Morning Coffee 8-24-11

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

• Lusby man pleads guilty to taking $600,000 from Navy recycling program.
• Northrop moving offices to NoVA.
• Army, Navy teaming up to acquire future unmanned helos. Scion Aviation moves to challenge Saab for lucrative unmanned helo contracts.
• The Street downgrades Mantech stock to “hold.” Meanwhile, Standpoint upgrades it to “buy.”
• Three local firms get a bite of Pax River’s $220 million Aircraft Prototype Facility, and Great Mills Construction Company snags $18 million in NAVFAC work.
• Check this out: a six-engine, VTOL unmanned aircraft. Seriously.
• Lockheed approves repurchase of $1 billion in shares. (subscription required)
• With new weapons, Iran and China move to deny Navy carriers easy access.
• Production F-35s remain grounded while Honeywell investigates faulty valve.
• Pentagon evacuates amid earthquake. The 5.9 Virginia quake causes little damage in Southern Maryland.