Triton to Enter Initial Production
Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the Internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River economic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff. MQ-4C Triton moves out of development into initial production, reports USNI.org. The decision follows Triton’s successful operational assessment in February. The F-35 joint program office is eyeing the middle of the next decade for major upgrades to the engines on the joint strike fighter. Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, who heads the JPO, said the “mid-2020s” is when the power plant on the joint strike fighter could…
Carver Is VX-23’s New CO
Navy Cmdr. James Carver relieves Marine Lt. Col. Kevin Erker as commanding officer of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 after serving as the squadron’s chief test pilot since October 2014. Cmdr. Johannes Jolly assumed duties as VX-23’s chief test pilot.
Clinton, Trump Prep for 1st Debate
The highly anticipated presidential debate is set for tonight, Sept. 26. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are reportedly preparing for this showdown in ways that appear to be as different as their candidacies.
F-35 Fuel Line Fix, Savings On the Way
A fix for the fuel tank insulation problem,currently grounding 15 F-35As, is one its way, and predicted $2B savings with a block buy of 450 F-35s .
JSF Helmet/Ejection Fix Nears for Small Pilots
F-35 joint program office says modifications to the helmet and ejection seat will fix the increased risks to lightweight pilots ejected from the plane.
Military Wants to Keep Eye on Small UAS
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency — DARPA — wants the capability to track and identify low-flying drones, as it can with planes and other unmanned aerial systems. Systems are being developed to track UAS flying below 1,000 feet. That would be the military equivalent of the air traffic control system.
Navy Continues Testing With Biofuels
In tests this month at NAS Patuxent River, the Navy went all out to experiment using 100 percent biofuels for its jets.
F-35B Transmits Info, Launches Anti-Air Missile
Targeting information is successfully transmitted from the Marine Corps F-35B for the Navy to launch an SM-6 anti-air missile and strike a Beechcraft MQM-107 target representing an adversarial fighter.
Israel, US to Sign 10-Year Defense Deal
This is the largest and longest such agreement between the two nations. No details yet on the agreement’s impact on Qatar’s and Kuwait’s ability to clear long-awaited fighter sales from the US.
VX-1: Squadron That ‘Does It First’
The Air Test and Evaluation Squadron works between development of new weapon systems and their introduction into the Fleet, VX-1 is the squadron that “does it first.”
