Sundt has been building projects for the United States military since 1902, when horses still played a prominent role in our nation’s defenses. Fast forward more than 100 years and we are still building high-profile jobs for our armed forces – albeit of the non-equine variety – including one of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command’s (NAVFAC) top priorities: a training facility for the F-35B, a highly sophisticated joint-strike-fighter (JSF) aircraft that has short takeoff, vertical landing, and stealth capabilities. When the first F-35Bs are introduced next year, they will become the principal, elite aircraft supporting Marine Corps reconnaissance and combat missions around the world.
Sundt’s $18.4 million contract is to manage the design and construction of a 43,000-square-foot JSF flight simulation facility for the F-35B at the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz. As the second project of its kind in the United States – and the first west of the Mississippi River – it will be used to train pilots through the use of 12 JSF simulators that replicate real-world missions and challenges while saving on fuel costs and aircraft maintenance. The facility will also house mission briefing and de-briefing rooms, administrative space and offices.
Because the engine, avionics and weapons systems of the F-35B are highly classified, the project area – not to mention the base itself – has extremely tight security. Sundt’s crew members and subcontractors have gone through extensive background checks to gain clearance and site access. Another challenge is the project’s fast-track, 12-month schedule: construction began in June 2011 and must be complete by June 1, 2012 in time for the arrival of the first squadron of pilots for training.