Stennis drones a go-to resource

At NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St Louis, Miss., piloting unmanned drones has become a go-to resource for potentially dangerous jobs, reducing risks and helping save time and costs. NASA's trained drone pilots are imagining new advantageous ways to put the UAVs to work. It's simply a tool for the toolbox with purpose and limitations, according to Jason Peterson, NASA's range/aviation operations manager at Stennis. NASA is using drone technology for a variety of reasons, such as aerial imagery, inspections, and mapping. They've recorded live imagery from the RS-25's latest test on Feb. 24. The information gleaned from the video will be instrumental in future tests. Drones are also used for construction progress and record for historical purposes. Innovative Imaging and Research also flies drones over the skies of Stennis. As NASA integrates drone mapping operations into existing software, future scanning is expected to allow the creation of 2D or 3D real-time maps and models. Each could be able to reach accuracies down to two centimeters. This capability can reduce time and cost compared to traditional surveying. (Source: NASA 03/14/22)  NASA’s Stennis Space Center Employs Drones as New Go-To Resource | NASA

MedFlight to fly first 5-bladed H145

DALLAS - Boston (Mass.) MedFlight signed an order for its first 5-bladed Airbus H145 helicopter as part of fleet renewal and expansion projects to support the need for critical care transportation in New England. Boston MedFlight will be the "first air medical operator in the U.S. to take delivery of the new 5-bladed H145,” said Romain Trapp, President of Airbus Helicopters Inc. and head of the North America region. Boston MedFlight is the region’s primary provider of critical care and medical transport, caring for more than 5,600 patients per year, including critically ill and injured infants, children and adults. Boston MedFlight is a non-profit that provides more than $7M a year in free and unreimbursed care to patients with little or no health insurance. Boston MedFlight currently operates its transport fleet with five Airbus H145 helicopters. AHI builds its helicopters in Columbus, Miss. (AHI 03/10/22)

Wicker on bipartisan visit to Poland

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) joined a group lawmakers March 12 for a bipartisan trip to Poland to assess that nation's security concerns caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The group was to meet with senior Polish government officials and visit refugee sites to reaffirm America's commitment to Poland, said a media release from Wicker’s office. Wicker, a member of the Armed Services Committee, was joined on the trip by Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). Wicker had previously traveled overseas in January to meet with the Ukrainian president. (Source: WLOX 03/12/22) Sen. Wicker among lawmakers traveling to Poland to assess security situation (wlox.com)

Keel laying for future USS Stevens

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Ingalls Shipbuilding workers, sailors and the family of the late U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska gathered March 9 for a keel authentication of the ship named for Stevens. The ceremonial welding marked the foundation of HII-Pascagoula's new guided-missile destroyer. Stevens was a pilot in WWII. The Alaska Republican served in the Senate from 1968-2008. He died at the age of 86 in 2010. The late senator’s wife, Catherine, and their daughters took part in the ceremony, and calling it “a marvelous moment,” according to WLBT in Jackson. (Source: WLBT 03/12/22)

MBB delivers powerful tug Polaris

Master Boat Builders of Coden, Ala., announced March 9 the delivery of a new 4,000-hp tug - Polaris - to Polaris New Energy. This tug will be coupled with the recently delivered barge Clean Canaveral, forming the largest Jones Act compliant articulated tug barge (ATB) providing LNG bunker (clean marine) fuel in the US. The ATB operator is Virginia-based McAllister Towing. Polaris will be used to provide fuel to the cruise ship industry’s new LNG-powered ships when they arrive in Port Canaveral, Fla., later this year. (Source: Master Boat Builders 03/09/22) Master Boat Builders Shipyard in AlMaster Boat Builders Announces Delivery of Polaris - Master Boat Builders, Inc.

Vessels collide in Pascagoula

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard responded to a collision between two vessels around 1:30 a.m. on May 12 near the VT Halter Shipyard and Chevron docks in Pascagoula, Miss. Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., received a report from the National Response Center of a collision between The Valaris, a 752-foot drillship, and the Akti, a bulk carrier. The Valaris broke free of its moorings due to high winds and collided with the Akti. The Valaris is reported to have about 580,000 gallons of diesel fuel onboard. The drillship is currently still up against Akti and anchored while being held in place by three tugs. Both vessels reportedly have minor damage, with some damage to the pier. The CG sent three prevention team members to monitor the situation. There have been no reports of injuries or pollution at this time. The channel was previously closed due to weather but will remain closed until the vessels are separated. (Source: Coast Guard 03/12/22) DVIDS - Images - Coast Guard responds to collision in Pascagoula, Mississippi [Image 1 of 3] (dvidshub.net)

MBA keynote: Athlete's Nexus prez

Tywanna Smith, president of The Athlete's Nexus, award-winning sports manager and international business consultant, will give the keynote address at the University of Mississippi's commencement ceremony for the Master of Business Administration graduation at 10 a.m. on May 6 in the Gertrude Ford Center at UM on Friday, May 6 at 10 a.m.  As president of The Athlete’s Nexus, Smith has worked with 50 athletes across the NFL, NBA, WNBA and abroad. She is a former professional basketball player who spent two years in Europe. As a motivational speaker, Smith has delivered presentations to the NFL, HBCU Celebration Bowl, and the Black Student-Athlete Summit. (Source: University of Mississippi 03/11/22)

La. joins hydrogen hub proposal

Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma are joining up with hopes of becoming one of four “hydrogen hubs” supported by last year's $8B federal infrastructure bill, the governors announced March 10. The states have a long history of producing and transporting liquid and gas fuels and feedstocks, and industries that could use hydrogen as fuel or in manufacturing, La. Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a joint news release with Okla. Gov. Kevin Stitt and Ark. Gov. Asa Hutchinson.  The trio will work together to develop, produce, and use hydrogen as fuel and manufacturing feedstock. The latest is the third hydrogen hub proposal made to date. The Rocky Mountain states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming announced in February. SoCalGas proposed one for the Los Angeles Basin. Proposals are due March 21 at the U.S. Department of Energy. (Source: NOLA.com 03/10/22) Louisiana partners with 2 other states in hopes of becoming a 'hydrogen hub' | Business News | nola.com 

Curbing greenhouse

Later in the week, Gov. Edwards said he wanted to seek federal infrastructure funds to add electric vehicles to parish transit systems, build electric vehicle charging stations in various parishes, and to plug abandoned oil and gas wells across the state - all meant to curb Louisiana’s greenhouse gas emissions and align with a multi-year climate action plan the state's Climate Initiatives Task Force approved early this year. Edwards said funds from the $1.2T Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act should be able to jumpstart Louisiana’s switch from an O&G dominant economy to one that doesn’t rely on carbon-generating fuels. States must apply for the funds but the Biden Administration says it will give preference to projects aimed at mitigating climate change’s effects. (Source: NOLA.com 03/12/12) Editorial: It doesn't hurt that Gov. Edwards is also a Democrat.)

From Moscow to Mississippi

Alexey Mordashov, one of the richest oligarchs in Russia and target of international sanctions because of his country’s invasion of Ukraine, played a major role in one of Mississippi's biggest economic developments, in the Golden Triangle, over the last 20 years. Mordashov's venture is why one of the region’s top employers - Steel Dynamics - exists today. In 2014, Steel Dynamics bought a steel mill in the Golden Triangle Industrial Park for $1.6B. It's now one of Lowndes County’s top five manufacturing employers. But that purchase was the result of on-going operations seven years earlier under the ownership of SeverCorr - a company Mordashov bankrolled. “It was a big deal ... because, at the time, the region was industry-poor," LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins recently told The Dispatch. The bet paid off for the Golden Triangle. Those positives can be traced back to Mordashov’s initial faith and $200M investment in the Lowndes County. Since Russia attacked Ukraine in late February, international entities have levied sanctions on more than a dozen Russian billionaires. Mordashov, worth more than $29B,is one of those targeted. In 2014, Mordashov claimed Severstal “came to the conclusion that … our future is tied to Russia,” according to Russian News Agency TASS, a state-controlled media outlet. The timing suggested otherwise. The sale occurred months after former President Obama imposed sanctions on several Russian businessmen after Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine. Those sanctions were aimed at banning Russian companies from doing business with U.S. companies. Mordashov and his company hasn't done business in the U.S. since. The EU currently says sanctions on the oligarch are tied financially to media companies that play a role in destabilizing Ukraine with Russian propaganda. In a recent statement through TASS, Mordashov claimed to have “never been close to politics" and "fail(s) to understand how these sanctions against me will contribute to the settlement of the dreadful conflict in Ukraine.” Last week, Italian authorities confiscated Mordashov’s 215-foot American-made yacht. He now has shifted control of some of his wealth to his wife and stepped down from positions at other companies, according to The National, a news service based in the Middle East. (Source: The Dispatch 03/11/22) From Moscow to Mississippi: Sanctioned Russian oligarch played key role in making steel mill a reality - The Dispatch (cdispatch.com)

AHI adds 3 more helo contracts

 Three new purchase contracts for Airbus Helicopters Inc.

*The Metropolitan Nashville (Tenn.) Police Department announced plans to enhance its crime fighting capabilities with two new Airbus H125 helicopters. The new helicopters, which represent the department’s inaugural partnership with Airbus, will be delivered later this year.  

*The Baltimore (Md.) Police Department will upgrade its existing EC120 fleet to the H125 platform following a cooperative purchase agreement signed with the City of Baltimore to buy three new Airbus H125 helicopters late last year. Deliveries are anticipated to begin in November from the Airbus Helicopters Inc. production facility in Columbus, Miss. 

*The Kern County (Calif.) Sheriff’s Office will acquire two new Airbus H125s as part of a plan to modernize its aging fleet of helicopters. A first-time Airbus customer, Kern County selected the H125 platform following a thorough vetting process and several flight demonstrations throughout 2020 and 2021. The new helicopters will protect and serve the county’s population of roughly 900,000, which includes the city of Bakersfield. (Source: Airbus 03/20-12/22)

CNO selects next MCPON

WASHINGTON - Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday announced his selection for the 16th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) during the Navy Flag Officer & Senior Executive Service symposium at the  Naval Academy on March 10. Fleet Master Chief James Honea, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command senior enlisted leader, will assume responsibilities from MCPON Russell Smith during a change of office ceremony on Sept. 8. Honea enlisted in 1987 and rose through the ranks as a Boatswain’s Mate. His command master chief tours include USS Gridley (DDG 101), USS New Orleans (LPD 18), Naval Support Activity South Potomac and U.S. Naval Forces South Korea. Most recently he served as fleet master chief of U.S. Pacific Fleet. (Source: US Navy 03/10/22)

CAFB gets peek at T-7A simulator

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Columbus AFB personnel were treated to a sneak peek at Boeing’s new training aircraft simulator at the Air Force Association’s Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., earlier this month. The symposium is a professional development event for the Air and Space Force and focuses on the challenges of joint warfare. A technology expo that occurred in conjunction with the symposium highlighted technological innovations by defense industry partners. Boeing featured its new T-7A aircraft simulator - the eventual successor to the T-38 currently used to train student pilots. CAFB is primed to be one of the first Undergraduate Pilot Training bases to receives the T-7A. CAFB airmen that attended the expo were given a chance to experience the simulator. "This is more accurate to what the students will actually see in the cockpit,” 1st Lieutenant Justin Treinish, a T-38 instructor pilot assigned to the 50th Flying Training Squadron said. Boeing’s next stop with the simulator will be Columbus AFB during the 2022 Wings Over Columbus Airshow and STEM Expo. Attendees will have the opportunity to get hands-on with the simulator and the future of pilot training. (Source: CAFB 03/10/22)

Regional DoD contracts March 10

Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, is awarded a $52,507,515 firm-fixed-price modification (P00010) to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery requirements contract (N6134019D0004). This modification establishes an option to extend services and adds flight hours for intermediate and depot level maintenance, logistics and engineering support for approximately 210 in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines. Work will be performed in Meridian, Mississippi (47%); Kingsville, Texas (46%); Pensacola, Florida (6%); and  Patuxent River, Maryland (1%), and is expected to be completed in June 2022. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. 

*Hornbeck Offshore Operators LLC, Covington, Louisiana (N3220521C2296), is awarded a $7,665,000 option (P00005) for the fixed-price portion of a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract with reimbursable elements to exercise a one-year option period for the operation of the offshore support vessel HOS Red Rock to provide support services in support of Navy operations. This contract includes a one-year firm period of the performance, three one-year options periods, and one 11-month option period, which exercised would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $39,492,000. Work will be performed worldwide and is expected to be completed, if all options are exercised, by Feb. 28, 2026. Working capital funds (transportation) in the amount of $7,665,000 are obligated for fiscal year 2022, and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This procurement was released under full and open competition, with an unlimited number of companies solicited via the beta.sam.gov website and five offers were received. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 03/10/22)

UM's Gillespie biz competition

The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Mississippi is taking applications for its 18th annual Gillespie Business Plan Competition, set for April 8 at the Jackson Avenue Center in Oxford. Applicants must submit a brief form with basic information and a one-minute entry video demonstrating the problem they are solving and describing their target audience. The entry deadline is March 28. The competition runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants compete to win awards and opportunities for recognition. (Source: Oxford Eagle 03/09/22) For more information about the Gillespie Business Plan Competition, go to https://olemisscie.com/programs/gillespie-business-plan.

Dorsey to head VP ops at HII

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Global engineering and defense technologies provider Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced March 9 it has appointed Donny Dorsey as VP of operations of its Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula. Dorsey, formerly ship program manager for all guided missile destroyer (DDG0 waterfront efforts at Ingalls, replaces George Jones, who is to retire April 1 after 37 years of service. As VP, Dorsey will oversee all manufacturing operations through delivery, across all Ingalls’ programs. He will also be responsible for working collaboratively with union partners, cost and schedule performance, process improvements and driving production strategies. Dorsey joined Ingalls in 2000 as a robotic operations technician. Most recently, Dorsey served in program management with a focus on the DDG 51 class where a team managed the installation, test and activation of multiple complex ship systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Nicholls State (La.) University, an MBA in project management from Capella University. He is also a graduate of the Gulf Coast Business Council’s Masters Leadership Program. (Source: HII 03/03/22) https://newsroom.huntingtoningalls.com/releases/ingalls-dorsey-jones.

SECNAV: Old cruisers 'eating us up'

WASHINGTON - The Navy has been trying to convince Congress to let it decommission its Ticonderoga class cruiser fleet by making cost-based arguments. It then tried readiness arguments, and a drain on the ship repair industry. Congress basically hasn’t bought it entirely and continues to limit the number (5) that can be retired before the end of their 35- year service life. The sea-service is now trying a new approach: Safety of the crews. On March 9 at the McAleese Defense Conference, SECNAV Carlos Del Toro said the Navy doesn’t want to continue to operate some of its worst-off cruisers because it’s not safe, and would be irresponsible to continue upgrades to some “at great risk to personnel safety.” Del Toro said those who question the Navy’s desire to retire these worn-out ships haven’t experienced the challenges of having to repair aged ships. CNO Adm. Mike Gilday spoke afterwards noting two cruisers on deployment had to stop for repairs for below-the-waterline leaks this year. A third - Vella Gulf in 2021 - had to return to its homeport twice at the start of a carrier strike group deployment with fuel tank leaks. CNO said the Ticonderoga cruisers do little to contribute to modern war-fighting needs, despite carrying about 122 vertical launching system cells. Seven are in extended service-life extension and modernization, which requires manpower, time lost at repair yards and costing tens of millions of dollars more annually than the Navy has budgeted. “They’re eating us alive,” Gilday said of the cruisers. The Navy’s report to Congress in December 2020 on annual plans for cruisers to be placed out of commission and in Reserve in 2022 include San Jacinto (CG-56), Monterey (CG-61), Hue City (CG-66), Anzio (CG-68), Vella Gulf (CG-72), and Port Royal (CG-73). In July 21, Lake Champlain (CG-57) was added to the list. The 2023 plan includes Bunker Hill (CG-52) and Mobile Bay (CG-53); 2024 - Antietam (CG-54) and Shiloh (CG-67); and in 2026 - Chancellorsville (CG-62). A final budget passed in December 2021 prohibits the Navy from using funds to plan to or retire, inactivate, more than five guided missile cruisers. The budget did not specify which cruisers. (Defense News 03/09/22) Mississippi Note: Of the 27 completed cruisers, 19 were built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., and eight by Bath (Maine) Iron Works.

Vertex buys Raytheon intel & space

Raytheon Intelligence & Space in Virginia sold its training and services business to the Radison, Miss.-based Vertex Aerospace company. Vertex provides aviation lifecycle support, including design, engineering and manufacturing services for the aerospace and defense industries. The acquired business is known as the Vertex Technology & Training Solutions Division. The deal was closed in early December and financial terms are not being disclosed. The announcement came days before Vertex announced a $2.1B merger with Colorado-based Vectrus Inc. The combined company, which will have a new name to be announced at a later date, will be headquartered in Virginia. (Source: INside Indiana Business 03/07/22) Raytheon Division Sold to Mississippi Company - Inside INdiana Business

$12M Austal mod pact for LCS 32

Austal USA, Mobile, Alabama, is awarded a $12,341,187 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-2301 to exercise an option for littoral combat ship (LCS) industrial post-delivery availability support for USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32). Work will be performed in Mobile, Alabama (90%); and Pittsfield, Massachusetts (10%), and is expected to be completed by December 2022. Fiscal 2018 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $2,200,000 (55%); and FY-22 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $1,800,000 (45%) will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 03/09/22)

NASA challenge: Keep crews fit

NASA’s plan is to return astronauts to the Moon through Artemis missions and eventually support future crewed missions to Mars. But having to sustain crew members’ health through exercise is a critical task and important function. As a partner and collaborator with higher education institutions, Stennis Space Center, Miss., is calling on university students to develop innovative approaches to astronaut fitness through its “Intelligent Devices/Equipment/Instruments for Enabling Crew Health and Performance on Mars” project. The project is part of the National Space Grant Foundation’s Moon to Mars Exploration Systems and Habitation (M2M X-Hab) 2023 Academic Innovation Challenge. Stennis’ Autonomous Systems Lab is serving as challenge sponsor. NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Exploration Capabilities Program will provide $13,000 to $50,000 awards to teams of undergraduate/graduate students to develop studies or functioning crew health and performance prototypes. The deadline for proposals is April 22. Teams have to model their prototypes, to operate autonomously, after equipment used on Earth to train for hanging and rock-climbing activities. For more informat8ion, participants may view the M2M X-Hab challenge solicitation or visit the program website. (Source: Stennis Space Center 03/08/22) Stennis Space Center Calls on Students to Help Keep Astronauts Fit in | NASA

HII-built DDG 121 commissioning

The future USS Frank L. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121), an Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyer, currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., will be commissioned May 14 in Charleston, S.C. (Source: US Navy 03/02/22) Future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) Set For Charleston, South Carolina Commissioning > United States Navy > News-Stories