Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a $31 million contract to CRP Contracting, a small business out of Columbus, Ohio, for airfield lighting repairs at Naval Air Station (NAS) in Kingsville.
The project will upgrade the airfield’s aging system to include installation of new energy efficient guidance signs, replacement of wind cones, new runway approach lighting with energy efficient fixtures, and repairs to the airfield’s taxiway lighting and signage.
“This project has been a long time coming and these repairs are vital to ensure the safety of our student pilots,” said NAS Kingsville Commanding Officer Capt. Erik Spitzer. “I am very pleased that our airfield lighting issues will soon be resolved.”
The contract completion date is anticipated for August 2020 for the project, which was approved on Monday.
NAS Kingsville is the home to Training Air Wing TWO (TRAWING 2), which consists of two jet training squadrons, responsible for training intermediate student naval aviators for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and international allies.
The current airfield lighting system is unreliable, outdated and directly impacts the training of over 140 Navy and Marine Corps combat aviators each year. Failure to modernize the airfield lighting systems would result in frequent and costly failures that would shut down one or more runways, directly impacting training schedules and overall fleet readiness.
“This is a significant mission enabler,” NAS Kingsville Public Works Officer Lt. Cmdr. Steven Parks said. “These airfield upgrades will not only be energy efficient and cost saving for the Navy, but it will also significantly enhance NAS Kingsville’s mission to train our nation’s combat pilots in a safe environment.”
Additional work includes repairs to electrical, current lighting regulators, primary transformers, lightning arrestors, switchgear, interior lighting and receptacles; temperature and humidity regulating equipment; emergency generators, fuel storage and containment, and all underground electric conduit and cabling.
