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

• General Electric gets $74 million more for Super Hornet engines.
• Debt deal could freeze DoD budget at 2011 levels.
• Is the new, lighter L-3 a better company?
• Defense spending looms large in debt deal.
• Mullen calls for balance in defense cuts.
• Hawks wary of debt deal. (subscription required)
• Overview of the Growler program.
• Pentagon contracts attract European firms.
• Debt deal does little to change defense spending expectations.
• China: New carrier is for “science.”
• The debt ceiling deal “doomsday device?”
• Anonymous hackers release Mantech documents. (subscription required)