F-35 Pilots Control Drones with Touchscreens
Posted by Java Joe on Thursday, January 15, 2026 · Leave a Comment
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Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River 
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Navy pilots have successfully completed training to wield multiple drones from the cockpits of F-35 Lightning II fighter planes using touchscreen tablets, reports Defense News. The landmark tactical exercise took place at the Pentagon’s Joint Simulation Environment at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at NAS Patuxent River, MD.
Global oil trading houses have emerged as early winners in the race to control Venezuelan crude flows, getting ahead of US energy majors, reports Reuters. US President Donald Trump met top oil executives at the White House on Friday hoping to quickly rebuild the dilapidated oil sector in Venezuela, which has the world’s largest crude reserves.
DefSec Pete Hegseth said he will “make all appropriate data” from the military’s IT systems available for “AI exploitation” when announcing that Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok will join Google’s AI engine and be operating inside the Pentagon network later this month, reports Military Times. Grok has drawn global outcry and scrutiny for generating highly sexualized deepfake images of people without their consent.
US forces boarded a fifth oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea on Friday, continuing the targeting of sanctioned tankers traveling to and from Venezuela as part of a broader effort to take control of the South American country’s oil, reports Military Times.
Some key personnel at the US base in Qatar were advised to evacuate by Wednesday evening in response to a senior Iranian official noting the Iranian attack on the base in June in retaliation against US strikes on its nuclear facilities. Trump has threatened military operations in Iran if that government continues to retaliate against anti-government protesters, reports AP News.
The US Space Force awarded SpaceX nine national security space launch missions worth $739 million, reports Space News. Five of the nine launches support satellite deployments tied to the Space Development Agency’s proliferated missile warning and tracking architecture.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is introducing legislation to prevent Trump from taking action to invade a NATO country or territory, like Greenland, reports Politico. The Senate could clear a war powers measure on Venezuela later this week, though it faces an uncertain future in the House.
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said she had “a very good conversation” with Trump on Monday and that their two governments will continue working together on security issues without the need for US intervention against drug cartels, reports Military.com.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) sued the Pentagon on Monday over attempts to punish him for his warnings about illegal orders, claiming the Trump administration trampled on his constitutional rights to free speech, reports Military.com.
DoD added more context to provocative comments Hegseth made about aggressive and physical troop training. Anthony Tata, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for personnel and readiness, wrote to lawmakers, “hazing and bullying have no place in the US military,” reports Military Times, despite comments from Hegseth that appeared to blur the lines on acceptable training methods. Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) led the request for information. Her nephew, Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, died by suicide in Afghanistan in 2011 after a night of physical hazing and abuse by fellow Marines in punishment for falling asleep on post.
Lawmakers from both parties and houses of Congress have agreed to provide about $653 million to fund Voice of America’s parent agency, rejecting Trump’s demand to defund the international broadcaster and shut it down, reports The Washington Post.
Applicants for positions at the US military newspaper Stars and Stripes are being asked how they would support the president’s policy priorities, raising concerns among some staffers and media watchers about the prospects for the historic outlet’s editorial independence, reports The Washington Post.
The DoD has spent more than a year testing a device purchased in an undercover operation that some investigators think could be the cause of a series of mysterious ailments impacting US spies, diplomats, and troops that are colloquially known as Havana Syndrome, reports CNN.
Retired Navy commander Keith Bass is the new assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, reports Military Times. The former director of the White House Medical Unit and VA health care executive was sworn in as the DoD’s top medical leader Monday. The Military Health System is responsible for the health care of 9.5 million beneficiaries.
The Army’s Security Force Assistance Command has been deactivated, reports Military Times. The six brigades, established between August 2017 and May 2020, were tasked with advising foreign militaries. The 2nd SFAB, most recently regionally aligned with US Africa Command, was formally shuttered in November 2025.
Virginia’s new law limiting children to using social media for one hour per day without parental permission has gone into effect, reports Route Fifty, although the law is subject to a legal challenge. Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed the rules into law last year requiring social media platforms to use age verification technology to determine if a user is a minor.
Contracts awarded in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., Jan. 12 through Jan. 14, 2026:
NIC4 Inc., Frederick, Maryland, was awarded a $18,818,923 firm-fixed-price contract to provide cybersecurity hardware, general purpose automatic data processing equipment, cybersecurity installation and integration, extended warranty, training, and options for equipment and services. Work will be performed in Frederick, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2029. Fiscal 2026 Foreign Military Sales (Iraq) funds in the amount of $4,547,047 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-26-C-5018).
FCN Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $9,921,000 firm-fixed-price contract (HT001525FE063) for NetApp hardware, software/license, and secure support which is a necessary computer/storage infrastructure expansion to support the Joint Pathology Center (JPC) migration to the on-premises Defense Health Agency Private Cloud (DPC) hosting service and provides compliant, compatible, and warranted components to expand the existing DPC infrastructure, ensuring continued operations and avoiding a costly and time-consuming system replacement and re-accreditation. This will allow JPC data center operations to migrate its legacy infrastructure to the DPC, consolidate resources, reduce duplicative purchases, and maintain its existing authority to operate accreditation, while adhering to manufacturer specifications and warranty agreements. This is a 12-month contract with a Sept. 29, 2026, performance completion date. Funding is fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $9,921,000 obligated at the time of award. Place of performance is San Antonio, Texas; and Bethesda, Maryland. The DHA, Enterprise Medical Services Contracting Division, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Sept. 29, 2025)
Amentum Mitie Pacific LLC, Chantilly, Virginia, is awarded an $85,236,794 fixed-price-award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operating support services at Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia. Work will be performed at Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, and is expected to be completed by January 2034. The maximum dollar value, including the mobilization, base period, seven option years, and six-month extension of services option, is $656,356,854. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance (O&M) (Navy), fiscal 2026 O&M (Air Force); fiscal 2026 working capital (Defense); and fiscal 2026 non-appropriated contract funds; in the amount of $82,187,082, will be obligated for recurring and non-recurring work on individual task orders subject to the availability of funds. Funds in the amount of $3,049,711 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via SAM.gov website, with three offers received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii is the contracting activity (N62742-26-D-1101).
Peraton Inc., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $17,041,909 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Product Data Systems Support services. This contract provides systems management, data management, and enterprise migration and sustainment support required for continued performance of highly specialized technical services supporting product data systems and infrastructure, data management, conversion and migration processes, and transformation initiatives. Work will be performed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and is expected to be completed to be completed by 13 Jan 2027. This contract was a sole source acquisition. Fiscal year 2026 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $6,205,768 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8530-26-F-B001).
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded a not-to-exceed $21,600,000 cost reimbursable undefinitized order (N0001926F1016) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001923G0002). This order provides for instantaneous access to 105% Transient Engine Torque test and certification efforts in support of modifications on the VH-92A® Patriot aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Lynn, Massachusetts (44%); Stratford, Connecticut (36%); West Palm Beach, Florida (12%); Orlando, Florida (2%); King of Prussia, Pennsylvania (2%); Owego, New York (1%); Trumbull, Connecticut (1%); Hanover, Maryland (1%); and Moorestown, New Jersey (1%), and is expected to be completed in July 2027. Fiscal 2026 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,000,000 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
