Morning Coffee 8-10-11

F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter photo courtesy of PEO(JSF).

A robust blend of news from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, NAVAIR, the Pentagon and beyond:

• Author of The Dream Machine supports the V-22 Osprey.
• Electronic warfare development threatened by budget cuts.
• Boeing’s multi-year Osprey contract proposal is a hedge against budget cuts.
• Overview of Osprey proposal.
• Drone spending to double even as defense budgets shrink.
• First Chinese aircraft carrier in sea trials.
• Speculation on who will make it onto the Super Committee.
• DoD describes legal options for terminating Joint Strike Fighter. (subscription required)
• Video: “Doomsday Device” in debt deal is  an empty threat.
• Entire U.S. stealth fighter fleet is grounded.