week on an economic development junket to the state’s eighth largest exporter. Along with the governor are a slew of state-wide entities including Pascagoula’s Ingalls Shipyard, the Port of Gulfport, Tupelo electronic engineer designer Hyperion Technologies, and Alcorn and Jackson State universities. The trip is designed to connect state firms wanting to expand trade and create new business relationships in Brazil. In 2012, Mississippi’s top 10 exports to Brazil had a combined value of nearly $348 million. Source: Special to the Hattiesburg American, Sept. 9, 2013.

Columbus AFB runway completed

Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base has completed its $32 million center-runway project – which had about 20 percent pavement-life remaining from the original build in 1959 – and has been reopened to military Air Force and foreign-nation pilot training at the East Mississippi facility. The 12,000-feet long, 10-inch thick concrete runway has seen more than 12,000 pilots from more than 50 nations use the Columbus landing facility. Source: The Associated Press, Sept. 9, 2013.

Eaton exec to be deposed

A Hinds County (Miss.) Circuit Court Judge ruled last Friday that Eaton Corp. CEO Alexander Cutler is scheduled to be deposed Sept. 13 in Cleveland, Ohio, headquarters for the firm, by attorneys for Frisby Aerospace. Frisby accuses Eaton of fraud and conspiracy involving its Jackson, Miss., aerospace enterprise. Eaton attempted to block the deposition from the CEO because he lacked personal knowledge about Frisby's deposition topics. But Judge Jeff Weill Sr. ruled that executives’ testimony is relevant. Frisby alleges Eaton executives withheld critical information in the alleged fraud suit. Source: Cleveland.com, Sept. 4, 2013.

Miss. earns entrepreneurial accolades

With low startup costs and expenses, Mississippi has been ranked as one of the most entrepreneurial states in the country, according to a recent report. Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal, Sept. 4, 2013.

MSU, Auburn chosen for cyber disciplines

Mississippi State and Auburn (Ala.) universities were among four new educational institutions selected for the 2013-14 school year to join a National Security Agency academic excellence program in cyber operations. The program is designed to cultivate American cyber professionals in a technical, inter-disciplinary that is grounded in computer science and engineering disciplines with extensive opportunities for hands-on labs and exercises. The National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations designation now has eight total schools participating in research and information assurance education - jointly overseen by NSA and the Department of Homeland Security. The other schools chosen this year include the Air Force Institute of Technology in Ohio; and Carnegie Mellon University of Pennsylvania. School participants, both student and faculty, do not engage in real-life government intelligence activities. Designations are for five year. Auburn’s senior counsel for national security programs says the CAE-Cyber project has merit and that the east-central Alabama university is devoting “significant resources and interdisciplinary rigor” to expand the new initiatives and collaborations across the nation. Source: National Security Agency, Sept. 4, 2013.

Florida-based F-22s engaged Louisiana guard in combat ops

With training dollars on the sequestration down-low, and in the face of high demand, F-22 Raptor student-pilots from Tyndall (Fla.) Air Force Base's 43rd Fighter Squadron formed combat training exercises with the Louisiana Air National Guard’s “Bayou Militia” over the Gulf of Mexico. LANG pilots from the 159th Fighter Wing - playing the adversarial role in their F-15C Eagles – helped six F-22 Raptor student-pilots, through the end of August, continue their AF-based training with one of the service’s most sophisticated aircraft. Tyndall’s 43rd is the primary F-22 Raptor training unit for the Air Force. Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, Aug. 20, 2013.

Eurocopter: Confident in Columbus helo plant

Eurocopter’s CEO pronounced a solid confidence in its helicopter-building plant in Mississippi despite the American government’s uncertainty to develop new reconnaissance helicopters for the Army. In 2006, American Eurocopter landed a $3 billion contract from the U.S. Army to build 352 UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopters that tripled the size of the Columbus, Miss., plant. CEO Guilaume Faury says the company is “optimistic” about its American facility and the ability to win new Defense Department contracts despite sequestration cuts in 2014. Eurocopter, a subsidiary of EADS, and Lockheed have partnered to offer a new 'armed aerial scout' variant of the Mississippi-built Lakota; but due to budget pressures, weapons programs have repeatedly been delayed. However, the Army issued a "request for information" about the program which is seen as a sign that DoD officials were hoping to start funding the new variant. Source: Reuters, Sept. 3, 2013.
[Gulf Coast/Golden Triangle Note: An EADS North America official is optimistic that U.S. lawmakers will reinstate funding to extend the UH-72 through 2014, which would be the Columbus plant's 10th anniversary.]

MDA to kick off weekly contractor workshops

Beginning Sept. 10, the Mississippi Development Authority will kick off its ‘Model Contractor Development Program’ workshop series at the Roy Anderson Corp. facility in Gulfport. The 10 weekly workshops will be Tuesday evenings through Nov. 12. The series is free and open to small contractors and businesses, but participants must enroll in advance via the www.mscpc.com website to attend. Company representatives must attend eight of the 10 sessions. Source: Jackson, Miss., Clarion Ledger, Aug. 28, 2013.

Op-Ed / Neil Armstrong: “Too honorable”

On the first anniversary (Aug. 25) of the death of the first man to walk on the moon in 1969, Auburn (Ala.) University history professor, and astronaut Neil Armstrong’s 2005 biographer, James Hansen lends his thoughts to Space.Com’s “Op-Ed& Insights” and writes that there was “something too honorable” in the character of one of the largest heroes of the American space program. Source: Space.com, Aug. 25, 2013.

Mississippi joins other Gulf states to be UAV test site

Mississippi has joined two other Gulf Coast states – Alabama and Florida – in bidding to become one of six Federal Aviation Administration sites nationwide to test Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) for the Federal Aviation Administration. Mississippi Development Authority officials insist the state’s facilities offer existing assets at little to no cost – including airspace at Camp Shelby, Stennis Space Center and the Gulf of Mexico’s test ranges, controlled by the Air National Guard Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport. Congress directed the FAA to determine and use of test sites for integrating current air traffic with UAVs. Today, drones can only be flown across American air space with permission and for non-commercial purposes. Mississippi has three UAV manufacturers – Stark Aerospace and Aurora Flight Sciences in the Golden Triangle near Columbus and a Northrop Grumman assembly plant at Moss Point - and a flight laboratory at Mississippi State University. Source: Biloxi-Gulfport Sun Herald, Aug. 23, 2013.

AFB pilot walks in father’s steps

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. -- Air Force 2nd Lt. Jon Koritz was among the undergraduate pilots graduating from Class 13-13 on Aug. 16, and walking the stage, at Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base. But it seemed a bit more special to Koritz. It was the same staging area in which his pilot-physician father Maj. Tom Koritz walked years before. "To walk across this stage … my father walked across, with class 82-01 to receive his wings, is a very special moment for me and my family," Koritz said. His father's was killed when his F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down on the second night of combat in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Source: Columbus AFB, Aug. 23, 2013.

MSU’s Green new NSPE prez

Mississippi State University veteran research engineer Robert Green, who is also an undergraduate coordinator for the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering, is the new president of the National Society of Professional Engineers. Green, active in NSPE for a quarter century, earned a bachelor’s in chemical engineering and a master’s in mechanical engineering from MSU. The Naval Reserve captain also holds a master’s in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College; and is commanding officer of SurgeMain Region Gulf. He is a past president of the Mississippi Engineering Society, and currently serves as a member of the advisory board of the Starkville Chamber of Commerce and is chair of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership Military Affairs Committee. Source: Mississippi Business Journal, Aug. 16, 2013.

Michoud highlights opening of NOLA techfest

New Orleans’ Michoud Assembly Facility will complete construction in 2016 of a 200-foot-tall liquid hydrogen and oxygen tank more than a year ahead of NASA’s scheduled heavy-lift Space Launch System rockets an unmanned test mission into deep space. The new rocket replaces the space shuttle program. Boeing’s production director, speaking on the opening day of the inaugural New Orelanss TechNOLAgy TechFest 2013, also says the Michoud facility will have more than 400 personnel - twice its current size – by 2017. The 3-day science and technology conference is being held at the University of New Orleans and features panels and workshops on alternative energy, aerospace and aviation technology, artificial intelligence and other science specialties. Source: The Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, Aug. 22, 2013. (Gulf Coast: After completion, the core stage will be shipped to Stennis (Miss.) Space Center for a test launch. An unmanned test flight into pace will follow in late 2017.)

Aurora delivers space-suit simulator

Aurora Flight Sciences, which has a production plant in Columbus, Miss., has completed delivery of a Space Suit Simulator to NASA following Phase II of a Small Business Innovative Research contract with aeronautic professors at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Cincinnati. S3 was developed for NASA space research and training. Aurora developed the lightweight simulator to provide run in conjunction with NASA's Extra-Vehicular Mobility Unit (EMU). S3 is adjustable and is tentatively scheduled to be university field-tested before the end of summer. Source: Aurora Flight Sciences, Aug. 19, 2013.

Tyndall sets up F-22 training over NOLA

With resources for training on the sequestration down-low, but in the face of high demand, combat pilots and maintenance personnel members from Tyndall Air Force Base's 43rd Fighter Squadron and 43rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit in Northwest Florida have formed a real-world training mission at Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base New Orleans through the end of August. Its purpose is to maximize flying and air combat training for six F-22 student-pilots and accomplish 40 syllabus training units over eight days. At the end of the training, the F-22 Raptor pilots will be ahead of their proposed timeline getting orders to operational units, says Lt. Col. Travis Koch, 43rd FS commander. Source: Tyndall AFB, Aug. 16, 2013

MSU engineering R&D in Top 50

Mississippi State University ranks among America's top research universities and Top 50 for engineering research and development, according to data released from the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development Survey for FY-2011. It places MSU 91st overall among all institutions based on its $226.1 million in total R&D expenditures. MSU’s 4,000 research staff numbers account for 60 percent of Mississippi institutions’ total R&D personnel; and nearly 50 percent of the state’s total research expenditures. In addition, MSU was designated one of 108 schools nationwide for its advancement of research-activity teaching by the Carnegie Foundation. The distinction represents the highest level of doctorate-granting universities in the nation; and the only state school with that distinction. Source: WTVA-TV, Tupelo-Columbus, Miss., Aug. 15, 2013.

Eurocopter: Player in China helo biz

When China opens its general aviation airspace in 2020, part of a 5-year plan, the sky will be the limit for commercial aviation; and the Asian nation will become the world's biggest market for helicopters. In the interim, some 250 potential customers will display their products at the China Helicopter Exposition from Sept. 5-8 in Tianjin. EADS’ Eurocopter, the world's largest helicopter manufacturer with manufacturing facilities from Europe to Mississippi, has anticipated the market and established an office in China in 2006. Ninety-eight of China’s 300 general aviation copters were made by Eurocopter – 14 of which are the Eurocopter EC 135 luxury model estimated to cost an average of $4.5 million apiece. Bell Helicopter and Sikorsky also have offices in China. Source: China Daily USA, Aug. 9, 2013. (Waldwick, NJ-based Kallman Worldwide Inc. is organizing its first U.S. international pavilion at the China helicopter expo.)

MSU engineer named NSPE president

Mississippi State University research engineer Robert Green is the newly-elected president of the National Society of Professional Engineers. He is the second MSU engineer to hold that post. Green is also undergraduate coordinator for the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering at the Starkville school. The new NSPE president holds a master’s in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College; and is working on his doctoral in public policy at MSU. The other MSU engineer to hold the NSPE presidency was Harry Simrall, the university's dean of engineering, in 1970-71. Source: The Associated Press, Aug. 12, 2013.

Miss: Showing business face in Paris (Clarion-Ledger opinion)

The Mississippi Development Authority laid out nearly $82,000 for its June economic-related business trek to Paris for the International Air Show. There were between 30 and 35 people – including Gov. Phil Bryant – that made the trip. MDA director Brent Christensen claims the state’s traditional appearances at the international air shows in Paris and London have made Mississippi a player in the aerospace business. MDA’s total costs were $131,000 but sponsorships and development partners reimbursed the state $49,367. Mississippi has more than 100 aerospace-related businesses and is a leader in aerospace technology and skilled manufacturing. Source: Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger Opinion Column, Aug. 10, 2013.

MSU’s Barret to join GSDP

Former Mississippi State University coordinator of transfer recruitment, Heath Barret, will be joining the Greater Starkville Development Partnership as director of membership development. Barret will join the partnership Aug. 19; and will assist with new-member recruitment, retention and directed chamber planning. Barret has served within the MSU Department of Admissions and Scholarships since 2006. GSDP’s mission is to enhance quality of life in Starkville and Oktibbeha County through business growth, creation of jobs, education and initiatives. Its membership includes the Starkville Area Chamber of Commerce, Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority, Starkville Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Starkville Main Street Association. Source: Columbus (Miss.) Dispatch, Aug. 6.

Bagley’s Bowden on WSU short list

The associate dean for academic affairs at Mississippi State’s Bagley College of Engineering is among three finalists for the position of heading Wichita State University’s College of Engineering. The trio will be on Kansas campus for talks with university officials next week, WSU officials said. MSU’s Royce Bowden Jr. will visit the campus from Aug. 14-16. He will take part in an open forum at Wallace Hall on Aug. 15. The other candidates are Atam Dhawan, interim dean at the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology; and Arup Maji, senior technical adviser in Civil Engineering at the University of New Mexico. Source: Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, Aug. 6, 2013.

Biesiot takes interim CS&T helm at USM

The University of Southern Mississippi will conduct a national search this fall to select a new dean for its College of Science and Technology. Until then, Dr. Patricia Biesiot, a 23-year educator at the Hattiesburg-based college, will serve as interim dean. Biesiot takes the helm from Dr. Joe B. Whitehead Jr. who left in late July to become Provost at North Carolina A&T State University. Source: The Associated Press, Aug. 5, 2013.

Miss. high court to hear Eaton case

The Mississippi Supreme Court will hear Eaton Corp.’s revived, nearly decade old, trade-secrets lawsuit against Frisby Aerospace on Monday. The suit has spawned tens of millions of dollars in attorneys’ fees and attempted influence pedaling charges. At issue is Frisby’s alleged theft of vital Eaton trade secrets. A lower court ruled that Eaton hired a Mississippi-based lawyer - former judge and famous civil rights attorney Bobby DeLaughter - who tried to influence the judge presiding over the lawsuit. Eaton’s claims the value of its claim is more than $200 million. Source: Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer, Aug. 3, 2013. (Central Mississippi and Golden Triangle: Eaton Aerospace Group has a Fuel & Motion Control Systems Division located in Jackson, Miss.)

MSU, Army sign drone collaboration

Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory is joining forces with the Army’s unmanned aircraft systems unit in Huntsville, Ala., to open a new chapter in the university’s research of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Officials signed paperwork Tuesday to foster collaboration between the Army’s Project Manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and MSU that is to complement the school’s engineering research. The agreement allows MSU to boost its research capabilities and curricula that would allow students and faculty to research UAVs within the national airspace. Source: WVTA, Tupelo, Miss. July 23, 2013.

L-3 Vertex collaboration paying off

The Madison, Miss.-based L-3 Vertex Aerospace has collaborated with Vector Aerospace to produce and have the first-ever Federal Aviation Administration certified cockpit voice and flight data recorder (CVFDR). The CVFDR is being used on the Eurocopter AS332 helicopters. The twin-engine medium-weight passenger transport helicopter’s CVFDR includes a digital flight data acquisition unit. Source: Aviation Today, July 23, 2013.

Mississippi No. 5 in biz start-ups

The Kauffman Foundation, an entrepreneurship non-profit organization, has ranked Mississippi as the fifth best entrepreneurial state in America – ranking ahead of California, Illinois and Texas -- explaining why mostly-rural states top the list. Montana’s major oil-and-gas boom topped the rankings. Louisiana ranked No. 9. Source: Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger blog, July 22, 2013.

Odd biz-jet got its start at MSU

The HondaJet, which defines aviation logic with engines in a “sweet spot” above the wings making it aerodynamically superior, is on the brink of breaking into the American market with a nod from the Federal Aviation Administration. The idea for the odd commercial jet began 27 years ago in a Mississippi airport hangar with then-Mississippi State University aeronautical engineer Michimasa Fujino. If the FAA gives the go-ahead, Fujino’s Honda Aircraft Company will become the first new business to get U.S. approval in the $21 billion business-jet market since 2006. Source: Bloomberg News, July 19, 2013.

Opinion: South winning job-growth war

The South is winning (the economic job-growth wars without firing a shot) … and free men of all colors are voting with their feet to join a rising economic powerhouse. The new competition involves economic growth, technological advancement, jobs and the quality of life. Many (Southerners) have long glimpsed signs that it’s going well for the South, including (Mississippi). But it’s hard not to be impressed by a recent cataloging of the region’s ascendancy by Joel Kotkin, a scholar at Chapman University in California. Some of his findings include: (a) Unemployment is lower than in the West or Northeast; (b) Census data, adjusted for cost of living, shows New York has a higher rate of poverty than Mississippi … and he contends the South’s economic upturn is no coincidence. The region, the Californian reports, simply is more receptive to jobs-growing enterprises. Source: Savannah (Ga.) Morning-News ‘Opinion’, July 11, 2013.

GSG has new Miss. biz development manager

Genesis Systems Group, the largest independent U.S. robotic work cell integrator in North America which produces engineered solution products for aerospace components, has named Oscar Velazquez as its Southeastern U.S. business development manager. Genesis specializes in factory automation with robots for welding, cutting, assembly, and machine tending; and is a recognized leader in robotic systems integration. Velazquez’ territory includes Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Source: Genesis Systems Group, July 10, 2013.

Miss. on possible list for new STEM program

The charitable foundation of the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, Praxair Inc. of Connecticut, announced July 12 it is donating $105,000 to the American Association of University Women (AAUW) in support of Tech Savvy, the group’s successful science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program for young women. The plan is to take Tech Savvy to 10 new communities which may well include the states of Mississippi and Connecticut, and the cities of Chicago, Houston and Indianapolis. Source: Business Wire, July 12, 2013. (Mississippi Golden Triangle note: Mississippi University for Women and Mississippi State University are among seven state partner-colleges of the AAUW.)

The Accelerator puts pedal to mettle

Three firms have found new secondary homes at The Accelerator — a 60,000-square-foot incubator that rents space and equipment to fledgling and expanding technology companies and affiliated with the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. GE Aviation, which opened an Ellisville, Miss., plant in May, recently rented laboratory space there to train new employees to make components for jet engines. A second group is Vatican Capital, an investment firm focusing on making growth investments for small Catholic-owned businesses in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. The third firm is Radiance Technologies - established in 1999 in Huntsville, Ala. - develops electronics, polymers and military applications; and provides operational support for the Defense Department, intelligence and other government agencies. Source: Hattiesburg American, July 8, 2013.

Miss. high court to hear Eaton case

The Ohio-based Eaton Corp., which makes hydraulic aircraft pumps at a 600-employee aerospace facility in Jackson, goes before the Mississippi Supreme Court on Aug. 5 seeking reinstatement of its $1 billion trade secrets lawsuit filed against rival Frisby Aerospace, now part of Triumph Group, based near Philadelphia, Pa. In 2010, a Hinds County (Miss.) judge threw out the case, saying Eaton knew about and sanctioned secret actions by a company lawyer to influence case's initial judge in the case. (The judge was removed from the case and pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice.) Eaton alleges five ex-engineers took the firm’s aerospace information and gave it to their new employer, Frisby, which began competing against Eaton for military and commercial contracts. Source: The Associated Press, July 6, 2013.

Stark looking for engineer specialist

Stark Aerospace is looking for a mechanical or industrial engineer to become its ‘Design to Production Transfer Program Manager’ at its Columbus, Miss., facility. The candidate must have knowledge of project management principles and tools for measuring project/program successes. Stark Aerospace, July 2013.

Contract: EADS, $12.9M

EADS North America, Herndon, Va., was awarded a $12,921,227 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, option-filled contract for contractor logistics support for the Army's aviation assets. The cumulative total face value of this contract is $2,265,423,694. Work will be performed in Columbus, Miss. Fiscal 2013 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated on this award. The Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 07/01/13)

Columbus, Meridian commissary closures

Sequestration will force military and retiree families to revise weekday food shopping routines at military-base commissaries in the Gulf Coast region because of forced defense civilian furloughs beginning the week of July 8. In Mississippi, the commissary at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi will be closed Mondays. About 148 others will close Tuesdays as well. That list includes Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Naval Air Station Meridian and Columbus AFB, all in Mississippi, plus NAS Whiting Field, Hurlburt Field and Tyndall AFB in Florida; and Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base New Orleans in Belle Chasse, La. Commissaries employ 14,000 U.S.-based civilian employees who will be affected by the furloughs. The changes will remain at least through Sept. 30. Source: Defense Commissary Agency.

Sequestration coming to Meridian NAS

Some 300 Defense Department civilian workers at Naval Air Station Meridian will begin to feel the sting of sequestration July 8 when mandatory furloughs arrive for 200,000 Navy-civilian employees. Workers will be required to take one unpaid day over an 11-week period ending Sept. 30. All services or facilities which employ civilian personnel will be affected to some degree including: Commissary closure on Tuesdays and reduced hours for the base’s Fitness, Aquatics and Liberty centers and library. Some essential civilian personnel are exempt. Some 700 contractors who provide aircraft maintenance, instruction, administration, medical and dental services, and IT support are exempt. Statewide sequestration cuts could “save” DoD $25 million in unpaid salaries over the 11 weeks, according to base estimates. Source: Meridian Star, June 30, 2013.

Navistar plant closing next month

WEST POINT, Miss. -- Navistar Defense will suspend production at the plant it opened five years ago that assembled mine resistant vehicles. The 80 workers were told last week that the plant will be idled July 5. The company said the decision came in response to across-the-board federal budget reductions known as the sequester that went into effect on March 1. The plant also produced other related vehicles like armored tow trucks and ambulances for the military. Navistar is headquartered in Warrenville, Ill. (Sources: multiple, including Clarion-Ledger, 06/20/13, Zacks, 06/25/13)

Thailand proposing Lakota buys from AE

Mississippi’s two United States Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker urged the U.S. government to approve a proposed $77 million Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of six UH-72A Lakota Helicopters – built at the Columbus, Miss., Golden Triangle Regional Airport by American Eurocopter -- to Thailand. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress on June 7 of the proposed FMS. The AE-built Lakota’s are primarily used by the Army for non-combat missions including emergency response, border security, and light transport. DSCA reports no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of the proposed sale. The principal contractor will be EADS North America, in Herndon, Va. AE is a subsidiary of EADS North America Holdings. Sources: The Associated Press, June 22, 2013; and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency media release, June 20, 2013.

Contract: Raytheon, $22.4M

Raytheon Co., El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a $22,361,773 order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement for the procurement of 53 ECP-6279 retrofit kits in support of F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in Forest, Miss. (80 percent), and El Segundo, Calif. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2015. Fiscal 2013 Aircraft Procurement Navy contract funds in the amount of $22,361,773 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/13/13)

GEA on the upswing globally

GE Aviation, the world’s largest jet-engine maker and with a pair of jet-engine component manufacturing plants in Mississippi, expects to build 3,800 commercial and military aircraft engines in 2014, according to HQ officials in Cincinnati. Next week, GEA is hosting an analysts meeting in conjunction with the 50th International Paris Air Show. The firm also opened a new engine component plant near Auburn, Ala., in April. Source: Cincinnati.com, June 13, 2013.

State’s aerospace contract teams tight-lipped

Mississippi’s Defense Department contract-rich industry has gone tight-lipped following the revelation that a former government contractor blew the whistle on the National Security Agency for collecting telephone and Internet data on hundreds of millions of Americans. Many worry about privacy, while others are anxious about the ramifications on nation security and the state’s aerospace industry. The Magnolia State has 115 aerospace service contractors and 69 in manufacturing and engineering. The state’s largest include Lockheed-Martin, Northrop-Grumman, Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, Eaton Aerospace DuPoint DeLisle and L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace. Source: Jackson Clarion-Ledger, June 11, 2013.

MSU aerospace student vying for Miss USA

Mississippi State University aerospace engineering student Paromita Mitra, who will represent the state in the Miss USA Pageant, wants to be the first competitor to explore the universe. Mitra moved with her family to the U.S. from Bangladesh in 1992. At MSU, she is a member of the school’s Space Cowboys Rocket Design Team and is also involved in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. She recently worked as a researcher for a NASA-funded program at MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems. The Miss USA Pageant will air Sunday on NBC-TV. Source: Jackson Clarion-Ledger, June 11, 2013.

Magnolia biz delegation heading to Paris

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and the Mississippi Development Authority will lead a contingent of seven to next week’s Paris Air Show. The delegation has meetings set up with dozens of high-ranking executives to discuss expansion opportunities in the Magnolia State – including some firms that will help supply EADS North America’s Airbus jet assembly line currently under construction in Mobile, Ala. The Aerospace Alliance, an organization that helps market Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi aviation industries to the region, will be hosting a Sunday reception for the delegation on the Seine River in Paris. Source: The Associated Press, June 11, 2013.

Miss.-based Corpsman on Pacific medical mission

Gulfport, Miss., Naval Construction Battalion Center Hospital Corpsman Herber Gutierrez prescribes a pair of reading glasses to Sister Margaret Du Coeur Immaculee of Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home while visiting to donate medical supplies and bedding during Pacific Partnership 2013 stopover in Samoa. Pacific Partnership is the largest disaster response and preparation mission in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo). Source: Naval Public Affairs Support Element, June 5, 2013.

Army team deploying to Afghanistan

The Defense Department identified a Fort Polk, La.-based Army combat team for major-unit deployment as part of the summer’s rotation of forces operating in Afghanistan. The deployment involves an infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) with roughly 1,230 personnel from the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Polk, La. Source: Defense Department, June 7, 2013.

Columbus AFB runway on sked

A $31.29 million concrete construction project on two miles of the center runway at Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base is about two-thirds complete and tentatively on target for use August 29, according to base officials. It’s the most extensive overhaul since the asphalt runway was originally built in 1959. Lt. Col. David Meissen, commander of the 14th Civil Engineer Squadron at CAFB, said the base's inner and outer runways - as well as runways at Golden Triangle Regional Airport - are being used for pilot training missions. Babcock Construction of Pheba, Miss. – about 19 due west of West Point – is the project's general contractor. Source: Columbus (Miss.) Dispatch, June 8, 2013.

Texas politicos join AE to protect helos

A pair of Texas congressmen joined the leadership of EADS North America, America Eurocopter of Columbus, Miss., and Grand Prairie at a rally-round the jobs campaign Friday in Texas, requesting Congress to restore FY-14 funding 31 Army UH-72A Lakota helicopters. The AE-Columbus plant, with its 300 workers, produces Lakotas for the Army, Army National Guard and Navy at a unit cost of just $5.5 million each. AE-Grand Prairie, with 600 workers, performs engineering changes and modification upgrades to the helicopters. Source: Market Wired, June 7, 2013.

L-3 Vertex gains NASA contract

Madison’s L-3 Vertex Aerospace was chosen for a contract to support the operations of all aircraft at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB and Dryden’s aviation facility in Palmdale, both in California. The contract is to take effect July 1 and covers a base period of 22 months. There are two 1-year options and another 14-month option; and if all exercised, the contract would be for $77.1 million and extend through June 30, 2018. L-3 Vertex Aerospace is responsible for aircraft maintenance and engines; ground support equipment for Dryden's specialized research and support aircraft - motor gliders to ex-military high-performance one-of-a-kind research planes. L-3 Vertex identified subcontractors to include Integration Innovation Inc., of Huntsville, Ala. Source: PR News Wire. June 4, 2013.

Miss. researchers earn DoD tech awards

A pair of Mississippi universities’ researchers was among members of 140 academic institutions nationwide to earn Pentagon’s Defense University Research Instrumentation Program science and technology awards in support of research instrumentation and equipment. The awards total $38.7 million overall and average to about $277,000 each. Mississippi State University associate professor of physics Chuji Wang and University of Mississippi professor of mechanical engineering Prabhakar Mantena were the two Magnolia State recipients. Source: Defense Department, June 3, 2013.

Miss. earns 3rd straight Silver Shovel

Area Development magazine, an economic development publication covering site selection and facility planning, has awarded the State of Mississippi with its 2013 Silver Shovel Award. It is the third straight year for the Magnolia State to be the recipient of the award in the 3 million and under population group. Source: Mississippi Development Agency, May 29, 2013.