Boeing awarded $87.5M for work on Harrier trainers

Boeing was awarded two contracts worth $87.5 million to development, upgrades and support of the U.S. Marines' T/AV-8B Harrier II trainer aircraft.

The contracts for the two-seat trainer version of the AV-8B Harrier aircraft include engineering and avionics upgrades, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.

In one contract, Boeing was awarded $71.3 million to provide engineering and integrated logistics support to maintain the T/AV-8B Harrier during the aircraft's post-production support phase.

Seventy-five percent of the work will be performed at the company's plant in St. Louis with 11 percent in Warton, Lancashire, United Kingdom; 10 percent in Cherry Point, N.C.; 3 percent in Yuma, Ariz. and 1 percent in Philadelphia.

Work is expected to be completed in December 2023. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued.

Work on another contract, worth $16.2 million, will be performed in St. Louis and is expected to be completed in March 2024. The contract is for system configuration set updates, avionics and weapons integration, as well as avionics obsolescence mitigation.

Naval fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2 million will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

McDonnell Douglas, which was later acquired by Boeing, first produced the AV-8B aircraft in 1981. A

Harrier II Plus initially flew in 1992.

Production ended in 2003. In 2007, Boeing signed a $258.5 million performance-based logistics contract to support AV-8B Harriers operated by the U.S. Marine Corps, Italy and Spain.

The fixed-wing plane can take off vertically, as well as zoom out of the range of enemy fire extremely quickly, making "it one of the most maneuverable combat aircraft in service," according to Boeing.

FlightSafety Services awarded $29.5M for KC-46 training
Washington (UPI) Mar 29, 2019 - FlightSafety Services has been awarded a contract not to exceed $29.5 million for KC-46 Aircrew Training System production in a fourth-year option as delivery of Boeing's new refuelers resumed earlier this month after grounding.

The contract involves equipment for McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey and Altus AFB in Oklahoma, the Air Force announced Thursday.

In the modified contract, it will include an additional weapon system trainer, boom operator trainer, fuselage trainer, pilot part task trainer, boom operator part task trainer, additional learning management workstations, support equipment for the KC-46 Pegasus.

Work on the contract will be performed in Broken Arrow, Okla., and is expected to be complete by February 2021.

Fiscal 2018 purchasing and procurement funds in the amount of $14.4 million are being obligated at the time of award.

A new Pegasus flew to Altus on March 11 for the first time since a one-week grounding because loose tools and other items were found inside completed airplanes. The Air Force resumed receiving KC-46 tankers because it passed an object debris inspection at Boeing's production facility.

It was the third KC-46 tanker, a reconfigured 767, delivered to the base, which the Air Force considers as the premier training location for the plane.

Altus' 97th Air Mobility Wing welcomed its first KC-46A Pegasus on Feb. 8. And on March 25, Altus' 56th Air Refueling Squadron conducted the first air refueling from a KC-46 Pegasus to a C-17 Globemaster III for the 97th Air Mobility Wing over Texas.

The base is projected to receive several more KC-46 aircraft as training continues.

The first of 14 maintenance hangars are nearing completion at Oklahoma City's Tinker Air Force Base. Flight crews will be trained at Altus and the KC-46s will eventually fly into Tinker for maintenance. The work will lead to the creation of an estimated 1,300 jobs, according to the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce.

Last week, the maintainers of the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas performed the first KC-46 A-Check. This check will take between 240 and 320 work hours based on initial training.

In January, the Air Force accepted the first tanker from Boeing in January.

Later that month, the first KC-46 flew to McConnell from Boeing's production plant in Washington state following scheduling and cost overruns dating to when the company was awarded the contract eight years ago.

Boeing plans to deliver 36 of the aircraft this year and about a dozen more are nearing completion, said Mike Gibbons, Boeing vice president.

The KC-46 is built as an empty 767 airframe in Everett, Wash., then transferred to the south end of Paine Field, called the Military Delivery Center. The jet's military systems, including the refueling and communications equipment, are installed there.

The KC-46 Pegasus is a wide body, multi-role tanker that will be able to refuel all U.S., allied and coalition military aircraft compatible with international aerial refueling procedures. The KC-46 is capable of carrying a fuel capacity of 212,000 pounds.

#Maintainers of the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at @22ARW worked together to perform the first KC-46 A-Check last week. This check will take between 240 to 320 work hours based on initial training. #TeamWorkMakesTheDreamWork #TankerThirstThursday #Maintenance #NKAWTG pic.twitter.com/K9djxBSkS6- Air Mobility Command (@AirMobilityCmd) March 28, 2019

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