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)