Lockheed, Machinists Reach Agreement, End Picketing

Welcome to Morning Coffee, a robust blend of links to news around the Internet concerning Naval Air Station Patuxent River, NAVAIR, the Pentagon and beyond. The Leader provides this link feature as a survey of the news and announcements affecting the local military economy. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Leader’s owners or staff.

Workers from the International Association of Machinists, who support the Joint Strike Fighter program, picket Gate 3 of Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

Lockheed and its machinists reach a tentative deal and halt the strike, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. The Star-Telegram also features strikers in Southern Maryland. Lockheed pledges to fix Joint Strike Fighter problems, AIN Online reports.

The Hill reports that pessimism is growing that Congress will reach a deal to avert sequestration. U.S. News reports that hawkish Republicans are now willing to raise taxes to avoid military cuts. The Washington Post reports that Congress is about to put the official stop to BRAC 2013.

Wages for St. Mary’s County’s federal workers are the highest in the state, The Enterprise reports.

The Pentagon worries about the fate of small, innovative firms as the budget shrinks, AOL Defense reports. DoD is planning to test a new way to estimate program costs, Defense News reports.

The pilot who crashed the V-22 Osprey in Florida was the co-pilot of another V-22 that went down in Afghanistan in 2010, AOL Defense reports.