HII garners $486M CG pact

PASCAGOULA, Miss.- Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $486 million fixed-price incentive contract from the U.S. Coast Guard to build a ninth National Security Cutter. (Source: HII 12/30/16)

Higgins: MBJ’s biz person of year

Joe Max Higgins of the Mississippi’s Golden Triangle’s LINK development organization has been named business person of 2016 by the Mississippi Business Journal. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal 12/28/16)

Miss., Fla. low in biz innovation

A pair of Gulf Coast states has a great deal of work to do to reach the realms of business innovation, according to the Bloomberg U.S. Innovation Index for 2016. Florida ranked 34th of the 50 U.S. states in the index that scored each state on a 0-100 scale across six metrics: Research &Development intensity; productivity; high-tech density; concentration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) employment; science and engineering degree holders; and patent activity. No. 1 was Massachusetts. Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi are the least innovative, the data showed. Keeping Florida from the bottom third was its No. 11 ranking in technical firm density, defined as the number of highly technical publicly traded companies, such as in aerospace and defense. All the other indicators were low: Florida ranked 35th for R&D intensity, 44th for productivity, 40th for STEM concentration, 33rd for science and engineering degree holders; and 32nd for patent activity. Florida ranked 35th overall in 2015. (Source: Miami Herald 12/27/16)

La. observatory tops 2016 stories

The first detection of gravitational waves from the crash of two black holes. The discovery of GW150914 was made by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), and serves as confirmation of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity (published 100 years ago). “I think we’re opening a window on the universe – a window of gravitational wave astronomy,” said David Reitze, executive director of the LIGO lab. The 2.5-mile-wide LIGO facilities near Hanford, Wash., and Livingston, La., use super-sensitive laser beams and reflectors to detect faint ripples in the fabric of space-time down to less than 1 percent of the width of a proton. Reusable spaceship: Amazon’s Blue Origin space venture made its first suborbital flight in November 2015, but it wasn’t until January 2016 that its New Shepard craft made a re-flight with the same hardware. The rocket retired in October after five successful flights. Drone deliveries: The FAA’s commercial drone regulations didn’t go far enough to usher in the age of widespread package deliveries, but Amazon started an experimental delivery system in the UK. Google’s Project Wing conducted its own experimental burrito delivery in Virginia; and a startup called Flirtey is delivering food and convenience-store items for 7-Eleven in a Reno, Nev., neighborhood. Juno reaches Jupiter: Mars focus: SpaceX’s Elon Musk shared his vision for sending 1 million settlers to Mars. If SpaceX holds to schedule, the preparatory robotic missions could begin in 2018. People could follow within a decade. Setbacks: The deaths of 95-year-old retired Marine Colonel and U.S. senator John Glenn, the first American astronaut to go into orbit; and 95-year-old Joe Sutter, Boeing’s “Father of the 747”. (Source: Geek Wire 12/22/16)

UH-72 contract support

Airbus Helicopters Inc. of Grand Prairie, Texas, was awarded a $17,361,275 contract for logistics, parts and sustainment support of the Army’s UH-72 light utility helicopter. Procurement includes program management, sub-engineering services, cyber security, logistics labor, and other direct costs, contractor manpower reporting, mission equipment packages, pilot transition training, functional check flight training, airframe training, power plant training and contractor field teams. Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received. Work will be performed in Texas with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2021. (Source: DOD 12/19/16) Gulf Coast Note: The helicopters will be assembled at AHI's Columbus, Miss., manufacturing facility.

AHI to exhibit 2 helos in NC

Airbus Helicopters Inc. will exhibit a pair of its helicopters at the Air Medical Transport Conference Dec. 13-15 at the Charlotte (NC) Convention Center. On display will be AHI’s H135-series aircraft operated by STAT MedEvac, a western Pennsylvania provider of emergency medical service and inter-hospital patient transports. Also, the company will exhibit an H130 high-performance single-engine helicopter operated by JeffSTAT, the medical transportation service affiliated with the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. (Source: AHI 12/09/16) Gulf Coast Note: AHI operates a large manufacturing facility at Columbus, Miss.

Communiversity underway

Communiversity, a workforce educational training center at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, is now under construction. Officials were on-hand Dec. 9 for a groundbreaking ceremony in Lowndes County. Communiversity, which is to specialize in advanced manufacturing training in the Golden Triangle region, is a partnership between the Golden Triangle Development LINK, Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Clay counties, and EMCC. Communiversity, formally called the Center for Manufacturing Technology Excellence 2.0, will host manufacturing and technical training-based programs. Regional industries will also be able to use bays at the site to train employees on their own equipment. The project is expected to be completed by fall 2018. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 12/10/16) Gulf Coast Note: The Golden Triangle region was selected by Southern Business and Development Magazine as the best mid-south small market for the Aerospace Industry and GTR Global Industrial Aerospace Park in Columbus as best mid-south megasite for 2016.

Ex-Gulfport OIC coaches Navy

Navy Cmdr. Gregg Gellman, deputy chief of staff for base operations and medical installations at Navy Medicine East, was the defense coach for the Army-Navy hockey game Dec. 5 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The NHL's Washington Capitals hosted the game to celebrate the spirit of sports rivalry between two of the nation's military academies. Gellman was also the only Navy Medicine person selected to be on the roster as the back-up goalie. (Source: Navy Medicine East 12/08/16) Gulf Coast Note: Gellman was Officer in Charge of Naval Branch Health Clinic Gulfport, Miss., from June 2008 to August 2011. The clinic is one of 10 branch clinics that fall under Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla. – a member institution under the auspices of NME.

MS-Raytheon to show new trainer

There’s likely going to be some competition for the Air Force’s contract to supply 350 new jet-trainers by 2017: Lockheed’s T-50A, Boeing/Saab’s T-X, Northrop Grumman’s Model 400, and Raytheon/Leonardo’s T-100. Lockheed expects the AF to release a final Request for Proposal by year’s end which will start a 90-day clock for bidders. The AF evaluation could take months. The proposed bidders are pursuing different strategies for promoting their products. Raytheon will host its first public event Dec. 12 on the site of a greenfield factory in Meridian, Miss. (Source: Flight Global 12/08/16)

Have Mayor, Will Travel

Tupelo (Miss.) Mayor Jason Shelton spent last week in Israel as part of an economic development trip hosted by the Mississippi Development Authority. He was the only mayor to make the trip. “I think it was very productive.” In February 2017, he plans to visit Cuba. The trips are intended to build business relationships. MDA averages nine trade missions aboard per year. He and Gov. Phil Bryant met with an Israeli corporation that, according to Shelton, appears committed to conducting a site visit to Mississippi. Two Israeli companies currently have operations in Mississippi: Stark Aerospace, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, in Columbus; and Emilia Cosmetics in DeKalb. Mississippi exports to Israel have increased 27 percent to $43 million as of 2015. (Source: Daily Journal 12/09/16)

‘Spirit of the Lakota’

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Descendants of the Lakota warrior Eagle Elk shared stories of his bravery and hunting prowess, but family worried his legacy would be forgotten. Airbus Helicopters Inc. commissioned a painting of Eagle Elk - “The Spirit of the Lakota” - to capture the spirit of its UH-72A Lakota helicopters and the heritage of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe for which it is named. “We always told ourselves his time would come, and now it has. I believe he is with us in spirit,” Robert Eagle Elk, the warrior’s grandson, said at a recent unveiling of the artwork here at AHI headquarters. “The artwork was created by Dallas artist David Gail Smith. The piece features a towering image of the Lakota warrior as well as the Lakota Army helicopter in flight. The painting portrays Eagle Elk as being part of the open sky and mountains, watching over Earth. AHI leadership consulted with the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribal Council to ensure the painting was culturally accurate and respectful. Family members offered a Native American prayer, sang a song about Lakota life and presented Smith and AHI executives with tribal flags. (Source: AHI 12/07/16) Gulf Coast Note: The UH-72A Lakota is a multi-mission helicopter that was selected by the Army in June 2006. AHI’s manufacturing and production facility is in Columbus, Miss.

OATK-Iuka aids with launch

Orbital ATK, an aerospace and defense technologies’ company, provided propulsion, composite and spacecraft technologies that enabled both the United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket and the eighth Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS-8) satellite launched Dec. 7 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Both the satellite and Delta IV rocket use cutting-edge technologies from multiple Orbital ATK facilities. For the rocket, Orbital ATK provided four 60-inch diameter Graphite Epoxy Motors (GEM-60) solid rocket boosters. OATK produced the solid rocket motors in Utah. In addition to the GEM-60, Orbital supplied a combined 13 Delta IV and GEM-60 key composite structures. The largest of the structures are four-to-five meters in diameter and produced using either advanced wet winding or hand layup, machining and inspection techniques at Orbital ATK’s manufacturing facilities in Iuka, Miss., and Utah. (Source: Business Wire 12/08/16)

CAP: Still going at 75

One week before Pearl Harbor was attacked in December 1941, the Civil Air Patrol, a volunteer organization under the U.S. Army Air Corps was formed. They’re still going strong 75 years later. The Mississippi Wing of CAP flew one its largest missions since WWII with its involvement in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. CAP Colonel Robert Arn flew anti-submarine missions during WWII for the Florida Wing out of Coastal Patrol Base No. 14 at Panama City from September 1942 to June 1943. Of the 12 original pilots at Panama City, six were killed. Arn flew 179 missions totaling 557 hours of flight time over the GoM. From hurricanes Betsy and Camille in the 1960s to Katrina in 2005, the Louisiana Wing has established key ground radio network capabilities; transported key officials and equipment; conducted aerial surveillance of evacuation routes, levees and other affected areas; and demonstrate the value of airborne video and still photography. The Louisiana Wing used its skills after 9/11 to assist the Coast Guard and providing air support for port security, photo documentation and daily alert aircraft for the Port Authority and Lake Charles Waterway. (Source: Oxford Eagle 12/06/16)

Gulf armories contaminated

More than 400 of 1,304 National Guard armories across America have been contaminated by dangerous amounts of lead dust, an 18-month investigation by The Oregonian of Portland found. The Defense Department and state guard officials knew about the toxins at the armories for nearly two decades, but was slow to address problems leaving soldiers, civilians and children exposed. Lead was found it 424 armories; no lead was found at 55; and 827 had not been inspected (or had reported). (Source: Times-Picayune 12/02/16) Gulf Coast Note: At least 36 armories across the Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi were found with contaminants. Among coastal state armories in Alabama were Fairhope, Foley, and Fort Whiting in Mobile. In Mississippi, armories were located in and around Jackson, McComb and Yazoo City. In Louisiana: Lafayette and Breaux Bridge just to name some.

Golden Triangle & 60 Minutes

Mississippi’s Golden Triangle was in the national TV spotlight Dec. 4 on the region's industrial boom during CBS’ "60 Minutes" broadcast. The segment focused on the GT’s industrial development in recent years, spearheaded by the Golden Triangle Development LINK, which works with local governments in Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Clay counties, as well as Mississippi State University and East Mississippi Community College. "I think it was very positive," he said. "I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop … you know … now here's the bad news." The segment focused on Higgins, who has been an integral part of attracting developments like (Steel Dynamics), PACCAR and Airbus, all located in the Golden Triangle Industrial Aerospace Park. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 12/05/16)

L-3 mod contract: $13.6M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss., was awarded $13,674,743 modification to a previous contract for aircraft maintenance and logistics in support for 49 C-12 aircraft. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas (42%); Patuxent River, Md. (6); Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (6); Manama, Bahrain (6); Atsugi, Japan (6); Beaufort, S.C. (4); San Angelo, Texas (4); Yuma, Ariz. (4); New Orleans (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 March 2017. (Source: DoD, 12/01/16)

Ex-CAFB grad challenges pilots

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - The deputy director of operations at the Hurlburt Field, Fla.-based headquarters of the Air Force Special Operations Command was guest speaker for the graduation of the Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training course Nov. 18 at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. Col. John Cline thanked audience members for their support to the new graduates; and congratulate to the pilots. “It is a monumental effort to make it through pilot training,” he said. To progress through the rigors of commissioning, medical and aptitude screenings, pilot selection, and flight training was a monumental challenge. Cline, who trained at CAFB, told the pilots: “Now, the work really begins.” But warned graduates that the path they chose is not an easy one and they would face much danger and challenges over the years, but it would be outweighed by the risk. (Source: Columbus AFB 11/23/16)

Paris Air Show delegation

The Mississippi Development Authority is seeking participates for a state-led trade delegation to the Paris (France) from June 19-25. The Paris Air Show draws nearly 150,000 trade visitors, 2,300-plus exhibitors and 296 official delegations from 91 countries. MDA and the Small Business Administration will provide financial and administrative support for two representatives from qualified state companies. Space is limited and available on a first-come basis. Deadline for register is March 31. For more information, call at 601-359-2952 or e-mail asikora@mississippi.org. (Source: Mississippi Minority Business Alliance 11/11/16)

Eaton contract for Army

Eaton Aerospace of Jackson, Miss., was awarded a maximum $11,191,231 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hydraulic motors for the Army. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. This was a sole-source acquisition. Location of performance is Mississippi, with a Nov. 21, 2020, performance completion date. Type of appropriation is FY 2017 through FY 2021 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Mich. (Source: DOD 11/18/16)

UM aero conference challenges

James B. Lackey, the Army’s director of aviation and missile research and development, was among guest speakers at the “Advanced Materials for Transformative Changes to the Defense, Aerospace and Civil Environments” conference at the University of Mississippi on Nov. 17. He spoke to the Army’s needs for research in the areas of lighter weight, stronger composite systems and materials for missile systems. The conference, in its second day at Ole Miss, was sponsored by the Mississippi Research Consortium, chaired by Gordon Cannon, VP for research at the University of Southern Mississippi. The consortium is made up of Mississippi’s four research universities: UM, USM, Mississippi State and Jackson State. Lackey’s presentation was a prime example of conference goals “to bring forward recent advances in materials science and mechanics in the various sectors (defense, aerospace and civil) and to bridge the gaps between them by increasing awareness of research needs and capabilities in order to create enabling technologies for various applications that have national impact.” Additional presentations were made by the National Science Foundation and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. (Source: Hotty Toddy 11/18/16)

MS joins Pan-Pacific UAS test range

Mississippi has joined the states of Alaska, Oregon, and Hawaii as full members of the University of Alaska Fairbanks-led Pan-Pacific UAS Test Range Complex (PPUTRC) on Nov. 8, one of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) seven Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Test Sites. The Mississippi program will be led by Mississippi State University, and multiple UAS test and evaluation sites throughout the state. MSU is also the lead for the FAA’s UAS Center of Excellence - the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence. PPUTRC is the largest and most diverse of the seven test site programs offering a range of geographic and climactic test conditions, including arctic, tropical, high-desert, mountainous, maritime, controlled urban, and many others. The addition of Mississippi to the program provides local test site capabilities to support UAS stakeholders in the Southeastern United States. (Mississippi State University 11/08/16)

FPC fee rescinded for more input

The Federal Aviation Administration officially announced in the Federal Register that it is rescinding a controversial draft Passenger Facility Charge order and will provide “for public review and comment.” Airports raised concerns that FAA's plan could have created more bureaucracy further slowed the PFC application and approval process. The PFC program allows the collection of fees up to $4.50 for every enplaned passenger at commercial airports controlled by public agencies. (Source: Aviation News Today 11/07/16)

Aurora joins ‘Great Whites’ search

NANTUCKET, Mass. - Aurora Flight Sciences recently partnered with OCEARCH, a world-leading marine conservation organization, to provide aerial support in locating and tracking great white sharks off the coast of Massachusetts. The Centaur optionally-piloted DA-42 aircraft flew above the expedition area in a pre-determined flight pattern to help scientists onboard the M/V OCEARCH ship to target, identify and track the location of the great white sharks in real time. Remotely piloted onboard OCEARCH's vessel, Centaur scanned the mission area with a FLIR 230 infrared sensor to pick up heat signatures and movements in the waters below. The live down-linked imagery allowed OCEARCH to enhance its mission by widening their search capabilities. Aurora's Centaur Optionally-Piloted Aircraft flies above the vessel providing assistance in locating the sharks. "We are thrilled about our new partnership with OCEARCH and Centaur's ability to expand on the process for identifying sharks," said Aurora CEO John Langford. "The expedition allowed us to demonstrate the technological and operational capabilities of Centaur, and more importantly, the value and benefits of utilizing optionally-piloted aircraft for a variety of missions which now includes maritime." (Source: PR News Wire 11/09/16) Gulf Coast Note: Aurora operates an aerial production plant in Columbus, Miss.

Expect more holiday air-travelers

More than 27 million passengers - a record for the Thanksgiving holiday - will likely be flying U.S. airlines worldwide from Nov. 18-29, according to the Airlines for America group. The expected increase will add an average 55,000 daily passengers, which is less than the space added. “U.S. passenger airlines are ready and saving you a spot,” said Jean Medina, a spokeswoman for the group. Airlines expect to carry an average 2.27 million passengers daily during the period. The busiest days will be Sunday, Nov. 27; Monday, Nov. 28; and Wednesday, Nov. 23. The lightest day will be Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24. The travel surge follows a 9.6% decline in fares during the second quarter of 2016, according to the Transportation Department’s bureau of statistics. The online travel agent Orbitz.com said the average airfare to the top 10 destinations for the Thanksgiving holiday is $409 this year, with hotel costs averaging $158 per night. (USA TODAY 11/02/16)

UM working on wonder material

There is a new material called Graphene lurking in research labs across the world that could change the way people live, and the University of Mississippi is at the forefront. Graphene has been hailed “the most exciting material of the 21st century,” according to an article in Time magazine, and scientists are just beginning to scratch its potential. Researchers at UM’s Nano Infrastructure Research Group within the School of Engineering are engaged with world scientists in research and development of the material and finding uses for defense, aerospace and civil environments. (Source: Hotty Totty.com 10/31/16)

Domestic airfare costs down

The average domestic airfare was $353 from April-through-June, down about 10 percent from the same period in 2015, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. The average is the lowest since the fourth quarter of 2010 (at $335). When adjusted for inflation, the $353 average is the lowest since the third quarter of 2009 (at $343). Critics of the airline industry point out that despite falling airfares, airlines continue to generate hefty revenues from passenger fees like back-checking and changing flights. Those fees add up quickly. The Airlines for America trade group for U.S. airlines contends that surveys show most passengers want a low fare and the choice of paying for extras. Also, competition from low-cost carriers – such as Spirit and Frontier - is helping keep prices down. (Source: LA Times 10/25/16)

Robotic surgery comes to Keesler

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Surgeons at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi are cutting a new path in military medicine by being the first AF medical facility to use one of the more advanced robotic surgery systems - da Vinci Xi - available today. Keesler Medical Center has acquired two of the surgical systems for surgeries, and the other for training. Additionally, Keesler’s Clinical Research Laboratory has set up a training facility, called the Institute for Defense Robotic Surgical Education, for surgeons to get robotic surgery credentials. The idea behind the training facility is to expand across the entire Defense Department. The training won’t be just for surgeons since nurses and technicians need robotic surgery training for their respective roles. (Source: Air Force Surgeon General 10/25/16) Gulf Coast Note: Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla., general surgeons and urologists began training, under agreements with West Florida Hospital, several years ago in the use of da Vinci robotic surgeries.

Meridian may build trainer system

MCKINNEY, Texas - Raytheon plans to build the Ar Force's T-100 Integrated Air Training System in Meridian, Miss., pending service approval, the company said Oct. 25. A final assembly and check-out facility in Meridian would add to Raytheon's 30-year history of manufacturing in Mississippi. The Meridian facility would provide a mix of infrastructure, customer proximity, government support and a high-tech pool of workers, Raytheon said. The T-100 trainer is a next-generation system based on the Aermacchi M-346 aircraft and combines ground-based simulators with computerized classroom instruction. Raytheon has partnered with Leonardo-Finmeccanica, CAE USA and Honeywell Aerospace on this program. (Source: UPI 10/25/16)

Blue Angels to buzz Natchez

The Navy’s Blue Angels are scheduled to do a flyby over downtown Natchez, Miss., Thursday (Oct. 20) morning about 8:15 a.m. The Blues will be traveling from home in Pensacola, Fla., to an air show this weekend in Texas. The jets will likely fly over Main Street, dropping down to about 1,000 feet, and head toward the river. Tri-centennial Director Jennifer Ogden Combs said the Blue Angels are completing a flyover as a salute to Natchez during the city’s tri-centennial year. (Source: Natchez Democrat 10/18/16)

MS selects 1st ever military judge

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi National Guard appointed Col. Lee Thaggard as its first ever permanent military judge on Oct. 15. Thaggard has a private practice with a Meridian law firm. “I’m honored and humbled to be selected to represent the National Guard in this capacity as a military trial judge,” Thaggard said. Mississippi has had military judges appointed for brief periods or to preside over a specific case, but Thaggard is the first appointed to the position permanently. A military judge presides over the courtroom and determines sentences for service members accused of a crime under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. They cannot preside over civilian proceedings. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1987 through the AROTC at Mississippi State University, and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment, in Tupelo upon graduation. He earned a Juris Doctor cum laude from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1992 and was appointed as a major in the JAG Corps in 2003. (Source: 102nd Public Affairs Det Q 10/15/16)

GEA-Ellisville coatings work

DANBURY, Conn. – Praxair Surface Technologies Inc. and GE Aviation announced the formal creation of PG Technologies LLC, a joint venture. PST and its subsidiary will hold the majority interest with GEA and its subsidiary holding the remainder. PGT will focus on development, support and application of specialized coatings tailored for GEA’s and CFM International’s current and future engine models, including the GE9X and LEAP engines. CFMI is a 50-50 joint venture firm between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines of France. Coating operations for PGT will be based in Ellisville, Miss., Indianapolis, Ind., and Singapore. (Source: Business Wire 10/17/16)

Aero defense chain conference

The 2nd Annual Aerospace Defense Chain conference Oct. 28-29 in Arizona will focus on key components affecting the AD industry and future programs in seeking balance between customer demands, global market conditions, macroeconomic challenges and industry consolidation. The conference’s emphasis will be on forecasts and pursuing sustainable growth opportunities and new initiatives. Key issues include programs, market trends, innovation and technology. From the supply chain view, the conference will look at forecast, planning, consolidation, and productivity. The conference is supported by decision leaders within equipment manufacturers and suppliers that support the supply chain for the defense industry, program managers, business and corporate development and marketing executives, market analysts, investment bankers and financial institutions. (Source: Speed News 10/16)

AHI to exhibit at Cali conference

Airbus Helicopters Inc., the North American sales leader in law enforcement helicopters for more than a decade, will exhibit a California Highway Patrol H125 AStar at the 2016 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference in San Diego on Oct. 16-18. The CHP operates 11 H125/AS350-series AStar aircraft. AHI produces the H125 at its facility in Columbus, Miss. (Source: Market Wired 10/12/16)

L-3 Vertex cleared for KC-10 work

L-3 Communication’s Vertex Aerospace unit at Madison, Miss., began providing logistics support services Sept. 27 for the Air Force’s KC-10 aerial refueling aircraft under a potential nine-year, $1.9 billion contract. Vertex Aerospace commenced work after the Government Accountability Office rejected a competitor’s protest. The Mississippi-based division will maintain and operate base supply, provide field service representatives and support maintenance for 59 KC-10s. The unit will also provide supply and field service representation to the aerial refueling system for the Netherland’s two KDC-10 aircraft. (Source: Executive Biz blog 10/12/16)

Robots invade Starkville

STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Humphrey Coliseum at Mississippi State University was filled with robots Oct. 1 for the Best Robotics Competition. High school teams from across the state and parts of Tennessee came to show off their best work. Winners were to be rewarded for the best engineering notebook, best robot, and best overall award for their marketing presentations, said event coordinator, Dr. Vermitra White. The event was sponsored by MSU’s Bagley College of Engineering. Finalists will advance to the national competition hosted in Auburn, Ala. (Source: WCBI 10/01/16)

Reno project collaborates with MSU

Two novel research projects underway at the University of Nevada-Reno are designed to improve materials used in manufacturing and enhance fuel efficiency for airplanes and automobiles. Bin Li, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, has received two National Science Foundation grants to support his work in computational materials science. Li’s combining of computer simulation and experimental work to better understand advanced high-strength steels and lightweight magnesium alloys may be used for aerospace and automotive manufacturing. Li's grant, which he is leading in collaboration with Mississippi State University, will investigate how zinc coating interacts with steel. (Source: University of Nevada-Reno 09/29/16) Mississippi Note: Mississippi State University leads a consortium of 13 universities in operating a national center for research on unmanned aircraft systems, encompassing a wide range of applications, from agriculture to homeland security.

CCs to anchor work-training push

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Three North Mississippi community colleges will serve as anchors for a $10.5 million initiative to produce a workforce ready to work in the state's growing aerospace, automotive, and advanced manufacturing sectors, according to U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), and the Appalachian Regional Commission. The senator announced Sept. 30 that the three ARC grant awards for infrastructure and workforce training projects involve East Mississippi Community College, Northwest Mississippi Community College, and Itawamba Community College. The grants are funded through $16 million appropriated by Congress in FY 2016 for ARC to support workforce training programs in southern and south-central Appalachia. (Source: Y’all Politics 09/30/16)

MS firm gets $7.5M AF repair pact

Greenwood RC Construction Co. Inc. and Gene Nims Builders Inc. of Greenwood, Miss., were awarded a $7,576,954 firm-fixed-price contract for renovation and repair of 307th Aircraft Maintenance building at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana. The contractor will provide interior demolition, addition of two elevators, and minor exterior improvements of three separate multi-story structures. Work is expected to be complete by Feb. 28, 2018. The 2nd Contracting Squadron at Barksdale AFB is the contracting activity (FA4608-16-C-0027). (Source: DOD 09/29/16)

$13.6M L-3 aircraft mod contract

L-3 Vertex Aerospace LLC of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $13,674,743 modification to a previously awarded contract for aircraft maintenance and logistical life cycle support for 49 C-12 aircraft. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas (42%); New Orleans (4); and Iwakuni (4), Kadena (3), Futenma (2) and Misawa (2) in Japan. Work is expected to be completed in December 2016. (Source: DOD 09/29/16)

Greenwood firm depot pact

R.C. Construction Co. of Greenwood, Miss., was awarded a $22,947,483 Navy contract for range safety improvement and modernization at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C. The work provides for modernizing the 50 firing lane Inchon Range. The existing range is being demolished entirely and a new range constructed. Work is expected to be completed by March 2018. (Source: DOD 09/27/16)

T-45 mod pact at NASM

Rolls-Royce Corp. of Indianapolis, Ind., was awarded $62,120,761 modification to a previously awarded Navy contract for intermediate, depot maintenance and related logistics support for approximately 223 Adour engines on T-45 aircraft. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Stations Meridian, Miss. (47%) and Pensacola, Fla. (6%). Work is expected to be completed in March 2017. (Source: DOD 09/27/16)

SECNAV Mabus nearing finale

Former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus, who is now the longest serving Navy Secretary since WWI, is nearing the end of a nomadic career in public service. In October, SECNAV will turn 68. The coming change to the presidency in January will mean Mabus’ exit. He grew up in Ackerman, graduated from Ole Miss, earned a master's from Johns Hopkins and left Harvard Law with a degree as magna cum laude. It was all because he grew up in a family that valued knowledge and education. All though much of his past has been in politics, Mabus said he doesn't think any of his future will be in any elected or appointed post. As SECNAV, he has logged 1.3 million miles, but plans to spend more time with his family. Perhaps, he said, they will no longer require him to wear a name tag at family events. (Source: Commercial Dispatch 09/26/16) His position as SECNAV is administrative - no uniforms, ribbons, or salutes. But what he described as a "cool" perk is authority to name ships. Sometimes "memos" come from Congress with "suggestions" for ship names, but otherwise, from the days of George Washington, secretaries have named ships.

PCU meets MoH winner Hudner

Sailors assigned to Pre-Commissioning Unit Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) visited with the ship's namesake Sept. 24 in Boston. "It's not every day that you get to meet a Medal of Honor recipient and the namesake of your ship,” said Chief Fire Controlman David Vendetti. DDG 116 is expected to be commissioned in Boston in fall 2018. The ship is named for retired Navy Capt. Thomas J. Hudner Jr., a naval aviator who received the Medal of Honor for displaying uncommon valor in the Korean War. Hudner was honored for actions taken after his wingman, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, the first African-American naval aviator to fly in combat, was shot down. Hudner purposefully crashed his aircraft in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue Brown. Hudner will be the 66th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to join the Navy. (Source: Defense Media Activity 09/26/16) Central Mississippi Note: Ens. Brown was a native of Hattiesburg, Miss., and had FFT 1089 named in his honor. The Knox Class Fast Frigate was homeported at former Naval Stations Mobile, Ala., and Pascagoula, Miss., before it was decommissioned and leased under Foreign Military Sale to the Egyptian Navy in 1994 at NAS Pensacola, Fla.

MS firm's $11.6M taxiway pact

RC Construction Co. of Greenwood, Miss., was awarded an $11,638,355 contract to repair Taxiway Delta at Joint Base Charleston. S.C. The contractor will provide all management, labor, material, equipment, transportation, and supervision to accomplish the complete reconstruction of about 3,000 linear feet of taxiway. Work will be performed in Charleston, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 26, 2017. (Source: DOD 09/26/16)

CAFB taking part in student expo

In October, some 7,000 eighth-graders from 17 North Mississippi counties will get a chance to try out a flight simulator from the Columbus Air Force Base, manipulate a medical robot, sit in the cockpit of a 747 airliner, and exploring career options with professionals at the state’s non-profit CREATE Foundation's "Imagine the Possibilities" expo in Tupelo. The expo will be at Bancorp South Arena and Conference Center in Tupelo from Oct. 4-6. Students will have the opportunity to chat with professionals from 18 career pathways – from engineering to health sciences. CAFB is setting up multiple exhibits for eight different pathways. CAFB will have an exhibit for pathways from communication technology to aerospace. The base is also bringing an aircraft simulator and T-38 trainer. For more information on the expo, go to www.createfoundation.com. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 09/22/16)

Jackson gets 1% of CH-53K work

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. of Stratford, Conn., was awarded $232,075,337 modification to a previously awarded Navy contract for the procurement of two CH-53K system demonstration test aircraft. Work will be performed in Connecticut (24%); Jackson, Miss., and Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (1% each); and Miami (0.5%). (DOD 09/23/16)

GTRA to offer pre-check-in program

COLUMBUS, Miss. – There were a number of long security lines at U.S. airports this past summer, but in October the Golden Triangle Regional Airport at Columbus will become the only northern Mississippi destination point to offer TSA’s pre-check-in program. (Source: WVTA 09/22/16)

AHI to exhibit helos in NC

Airbus Helicopters Inc. will exhibit its most efficient helicopters for air medical transportation at the Air Medical Transport Conference in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 26-28. On display will be an H135-series helicopter operated by STAT MedEvac, a western Pennsylvania provider of emergency medical service transports. It is an upgraded version of AHI’s twin-engine family of helicopters. Additionally, AHI will exhibit its H130 single-engine helicopter operated by JeffSTAT, a medical transportation service affiliated with the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. (Source: Airbus Helicopters Inc. 09/22/16) AHI is the U.S. affiliate of Airbus Helicopters, and has a large manufacturing and production facility in Columbus, Miss.

L-3 garners $166M mod contract

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $166,263,229 modification to a previously contract to exercise an option for organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance and logistics services in support of approximately 200 T-45 aircraft based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Miss.; and NAS Pensacola, Fla. Services include engineering, supply and government property management, and procurement of associated parts and materials required to prepare the aircraft for about 320 launchers per day across, which fly an estimated total of 75,000 hours each year. Work will be performed in Meridian (44 percent); Pensacola (7 percent); and is expected to be completed in September 2017. (Source: DOD 09/19/16)

Privatization services at CAFB

The Defense Logistics Agency-Energy is seeking to identify and obtain information from responsible sources in connection with the acquisition of utility services for the privatization of the water and wastewater/sewer utility systems at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. (Source: GovTribe.com 09/16/16) CAFB is home to the 14th Flying Training Wing.

Wing’s 1st female fighter pilot

Former Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., T-38 aggressor pilot Maj. Ashley Rolfe has become the first female fighter pilot in the history of the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes ANG Base. Rolfe grew up as an Air Force “brat” around Tyndall AFB and wanted to continue the family legacy of military service set by her father and grandfather. She also flew T-38s during pilot training at Columbus AFB, Miss. The Air Force Academy graduate served on active-duty for 11 years, including a tour at Tyndall where she flew the T-38 aggressor-pilot role as part of the F-22 Raptor fighter program. Women first entered pilot training in 1976; and fighter pilot training in 1993. The Air National Guard has 195 female pilots – only 10 are fighter pilots. (Source: 104th Fighter Wing 08/18/16)

NFL owner buys AHI copter

FRISCO, Texas - Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has chosen a new, customized H145 corporate helicopter for his business transportation tool. Jones purchased the 8-to-10 passenger helicopter from Airbus Helicopters Inc. The firm provides products for air medical transport, law enforcement, airborne tourism, and corporate America. AHI is a major supplier to the Army, Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection. AHI is part of the Airbus Group, a global defense and aerospace company. AHI’ headquarters are in Grand Prairie, Texas, with a large manufacturing and production facility in Columbus, Miss. (Source: Airbus Helicopters Inc. 09/08/16)

NASM crash comment ‘speculation’

The cause of a Meridian, Miss., Naval Air Station-based T-45 Goshawk training-jet crash Sept. 7 has not been determined despite a comment from a local ambulance company director that may have suggested pilot error. The Training Air Wing 1 aircraft crashed in a heavily wooded while on a training flight. "They hit the wrong button and were ejected," Metro Ambulance director Clayton Cobler told local media. But Chief of Naval Air Training Public Affairs Officer Lt.j.g. Elizabeth Feaster called Cobler’s statement merely "speculation." "We don't know what happened yet,” she said. An investigation to determine the cause has already begun. Both pilots were transported to local hospitals, but there injuries were not life-threatening. Meridian NAS is the site of advanced jet training for Navy and Marine Corps pilots. Primary naval aviation training is conducted at Whiting Field NAS, Fla.(Source: Clarion-Ledger 09/08/16)

Cuba trade ops summit

Trade opportunities with Cuba will be the topic of a one-day seminar Oct. 20 hosted by the Mississippi Development Authority. The event will be held at The South Warehouse in Jackson. Speakers are to include leaders in Cuba’s corporate banking and international trade sectors; infrastructure and energy sectors; and agriculture, commodities and mining sectors. Cost is $40. Space is limited. The deadline to register is Oct. 3 (online at bit.ly/2c1jyjM). For more information, call (601) 359-9429. (Source: Mississippi Development Authority 09/08/16)

L-3 maintenance option at NASP

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $13,092,119 contract modification option for maintenance, repair, and logistics support for Chief of Naval Air Training aircraft at Pensacola, Fla., and Corpus Christi, Texas, naval air stations. Sixty percent of the work will be at NAS Pensacola, and is expected to be completed in September 2017, according to the Defense Department. (Source: DOD 09/08/16)

AHI to offer bird-strike option

BEND, Ore. - Airbus Helicopters Inc. and Precise Flight Inc. announced Sept. 8 they have entered into a supply agreement for the Pulselite® Bird Strike Prevention System that will be offered as an option on all AHI models marketed in America. Pulselite® System is an FAA certified lightweight electrical system controller that alternately pulses the landing and auxiliary lights of a helicopter, and increasing its visibility; and reflecting the speed and directional movement of the aircraft. The system has been shown to reduce bird strikes up to 66 percent, according to Precise Flight. Airbus Helicopters Inc. manufactures H125 and UH-72A helicopters. The firm has a large manufacturing and production facility in Columbus, Miss. (Source: PR Newswire 09/08/16)

CAFB fire earns accreditation

Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base’s Fire Emergency Services has received accredited status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International through CFAI's voluntary self-assessment and accreditation program. The base’s McAllister Fire Station is the second fire department in the state of Mississippi, as well as the fourth in Air Education and Training Command, to achieve this accredited status. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 09/07/16) Mississippi Note: CAFB is home to undergraduate pilot training under the auspices of the 14th Flying Training Wing of the Air Education and Training Command.

NAS Meridian T-45 crashes

A Navy T-45 training jet crashed Sept. 7 in a heavily wooded area of Meridian (Miss.) Naval Air Station. Navy personnel said the jet was on a routine training flight from Commander Training Air Wing 1. The aviation instructor and student pilot both ejected safely near the NASM airfield. Both were taken to a local medical facility with minor neck and leg injuries, according to Metro Ambulance director Clayton Cobler. (Source: Jackson Clarion-Ledger 09/07/16) Gulf Coast Note: NAS Meridian is the site of advanced jet training for Navy and Marine Corps pilots.

New VP for L-3 aerospace

NEW YORK - L-3 Communications announced Sept. 6 that retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Charles R. “C.R.” Davis has been appointed Senior Vice President of Strategy at the company’s Aerospace Systems business segment, effective immediately. (Business Wire 09/06/16) Mississippi Aerospace Note: L-3 Vertex Aerospace’s Madison, Miss., facilities provide sustainment and support, and aviation and aerospace technical services, for the Defense Department, other U.S. government agencies and foreign governments. While with the AF, Davis worked as commander of the air armament center and program executive officer for weapons at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Ukraine ambassador at MSU

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Valeriy Chaly encouraged a full auditorium to strive to make a difference and keep a global perspective during an Aug. 31 lecture at Mississippi State University. “Every man and woman can make a grand impact on their country,” Chaly said. His lecture, held in the Bost Extension Center, was part of the MSU International Institute’s 2016-17 MSU Global Engagement Lecture Series. The ambassador spent the morning touring MSU’s high-technology research facilities with MSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development David Shaw. (Source: Mississippi State University 08/31/16)

GTRA gets safety grant from FAA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker of Mississippi announced Aug. 30 that the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus has received a $1,063,485 federal grant to increase passenger safety. The Federal Aviation Administration grant will allow the GRTA to rehabilitate the airport’s apron, an area of an airport where aircraft are parked, loaded, and boarded. (Source: WCBI 08/30/16)

L-3 Madison $19.5M pact

L-3 Communications Corp.'s Systems Field Support of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $19,579,865 modification to exercise the option on a previously Air Force contract for C-12 logistics support. Work will be performed at Accra, Ghana; Andrews Air Force Base, Md.; Ankara, Turkey; Bangkok, Thailand; Bogota, Columbia; Brasilia, Brazil; Budapest, Hungary; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cairo, Egypt; Edwards AFB, Calif.; Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; Gaborone, Botswana; Holloman AFB, N.M.; Islamabad, Pakistan; Manila, Philippines; Nairobi, Kenya; Rabat, Morocco; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; San Angelo, Texas; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Yokota AB, Japan, and is expected to be complete by Aug. 31, 2017. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center of Tinker AFB, Okla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 08/30/16)

Miss. Seabees in El Salvador

CONCHAGUA, El Salvador - A construction engagement team – one of several Adaptive Force Packages (AFPs) deployed - is midway through a construction project in El Salvador. AFP teams are deployed to Honduras, El Salvador, and Colombia as part of Southern Partnership Station 2016, under the auspices of the U.S. Southern Command. AFPs are specialized military teams from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit 2, Navy Medicine commands, and civilian personnel focusing on local needs such as security, medical readiness, and improving community infrastructure. A portion of the construction team is made up of Seabees from the Gulfport, Miss.-based Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133. The AFPs are to be deployed through October 2016. (U.S. Southern Command 08/26/16)

Nat’l aerospace summit Sept 7-8

AIA and AIAA are partnering to host a 2016 national workforce summit Sept. 7-8 in Washington, D.C., to address ongoing concerns of the aerospace and defense industry regarding the adequacy of U.S. science and engineering education and workforce development. (Source: Aerospace Industries Association 08/2016)

MSU-led coop extends with EPA

STARKVILLE, Miss. - A Gulf of Mexico coastal-based research cooperative, led by Mississippi State University, is extending its memorandum of understanding by five years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Northern Gulf Institute provides the Gulf region with diverse, science-based services to help protect the ecosystem. NGI’s additional partners include the universities of Alabama-Huntsville, Southern Mississippi, Florida State and Louisiana State, and the Dauphin Island (Ala.) Sea Laboratory. (Source: MSU 08/25/16)

Ukraine ambassador to MSU

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Valeriy Chaly, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, will be on the Mississippi State University campus Aug. 31 as the inaugural speaker for the MSU International Institute’s 2016-17 Global Engagement Lecture Series. His presentation will discuss current challenges to international security and how they are affecting political and economic stabilities. Prior to his address, Chaly and MSU Vice President for research and economic development David Shaw will spend the morning touring high-tech facilities at the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park. (Source: MSU 08/24/16)

L-3 awarded $21M mod contract

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $21,895,190 for modification to a previously awarded Navy contract to exercise Option 1 for contractor-owned and operated business jet training services in support of contracted air services’ basic training, large national exercises, and small, single unit training exercises. Missions include maritime air patrol, low/slow terrorist aircraft, air interdiction training, and air intercept/anti-submarine training. These services support training requirements through air intercept control, anti-submarine tactical attack control, tracking exercises, electronic warfare missions, banner tows and target tows. Work will be performed at the Virginia Capes Training Ranges, Virginia Beach, Va. (50 percent); North Island Naval Base, Coronado, Calif. (40 percent); and Kauai, Hawaii (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in August 2017. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD, 08/24/16)

Lowndes lands new GT megasite

Lowndes County, Miss., has gone through a rigorous process to become home to a third Tennessee Valley Authority Certified Megasite led by McCallum-Sweeney, a national leader in site selection. The 1,144-acre Infinity Megasite is located west of the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, and is part of the Golden Triangle Industrial Aerospace Park, which serves as home to the certified Lowndes County and Crossroads megasites. There are currently nine certified megasites in TVA’s of territory. “(T)his one is Mississippi’s best in class,” said Joe Max Higgins Jr., CEO of the Golden Triangle Development LINK. “(W)e need to act quickly with our partners to identify clients and land a deal.” Infinity is surrounded by roads, adjacent to U.S. highways 82 and 45, and 15 miles from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and houses rail access on its southern edge. (Source: WTVA 08/19/16)

LM-Meridian delivers cargo deck

The first LM-100J commercial freighter continues to make significant progress, reaching major production milestones at Lockheed Martin’s facility at Marietta, Ga. here. The LM-100J is the commercial version of LM's proven C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The aircraft will perform as a commercial, multi-purpose air freighter capable of rapid and efficient cargo transport. Production accomplishments include completion of its wings, delivery of the tail portion - manufactured in a joint venture in India, and the arrival of its cargo deck, manufactured at LM’s facility in Meridian, Miss. Final production phases will take place over the next several months, and its first flight is scheduled for the first half of 2017. (Source: Lockheed Martin 08/18/16)

SC joins MS o’seas cargo flights

South Carolina’s main airport has never hosted regularly scheduled flights to or from overseas, but that will change in November. Senator International, a German freight-moving company, announced plans to fly cargo between Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport and Munich, Germany, two times a week beginning Nov. 5. The service will put the airport in elite company. There are only six Southeast airports to offer scheduled all-cargo flights to and from overseas destinations. Among those are airports in Gulf Coast states at Jackson, Miss., and Huntsville, Ala. (Source: Greenville Online 08/12/16)

Hospital Wing gets AHI helo

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Hospital Wing, a Memphis, Tenn.-based non-profit air medical transport service, has taken delivery of its second Airbus Helicopters Inc.’s H130 helicopter, designed to augment the HW's fleet of seven Airbus Helicopters. Hospital Wing also operates three earlier model H130-series helicopters, and three AS350 B3 AStars. HW services a consortium of Memphis-area hospitals, and operates from five bases in the Mid-South serving 27 hospitals and residents within a 200 nautical mile circle, including West Tennessee, and parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Alabama, and Kentucky. Six of the eight helicopters are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. AHI also manufactures H125 and UH-72A helicopters at its production facility in Columbus, Miss. (Source: Airbus Helicopters 08/11/16)

Appeals panel favors AFS worker

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously found Aug. 8 that a Mississippi worker could sue his former employer, Aurora Flight Services, after being fired for keeping a gun in a locked vehicle on the company’s site. The court found that Mississippi’s 2006 law against the prohibition of the storage of legal firearms on employers’ property overrules the state’s 150-year at-will employment statutes. Robert Swindol worked for AFS at its plant in Columbus, but, when officials found he had a legal gun inside his locked vehicle in AFS’ parking lot, fired him for violating company policy. The Fifth Circuit panel ruled that a district court’s dismissal of his firing was wrong. (Source: Guns.com 08/11/16)

MSU joins all-electric ship research

The Center for Advanced Power Systems at Florida State University was awarded a five-year $35 million grant by the Office of Naval Research to bring researchers together to spur innovation and advance the Navy’s efforts to build an all-electric ship. CAPS will lead a multi-university team of scientists and engineers – including Mississippi State University - to work on various energy and machinery requirements of the ship. In April, CAPS became the first university test site accredited by the Navy to perform high-powered simulations for development of the next-generation of shipboard power technology. (Source: Florida State University 08/08/16)

CubeSat initiative open to MS

WASHINGTON - Accredited education institutions and non-profits may join the adventure of space while helping NASA achieve its exploration goals through a next round of its CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI). Proposal applications must submitted by Nov. 22. NASA will make selections by Feb. 17, 2017. The CSLI provides CubeSat developers with a low-cost pathway to space to conduct research that advances NASA's strategic goals. The initiative provides students, teachers, and faculty with the chance to get hands-on flight hardware development experience designing, building and operating these small research satellites. For this round of the initiative, NASA is particularly interested in participation from 18 states, including Mississippi. CubeSats are in a class of research spacecraft called nano-satellites. (Source: Aerospace Manufacturing and Design 08/05/16)

F-35Cs to operate at Miss. OLF

Navy and Marine Corps F-35C Joint Strike Fighter pilots in training at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., are expected to start two weeks of practice carrier-landing training Aug. 6 at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss.’ Joe Williams Outlying Field in Kemper County. The F-35C pilots will be conducting the practices during daylight hours. Residents surrounding the field should expect a significant increase in noise levels. “The sailors and civilians at NAS Meridian are proud to support (Strike Fighter [VFA] Squadron 101’s] mission to train and qualify F-35C aircrew to operate safely and effectively as part of a Carrier Strike Group at sea,” said NAS Meridian Commanding Officer Capt. Scott Bunnay. The F-35C is a long-range stealth strike fighter designed and built with larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear explicitly for aircraft carrier operations. (Source: Meridian Star 08/03/16)

Greenwood firm earns Army pact

R.C. Construction Co. Inc. of Greenwood, Miss., was awarded a $9,531,588 Army contract with options for expanding the tanker apron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 22, 2017. The Army Corps of Engineers at Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 07/29/16)

Lawrie takes reins of 14th OG

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Col. Stan Lawrie is the new commanding officer of the 14th Operations Group at Columbus Air Force Base. The 14th OG conducts pilot training and Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals for more than 400 AF and international officers annually using T-6A, T-38C and T-1A aircraft and simulators at CAFB. The group also directs tactical training for Afghan pilots and maintenance members at Moody AFB, Ga. The 14th OG also oversees an air traffic control complex with more than 300,000 aircraft movements a year. The command oversees eight squadrons and 1,300-plus officers, civilians, enlisted and contract personnel. Lawrie came to CAFB from duty as a Grand Strategy Seminar student at the Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Ala. (Source: Columbus AFB 07/16/16)

Make It In America summit

STARKVILLE, Miss. – A Mississippi State University reshoring summit on Aug. 11 aims to help businesses bring manufacturing jobs back to America. The “Make it in America” summit will be at MSU’s Franklin Furniture Institute on campus. The program is designed for manufacturers and their supply chains, economic developers and relevant university employees and faculty. (Source: Mississippi State University 07/26/16)

L-3 gets Army logistics mod pact

L-3 Communications Corp.’s System Field Support at Madison, Miss., was awarded a $216,370,058 modification to a previous contract for 12 months of continued aircraft logistics support. Work will be performed in Madison with an estimated completion of July 31, 2017. FY 2016 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $162,277,543 were obligated at the time of the award. (Source: DOD 07/25/16)

Gosney new commander at CAFB

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Colonel Douglas Gosney became the new wing commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base on July 22 during a change of command ceremony. Gosney comes to the Golden Triangle from duty as commander of the 2nd Operations Group at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. In that position, he commanded AF Global Strike Command’s largest bomb group, with 27 B-52 aircraft. Outgoing wing commander, Maj. Gen. James Hecker, has a new assignment at Barksdale AFB. (Source: Columbus AFB 07/22/16) Gulf Coast Note: The 14th FTW conducts Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training for the AF and allied officers, as well as tactical training for Afghan pilots and aircraft maintainers at Moody AFB, Ga. The wing is composed of 244 aircraft, flying 55,000 sorties and 77,000 hours per year, and training more than 400 pilots and combat system operators annually.

New Tricare contractor for MS

Humana Government Business Inc. of Louisville, Ky., has been selected to provide managed care support to the Defense Department’s newly formed Tricare East Region, which includes Mississippi. HGB will assist the Military Health System in operating an integrated health care delivery system combining its network of providers and the military’s direct medical care system resources for eligible beneficiaries. Mississippi military treatment facilities include naval branch health clinics at Construction Battalion Center Gulfport and NAS Meridian; and Columbus Air Force Base. The new East Region also includes the Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana. (Source: DOD 07/21/16)

AHI to feature H125 at Ga. expo

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Airbus Helicopters Inc. will exhibit the Seminole County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office H125 AStar at the 2016 Airborne Law Enforcement Association Annual Conference and Expo in Savannah, Ga., from July 18-23. The sheriff’s office operates two H125’s to conduct a wide variety of law enforcement missions, including search & rescue and aerial firefighting with a Bambi bucket. AHI produced the sheriff’s H125 at the company’s Columbus, Miss., production facility. Metro Aviation, in Shreveport, La., installed the law enforcement completion package. The H125/AS350 AStar-series helicopters are the most widely purchased by U.S. law enforcement agencies - more than 240 are in use nationwide, with 75 delivered over the past five years. (Source: Airbus Helicopters Inc. 07/18/16)

Blue Angels select 2017 team

 The Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team announced July 16 its officer-selectees for the 2017 air show season. The squadron selected three F/A-18 pilots, an events coordinator, C-130 Marine pilot, flight surgeon, supply officer, and administration officer to join a previously selected executive officer for the 2017 team. The newly selected 2017 officers include pilots Lt. Brandon Hempler, 32, of Wamego, Kan.; Lt. Damon Kroes, 34, of Fremont, Calif.; and Lt. Nate Scott, 31, of Danville, Calif. The new events coordinator will be Lt. Dave Steppe, 31, of Birmingham, Ala., an Auburn University graduate. The C-130 pilot will be Marine Capt. Kyle Maschner, 33, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; flight surgeon Lt. Juan Guerra, 31, of Ocala, Fla.; supply officer Lt. Bryan Pace, 32, of Fitzwilliam, N.H.; and administration officer Lt. j.g. Timothy Hawkins, 37, of Scranton, Pa. Blues expected to return for 2017 are Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Ryan Bernacchi; pilots Lt. Lance Benson, Lt. Tyler Davies, and late-season replacement Cmdr. Frank Weisser; C-130 pilots Marine Maj. Mark Hamilton, and Marine Maj. Mark Montgomery; maintenance officer Lt. Samuel Rose; and public affairs officer Lt. Joe Hontz. (Source: Blue Angels media release 7/16/16)

MS-wide biz ops with Japan

Mississippi-wide meetings – in Tupelo, Olive Branch, Jackson, and Long Beach - to discuss growing business opportunities between the state and Japan. Dates: July 25-26. (Source: Mississippi Development Authority 07/16)

UAV anti-collision project

TEL AVIV – An American-Israel technology foundation selected a team from Honeywell and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to develop an anti-collision system aimed at allowing unmanned aerial vehicles to operate in civilian airspace. The joint development project is slated for flight testing on the IAI Heron-1 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) in mid-2018, the firms announced July 11. The Honeywell-IAI Sense-and-Avoid (SAA)-equipped Heron medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS prototype will be tested in Israeli airspace in 2018 after development work is conducted in Tel Aviv and multiple American locations. (Source: Defense News 07/11/16) Central Mississippi Note: The U.S. locations were not announced. Stark Aerospace, a subsidiary of IAI North America, is an aerospace company located in Columbus, Miss., at the GTR Global Industrial Aerospace Park. Stark produces the Hunter MQ-5B Tactical UAS used by the Army in support of operations around the globe.

1st AF North command change

The top leadership of the Continental U.S. Aerospace Defense Region’s 1st Air Force (North) held a change of command July 11 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Outgoing commander, Lt. Gen. William H. Etter relinquished command to Lt. Gen. R. Scott Williams. Williams, an F-16 Viper pilot, comes to Tyndall from duty at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait where he served as Chief of the Office of Military Cooperation. Central Mississippi Note: Williams was a student pilot and T-38 instructor in the mid-1980s at Columbus AFB, Miss. (Source: 1st Air Force 07/11/16)

Major MS airport, port & rail grants

The Mississippi Department of Transportation awarded grants to regional and municipal airports, ports, public transit systems and railroads throughout central and north Mississippi. Grants were approved for the following regional and municipal airports: $201,429 for Corinth-Alcorn County Airport; $151,650 for George M. Bryan Field in Starkville; $272,303 for Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus; $34,670 for Tupelo Regional Airport. Grants for North Mississippi ports: $140,000 for Lowndes County Port in Columbus; $90,050 for Port of Aberdeen; $400,000 for Port of Amory; $490,050 for Port Itawamba in Fulton. Railroad grants: $438,244 for Mississippi Delta Railroad of Clarksdale; $391,545 for Mississippian Railway Inc. of Fulton. (Source: WTVA 07/07/16)

Ex-NASM pilot may rejoin Blues

The Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team may be bringing back a 2009 opposing solo pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Frank Weisser, to fly that position – and return to its traditional six-jet performances again before the end of the current air show season. Weisser may be joining the Blues next week. He is tentatively scheduled to begin flying sorties with the team following the Seattle, Wash., air show in early August. The Blue Angels are expected to be ready for the return of its six-jet shows by the Sept. 3-5 Cleveland (Ohio) National Airshow. Weisser is tentatively coming back to fill a void of the team following the death of opposing solo pilot Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, who was killed during a June 2 training flight in Tennessee. Weisser, an Atlanta native, is a 2000 Naval Academy graduate. He went through aviation indoctrination an primary aviation training at NAS Pensacola – home of the Blue Angels. He completed intermediate and advanced flight training at NAS Meridian, Miss., and earned his Wings of Gold in November 2002. Operationally, Weisser deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 and flew 34 combat missions from aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt. The naval aviation joined the Blues in September 2007. He served as the narrator and VIP Pilot in 2008, and opposing solo and NATOPS officer in 2009. (Source: IN Weekly blog 07/07/16)

Boyles new lead of MNG

JACKSON, Miss. - Maj. Gen. Augustus L. Collins, adjutant general of Mississippi, has announced his retirement from the Mississippi National Guard (MNG), effective Aug. 31. Brig. Gen. Janson D. Boyles will take charge Sept. 1. In 2005, Boyles, a native of Jackson, Miss., served as Executive Officer for the 168th Engineer Group of the MGN during Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. In 2009, he was in Afghanistan with the 168th Engineer Brigade of the MNG. Most recently, he served in Kosovo as Chief of Staff of the KFOR Forces, a NATO Division deployed as part of Operation Joint Guardian. Boyles is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering. In 2005 he received his Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. (Source: WCBI 07/05/16)

Camgian awarded $7.7M Army pact

Camgian Microsystems Corp. of Starkville, Miss., was awarded a $7,737,765 Army contract for a Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict radar demonstration, integration, and advancement project. Work will be performed in Starkville, with an estimated completion date of April 11, 2018. (Source: DOD 07/05/16)

Forest firm earns $28.2M mod pact

Raytheon Co. of Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $28,291,573 modification to a previously awarded contract for hardware kits in support of the Phalanx Close-In-Weapon-System program. Work will be performed in Forest, Miss. (50 percent); Dallas, Texas (28); El Segundo, Calif. (13), and Andover, Mass. (9). It is expected to be completed by February 2018. The Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (DOD 07/01/16)

Hainsey join aerospace group

COLUMBUS, Miss. – Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has appointed Mike Hainsey, executive director of the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, to the board of directors for the Aerospace Alliance, a multi-state group designed to establish the region as an aerospace and aviation corridor. The Alliance’s four member – Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana – share the goal of promoting the region’s common assets in the aerospace industry to take advantage of opportunities to grow the sector across the region. Hainsey will join with business and economic development professionals to represent Mississippi. (Source: WTVA 06/30/16)

Greenwood firm earns NC pact

R.C. Construction Co. Inc. of Greenwood, Miss., was awarded a $16,026,182 contract to repair Green Ramp North, Phase II, at Pope AFB, North Carolina. The estimated completion date of the contract is Aug. 21, 2017. Army Corps of Engineers of Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity. The "Green Ramp" is the north-south parking ramp at the west end of Pope AFB's east-west runway used by the Army to stage joint operations with the Air Force. (Source: DOD 06/30/16)

Ex-UA prez is MSU provost

Dr. Judith L. “Judy” Bonner, a longtime senior administrator and former president at the University of Alabama, is the new provost and executive vice president at Mississippi State University. A native of Wilcox County, Alabama, Bonner was selected following a national search. (Source: Clarion-Ledger 06/25/16)

MS exec guilty of exporting to Iran

WASHINGTON – Erdal Kuyumcu, 44, CEO of Global Metallurgy LLC of Burnsville, Miss., has pleaded guilty to exporting specialty metals from the U.S. to Iran. The Justice Department says the CEO admitted to one count of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The firm was accused by federal investigators of trying to send a metallic powder composed of cobalt and nickel to Iran without obtaining a license from the Treasury Department. Kuyumcu and a co-conspirator arranged for the metallic powder to be shipped to Turkey and on to Iran, the feds charged. He could face up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine at sentencing. (Source: WTVA 06/14/16) The powder can be used to coat gas turbine components, including turbine blades for use in aerospace, missile production and nuclear applications. Exporting the metals without the license is illegal.

AHI med-helos for India

DALLAS - Air Medical Group Holdings, a leading U.S. provider of air medical transport services, has ordered new Airbus Helicopters H130s to launch the first-ever dedicated helicopter emergency medical services operation in India. The H130s are undergoing completion at Airbus Helicopters Inc. They will be equipped with specialized air medical equipment packages. The helicopters will be dedicated solely to medical transport missions. The first H130 is expected to be delivered to Aviators Air Rescue in the second half of 2016. (Source: Market Wired 06/13/16) AHI has a large manufacturing plant at Columbus, Miss.

ATK-Iuka supports ULA launch

Orbital ATK Inc., a global aerospace and defense technologies company, supported the launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla, on June 11. The rocket launched a classified satellite, designated NROL-37, for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office in support of a national security mission. Orbital ATK-produced structures and components on the ULA Delta IV heavy launch vehicle contributed to “another successful launch today," said Steve Earl, VP/GM of Orbital ATK's Aerospace Structures Division. Orbital ATK's contributions to the ULA Delta IV heavy rocket include 10 key large composite structures, including three thermal shields that house and protect the engines during flight, three center-body structures that connect the liquid oxygen (LO2) and liquid hydrogen (LH2) tanks, the composite interstage on the center common booster core, the nose cones on the two strap-on boosters and one set of X-panel structures that connect the upper stage LOX tank with the upper stage hydrogen tank. The large-scale composite structures measure around 5.4 yards in diameter and range from one to 15 meters in length. Orbital ATK produced them all using advanced hand layup, machining and inspection techniques at the company's manufacturing facility in Iuka, Miss. (Orbital ATK 06/11/16)

'Missing man' above Kuss funeral

The Blue Angels’ commanding officer, Cmdr. Ryan Bernacchi, will conduct a press briefing in Durango, Colo., at 6 p.m. CDT on Friday, June 10, one day before the unit’s fallen teammate, Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, is laid to rest in his hometown. Cmdr. Bernacchi will provide a statement on behalf of the Blue Angels at the County Administration Building. Kuss, 32, was killed in an aircraft crash during a team practice in Tennessee on June 2. On Saturday, June 11, a private motorcade of family and friends will start a procession at 12 noon CDT to Greenmount Cemetery. The cemetery will be closed to the public. Four aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 8, assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group, and Marine Aircraft Group 31 out of Beaufort, S.C., will conduct a joint "missing man" formation over the cemetery. (Source: Naval Air Forces 06/09/16)

Ex-astronaut charged in deaths

Former NASA astronaut James Halsell Jr. was charged with murder in the June 6 vehicular accident deaths of two female pre-teens east of Tuscaloosa, Ala. Halsell, who lives in Huntsville, was on his way to pick up his son in West Monroe, La. He crashed a rental car into the rear of a second vehicle occupied by the victims, and their father. (Source: NBC New York 06/06/16) Halsell completed Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., in 1979. He became an astronaut in July 1991. A five flight veteran, Halsell logged more than 1,250 hours in space.

Navy air boss urges squad safety

The first week of June was a difficult one for Naval Aviation culminating with the loss of Blue Angel No. 6 pilot, Marine Capt. Jeff “Kooch” Kuss, in a mishap in Smyrna, Tenn. Capt. Kuss was an incredible Marine, husband and father, and an inspiration to so many; his loss will be felt across the nation. Being a naval aviator is an inherently dangerous profession and our aviators knowingly accept that risk in service to their nation, but it still pains us greatly when we experience the untimely loss of a valued aviator and shipmate. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, fellow Marines and Blue Angel teammates. That loss was the third Class A flight mishap in an eight-day period that began with Strike Fighter Squadron 211’s (VFA-211) mishap on May 26 and Electronic Attack Squadron 133’s (VAQ-133) hard landing May 29. (Also, an Air Force Thunderbird crashed in Colorado. The pilot ejected safely.) At this time, there is no indication that these three incidents have a common thread, nor a direct connection to any readiness or resourcing issues. These three (Navy) mishaps will be thoroughly investigated, and we will learn from them all. Regardless of trends or causal factors, three mishaps in just over a week warrants awareness, attention and leadership focus. … I am relying on my Naval Aviation leadership to engage their air wings and squadrons to emphasize a focus on safety. They’ll do this by encouraging open discussions about the recent mishaps with ready rooms and taking a deeper look at both operational risk management and crew resource management, factoring in how the recent mishaps might relate to each squadron’s current operations. History has demonstrated that trying to explain why we got two-thirds of the way through the fiscal year with only one class A flight mishap is just as difficult as trying to explain or connect the last three mishaps. Naval aviation is an unforgiving business, but I have full trust and confidence in my leadership team’s ability to help arrest these trends. - Navy Blog from Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker is Commander, Naval Air Forces. (Navy Live 06/08/16) The Gulf Coast has a host of Navy training and reserve aviation squadrons from NAS Meridian, Miss, Naval Air Stations Pensacola and Whiting Field, Fla., and NAS-Joint Reserve Base New Orleans. The Blue Angels' home base is at NAS Pensacola.

Airbus builds THOR with 3-D

In Norse mythology, Thor, was the god of thunder. Airbus introduced its mighty, new creation with the same name using addictive manufacturing. The company showcased the world’s first 3-D printed aircraft at the ILA Berlin Air Show 2016. Airbus’ THOR (Test of High-tech Objectives in Reality) weighs about 42.3 pounds and measures less than 13-feet long. “This is a test of what's possible with 3-D printing technology,” says Detlev Konigorski, developer of THOR for Airbus. While THOR turned heads, the European manufacturer still has a way to go before it can introduce its first 3-D printed passenger jet. Additionally, CFM International - a joint venture between GE Aviation-Snecma (Safran) has incorporated 3-D technology within its LEAP engine, which features 19 printed fuel nozzles in its combustion system, lowering its weight overall by 25 percent. (Source: MRO Network 06/07/16) GE Aviation has two aviation systems manufacturing plants in Mississippi – Batesville and Ellisville. Airbus North American has a helicopter production center near Columbus – building Army UH-72A Lakota helicopters.

AF trainer RFPs by December

The Air Force is expecting to issue a Request For Proposals its T-X advanced jet trainer in December. It is to replace some 350 Northrop Grumman-built T-38 Talons. The new trainer’s operational milestone is for FY 2024. Lockheed Martin’s proposed entry for T-X trainer competition completed its first flight test June 2. The single-engine jet flew from Sacheon, South Korea, the site of LM’s development partner Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). There will likely be rival proposals from the partnership of Boeing-Saab, Raytheon-Finmeccanica, and Northrop Grumman. (Source: AIN Online 06/02/16) Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base is home to the 14th Flying Training Wing. The wing’s mission is specialized undergraduate pilot training in the T-38C Talon, T-6 Texan II, and T-1A Jayhawk. Columbus-based pilots fly an average 260 sorties per day. Tyndall AFB, Fla., is home to the 2nd Fighter Training Squadron. It is one of only two T-38 Talon adversary squadrons, and tasked to provide air-to-air threat replication in support of F-22 Raptor combat and formal training squadrons.

L-3 awarded $1.9M AF pact

L-3 Communications, Vertex Aerospace LLC of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $1,910,525,014 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for KC/KDC-10 airframe contractor logistics support. Contractor will provide logistics integration and support to include contractor operated and maintained base supply, aircraft maintenance to include depot and contractor field teams, and also modifications for service bulletins and time compliance technical orders. The contractor will also support the KDC-10 including the Remote Aerial Refueling Operator System for the Netherlands. The contractor will provide all support required to fulfill this requirement, including but not limited to labor, materials, tools, equipment, parts and transportation. Work will be performed at Travis AFB, Calif.; McGuire AFBase, N.J.; Greensboro, N.C.; and the Netherlands, and is expected to be complete by June 30, 2025. This contract involves foreign military sales. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with four offers received. Fiscal 2016 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,116,764 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker AFBase, Okla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 06/01/16)