Photo By Ashley Sherman | 201118-N-XI522-0004 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Nov. 18, 2020) The Naval Facilities...... read more read more
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On Wednesday, Nov. 18 at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE), senior leaders from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast (NAVFAC Southeast), FRCSE and the contractor team, donned hard hats and face masks for an opportunity to grab a golden shovel and break ground.
Recently approved for a military construction (MILCON) project for a new Targeting and Surveillance System Facility, FRCSE’s Commanding Officer, Col. Fred Schenk, stated his vision for the innovative new building.
“We are enthusiastic about the future of this facility and the technology it will hold,” he said. “Our ability to support the latest and greatest in military advancement cannot be understated. It’s a tremendously exciting time for us as this is the first major MILCON project awarded to FRCSE in nearly 30 years.”
NAVFAC Southeast awarded the contract to Archer Western earlier this year and excavation is already underway.
The new building is intended to support the F-35 Lightening II, P8A Poseidon, and other state-of-the-art aircraft. It will greatly increase the capacity of avionics work at the Command – streamlining existing product lines and preparing for future systems.
“FRCSE’s ability to perform maintenance on the avionics systems of the F-35 has been a substantial determining factor for the justification to erect this facility,” said Danny Simon, FRCSE’s Director for Facility and Plant Planning. “While the F-35 is just one of the programs that will be supported in the new building, it will likely be the most predominant.”
While most of the infrastructure across FRCSE ranges between 60 to 80 years old, to include the current avionics facility, creating a new high-tech facility capable of maintaining avionics systems for the F-35 will be a major factor on whether FRCSE will be awarded future workload. The F-35, also known as a Joint Strike Fighter, has one of the most complex avionics systems in service.
This state-of-the-art facility is being designed purposefully with input from the avionics professionals who are also the end users of the facility.
Cody Stepko, a FRCSE Avionics Process Engineer and Project Lead for Planning and Construction, is working hand-in-hand with architects and planners to ensure the building is thoughtfully designed.
“Through modernizing our infrastructure and pioneering new technology, this facility will help bring us in line with the industry standard,” said Stepko. “This building will be a new breath of life for avionics maintenance at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast.”
The completion date for this 50,000 square foot, $26.5 million facility is expected in winter of 2022.
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.20.2020 21:00 |
| Story ID: | 383512 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 398 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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