Morning Coffee 7-1-11

F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter

A potent blend of news from Pax River, NAVAIR, the Pentagon and beyond:

• Neany scores $19.9 million for Persistent Surveillance Unmanned Aerial System program support and Dyncorp gets $8.4 million for Pax River aircraft maintenance.
• Former defense secretary Perry dismisses Chinese carrier as a threat to Taiwan.
• Image of Chinese Global Hawk competitor emerges.
• Lockheed cuts 1,500 from aeronautics business.
• Pentagon says Panetta will not “gut” the military.
• JSF maintenance bill could be slashed by moving away from “spares and repairs” model? (subscription required)
• Old, new carriers pass each other off the coast of Djibouti.
• Father returns home to Pax River from Guantanamo.
• Pax program shows kids the other side of deployment.
• Restoring the old cemetery at Pax River.
• Hoke takes command of BAMS program.
• Major JSF tests loom in the fall.