The housing developer for the privatized housing effort at Vance AFB, Okla., plans to hold a town hall meeting next week, but unlike the recent session at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., to introduce the start of a project, this one is for base personnel to finalize lease arrangements. Vance is one of six USAF bases that are at or nearing finalization of leases that will render basic allowance for housing payments to the contractor to cover rent and utilities on base housing, reports TSgt. Mary Davis. The Vance developer, Pinnacle-Hunt Communities, LLC, plans to replace heating and cooling systems, kitchen appliances, countertops, and fixtures in older-model housing and construct some new housing. Air Education and Training Command selected Pinnacle-Hunt, which has successfully worked several other military housing privatization efforts, to develop privatized housing at Columbus AFB, Miss., Maxwell AFB, Ala., and Goodfellow, Laughlin, and Randolph Air Force Bases in Texas, as well as the project at Vance.
The Air Force has awarded a $29.7 million contract to engine startup Beehive Industries to complete work on a new disposable jet engine meant to power drones and munitions. The contract is just the latest step in the service’s effort to massively scale up production of cheap new missiles and…