HASC startled by military shortfalls

The military services’ vice chiefs bemoaned to the House Armed Services Committee about the lack of funding to keep up with readiness, training and equipment caused by congressionally-imposed sequestration budget caps. The Navy only has 53 percent of its aircraft that can fly, according to Vice CNO Adm. William Moran. The Air Force is 723 fighter pilots short, claimed Vice chief of the Air Force, Gen. Stephen Wilson. "We're just flat-out out of money" to address those needs and provide more personnel and maintenance funding to plan for the future, said Moran at the Feb. 6 hearing. The AF is the smallest, oldest, the most poorly maintained, and the "least ready in our history," said Wilson. He urged Congress to repeal sequestration “before it’s too late.” The Marines faces a $9 billion backlog for infrastructure, according to Gen. Glenn Walters, assistant commandant, and needs more amphibious ships. HASC committee chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) seemed taken aback by the testimonies. "The worst enemy we have is ourselves" to increase defense spending, said Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.). Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam) suggested that services could cut overhead and improve their bottom lines by shutting down unnecessary bases under a new round of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission. The testifying officers quickly agreed with the need for BRAC. The AF has about 25 percent and the Army has 21 percent excess capacity at bases. Navy and Marine Corps figures were not immediately available, however the sea-service has maintained for several years it does not have excess facilities. (Source: Military.com 02/07/17) Gulf Coast Note: NAS Meridian, Miss., was under consideration on multiple early rounds of BRAC. Amphibious ships are primarily being constructed by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula.

Forest will work on FMS radar

WASHINGTON - The Boeing Co. of St. Louis was awarded an $18.2 million Air Force Foreign Military Sales contract to provide the Royal Saudi Air Force with advanced AN/APG-63(V) 3 radars for its F-15SA Eagle aircraft. Work on the contract will be performed predominantly at Forest, Miss., and expected to be complete by March 31, 2017. (Source: DOD 02/06/17)

Insitu talks jobs in Golden Triangle

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Executives from the Boeing Co. subsidiary Insitu, an information provider in the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) field, was in the Golden Triangle this week to meet with potential employees at a Mississippi State University Career Fair and continue its relationships with UAS researchers at the school. In 2016, officials from Insitu, the state and MSU announced the firm would be opening a new facility at the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park. Initial work at the Starkville office will focus on technologies, concepts of operations and FAA certifications required to fly unmanned systems in the national airspace professionally and safely. MSU is the lead institution for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) and is an FAA Center of Excellence. (Source: MSU 01/31/17)

Miss. ANG assisting at Super Bowl

The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration was testing naturally occurring radiation around Houston, Texas, on Jan. 31 using a low-flying helicopter. Additionally, partners from the Federal Aviation Administration, Customs and Border Protection, Civil Air Patrol, U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command, and Mississippi Air National Guard were on site to assist. The test was to establish a baseline for officials of Houston’s radiation levels in support of Super Bowl LI. The twin-engine Bell 412 helicopter, operated by the Remote Sensing Laboratory Aerial Measuring System from Nellis AFB in Arizona was equipped with radiation sensing technology. F-16 fighter jets, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and other aircraft pilots are preparing to secure the skies of the Super Bowl. (Source: Houston Chronicle 02/01/17)

Biloxi native is BUMED SOY

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - The Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) announced Jan. 27 that Biloxi, Miss., native Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Cameron Graham has been named its FY 2016 Sailor of the Year. HM1 Graham, who is assigned as an instructor at the Navy Medicine Training Support Center in San Antonio, was born in Biloxi and grew up in Spring Hill, Fla. He joined the Navy in 2007. Since then, Graham has served in several duty stations with the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune, N.C,; Hawaii; Washington D.C., as well as three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Graham will now compete for the Navy-wide Shore-based SOY competition later this year. (Source: Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery 01/30/16)

GA-Tupelo mod work on EMALS

General Atomics of San Diego was awarded a $532,614,821 modification to a previously awarded contract option for the manufacture, assembly, inspection, test and checkout of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) delivered onboard the USS Enterprise (CVN 80) aircraft carrier. The work includes installation and checkout spares, repairs, technical data, and drawing changes. Work will be performed in San Diego (26%); Mankato, Minn. (18.4%); and Tupelo, Miss. (18.1%), among other sites. Work is expected to be completed in September 2027. (Source: DOD 01/27/17) Central Mississippi Note: General Atomics has a high cycle test assembly plant at Shannon, Miss., near Tupelo, that conducts long-term reliability testing on the full-scale power train for EMALS.

MSU AFROTC earns top award

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University’s Air Force ROTC detachment has received the national 2016 Team Excellence Award for AFROTC, according to the Air Force’s Headquarters for Air Force ROTC. The detachment is under the command of Lt. Col. Joseph Cassidy, a professor of aerospace studies in MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences. Cassidy said support from the university and organizations such as the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans, and community partners, including Columbus Air Force Base, make MSU’s detachment one of the best in the country. The national award comes shortly after Detachment 425 earned the Air Force ROTC Team Excellence Award for the Air Force ROTC Southwest Region. (Source: Mississippi State University 01/25/17)

Raytheon drops T-X competition

Raytheon and Leonardo will no longer jointly pursue the Air Force's T-X trainer competition. The companies had planned to build the plane in Mississippi. The two firms made the announcement Jan. 25, saying they were "unable to reach a business agreement that is in the best interest of the U.S. Air Force." It does not rule out Leonardo continuing to pursue the T-X competition with its T-100 offering, based on the M-346. The partnership was in danger during the fall before an Oct. 14 meeting seemed to clear the air. Sources tell Defense News the issue has focused on where the work on the plane would actually be done. The withdrawal narrows the field of competitors to Boeing with Saab, Lockheed Martin and Korean Aerospace, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems; and Sierra Nevada and TAI. The Air Force last month released a request for proposals. (Sources: DefenseNews, Inside Defense, 01/25/17) Gulf Coast note: Raytheon in October 2016 had chosen a 130-acre site near the airport in Meridian, Miss., as the final assembly facility. (Post)

AF base access changes

Beginning Jan. 30, anyone seeking access onto Eglin (Fla.) Air Force Base with state identifications issued from Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Pennsylvania, or a non-enhanced driver’s licenses from Minnesota and Washington will no longer be authorized access, without providing alternate identification credentials. Individuals who fall under this category, who do not have alternate IDs may be escorted onto the installation. Individuals will no longer be able to access any Air Force installations – including Keesler and Columbus in Mississippi - with a state-issued ID from Minnesota, Missouri, Washington or American Samoa beginning Aug. 15. The change aligns the AF’s installation access policy with requirements of the Real ID Act, which focuses on improving the reliability of state-issued identification documents and helps prevent a person’s ability to evade detection by using a fraudulent form of ID. (Secretary Air Force 01/25/17)

Petal firm part of AF med pact

Medical North America LLC JV of Petal, Miss., along with four other companies, have been awarded a combined $66,720,000 modification to previously awarded contracts for the Air Forces Medical Support Services program. These modifications extend the ordering period to May 24, 2018. The Air Force Medical Service has a requirement for medical support services to be provided at 67 military treatment facilities in the U.S., District of Columbia and Guam. The location of performance will be determined with each order. Work is expected to be complete by May 23, 2019. Air Force Installation Contracting Agency is the 773rd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. (Source: DOD 01/24/17)

Navy force protection exercise

Navy installations within the United States will be conducting Exercise Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2017 (SC-CS17) Jan. 30 through Feb. 10. All Navy installations across Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi will be participating. SC-CS17 is a two-part, anti-terrorism and force protection exercise for all state-side Navy installations. The annual exercise is designed to enhance the readiness of Navy security forces and ensure seamless interoperability among commands, services, and agency partners. Measures have been taken to minimize disruptions within local communities and to normal base operations, but there may be times when the exercise causes increased traffic around bases or delays in base access. Exercise SC-CS17 is not in response to any specific threat, but is a regularly scheduled exercise. (Source: Navy Installations Command 01/24/17)

SXP-Tunica part of Buffet takeover

Warren Buffet’s Precision Castparts, a division of Berkshire Hathaway, will buy the German company Willhelm Schulz GmbH, a maker of components for pipes, according to media sources. Mark Donegan, CEO of Precision Castparts, spoke in vague terms about the specifics of the deal, but did confirm that it would involve a takeover. Berkshire bought Precision Castparts in 2016. Schulz manufacturers high performance pipes used primarily in the oil and gas industry, with additional services for the aerospace business and other heavy industry interests. (Source: Investopedia 01/23/17) Central Mississippi Note: Schulz Xtruded Products in Tunica, Miss., specializes in a complete range of seamless stainless pipes, nickel-based and alloy pipes, metallurgically-bonded, seamless clad pipes - known as SX-Clad - and extruded shapes/profiles for aerospace applications. Clients range from oil and gas companies, power and nuclear power plants, water treatment centers, chemical and petrochemical companies and aerospace companies.

MSU-Morocco aerospace partners

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University’s partnership with Morocco’s Université Internationale de Rabat is being recognized as one of the top partnerships in international education. The Institute of International Education (IIE) announced Jan. 23 that the dual-degree program – in aerospace and automotive engineering - has received the 2017 IIE Andrew Heiskell Award for International Partnerships. With the recognition as America’s top international university partnership, the program will be featured as a “best practice” in international education by IIE. (Source: Mississippi State University 01/23/17)

Atlas V lifts from Cape

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) GEO Flight 3 satellite lifted off Jan. 20 from here at Space Launch Complex-41 at 6:42 p.m. CT. SBIRS GEO Flight 3 is considered one of the nation’s highest priority space programs. The mission was launched aboard an Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle 401 configuration vehicle, which includes a 4-meter diameter large payload fairing. The Atlas V booster propulsion for this mission was powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine, and the Centaur upper stage was powered by the Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C engine. (Source: United Launch Alliance 01/20/17) Mississippi Note: Orbital ATK’s Large Composite Structures Center of Excellence in Iuka, Miss., manufactures large composite aerospace structures for the ULA Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles.

T-45 crash at NASM; pilots safe

MERIDIAN, Miss. - Naval Air Station Meridian reported a T-45C Goshawk jet aircraft assigned to Training Squadron Nine (VT-9) crashed in the early afternoon of Jan. 17 while conducting a training flight. The crash occurred off the east runway on base. The student and instructor pilot both ejected safely, and were taken to a local medical facility for evaluation and observation. (Source: Chief of Naval Air Training 01/17/17)

Aviation Industry Day conference

The 2017 Aviation Industry Day event will take place Jan. 17 at the Clyde Muse Center of Hinds Community College in Pearl, Miss. If you’re an architect, engineer, construction professional, attorney, real-estate professional, insurance professional, service provider, supplier, vendor, shipper or broker, the conference will assist with learning how joint ventures work, partnering, and business assistance. Among presenters will be Michael Russell, vice chair of Concessions International LLC and CEO of H.J. Russell & Co. Additionally, there will be presenters from the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers in Jackson, Golden Triangle Regional in Columbus, and Gulfport Biloxi International Airports. The event is free. For registration information call to (601) 664-3518 or visit the website http://jmaa.com/2017-aviation-industry-day. (Source: Mississippi Link 01/12/17)

Miss. EMS drones to the rescue

You've just exited a scenic mountain road when coming up on a tourist bus that was tipped over. After calling 911, you search the car for supplies when a flashing light appears overhead. You look to see a helping hand - an EMS response octo-copter drone drops down from above. It has been automatically guided to the location using a smartphone's GPS. Such a futuristic scenario will become reality if Dr. Italo Subbarao, senior associate dean at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Miss., has anything to say about it. In December, Subbarao and a medical student demonstrated how two disaster drones they developed could deliver 'telemedical' packages to victims and rescue personnel in a simulated mass casualty event. EMS response drones can land places EMS ground vehicles either can’t get to or take too long. (Source: NBC News 01/12/17)

Biz trade trip to UAE, Jordan

JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi companies interested in initiating or expanding trade with business prospects in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and Jordan in the Middle East are invited to join a Mississippi delegation on a business development mission March 26-30. “The business development trip to Dubai and Jordan is a gateway for Mississippi businesses in a number of industries to gain access to these two Middle Eastern markets,” said Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Glenn McCullough, Jr. The trip is open to all Mississippi-based companies. Sectors in the two markets include aerospace, aviation, communications, construction, defense, environmental, medical, oil and gas, safety and security and specialty foods and water. The deadline to register is Feb. 3. For more information call (601) 359-2952; email to asikora@mississippi.org or visit MDA’s website (Mississippi.org). (Source: Mississippi Development Authority 01/10/17)

Navy Week kicks off on Gulf Coast

Navy Week 2017 will kick off in Mobile, Ala., during February’s Mardi Gras season, and in late March in Biloxi/Gulfport, Miss., and across 13 other American cities. Navy Weeks, coordinated by the Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO), are designed to give Americans the opportunity to learn about the Navy, personnel, and importance to national security. Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy's flagship outreach effort in 71 cities across America. Navy Weeks are scheduled for the following cities in 2017: Mobile, Ala., Feb. 22-28; Gulfport/Biloxi, Miss., March 31-April 8. Additional Navy Week will be added during the year at a location and time to be determined. Last year's Navy Week program, through the execution of more than 900 individual outreach events, showcased the Navy to a combined audience of about 70 million Americans. (Source: Navy Office of Community Outreach 01/12/17)

Meridian CAP cadets’ DC adventure

Representatives of the Meridian Civil Air Patrol were among 18 cadets of the Mississippi Wing to traveled to Washington, D.C., in honor of the 75th anniversary of CAP. The CAP cadets completed the Laying of The Wreath Of the Unknown Soldiers. The group’s adventures included visiting the White House, Arlington Cemetery, and Aerospace Museum. The Mississippi Wing Civil Air Patrol cadets were the first to participate in wreath-laying at the tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. (Source: Meridian Star 01/11/17)