Navy Awards Contract for Continued AN/UPX-50 Redesign
The US Navy awarded a $24 million contract to BAE Systems for the continued redesign of the AN/UPX-50(C) digital interrogator assemblies.
Restored Pax O’Club Mural Lands at Museum
A restored mural by local artist George F. McWilliams, honoring the role that NAS Pax River played in national space history, now hangs in the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
House Defense Spending Bill Includes More F-35s, One Attack Sub
The US House on Friday narrowly passed its version of the $833 billion defense spending bill for fiscal 2025. The legislation would buy eight more F-35s beyond the Pentagon’s budget request of 68, while only procuring one Virginia-class attack submarine instead of the usual two vessels the bill usually provides.
CNO: Navy 7,000 Short on New Recruits
The US Navy is likely to miss its recruiting goals this year, acting Chief of Naval Operations ADM Lisa Franchetti told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week. “We’re going to be about 7,000 short,” she said.
Nation Commemorates 9/11 22nd Anniversary
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City will host its annual commemoration ceremony honoring the people killed in the 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon, and aboard Flight 93, reports ABC7 New York on MSN.com. The ceremony begins at 8:30am.
Military Struggles to Reach Recruitment Goals
US DefSec Lloyd Austin swore in new military recruits last week. As DoD marked the 50th anniversary of the country’s all-volunteer force, the armed services are struggling to meet recruitment goals.
Pendleton Detects PFAS in Drinking Water
Camp Pendleton is the latest installation to find elevated levels of PFAS in drinking water, and is not alone in the Southern California region to discover the forever chemicals in the groundwater supply.
Probe Finds Pilot Error in F-35C Crash
Naval Air Forces investigators found that pilot error caused an F-35C Lightning II fighter jet to crash onto the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson before sliding into the South China Sea last year. The error “was not conducted in a reckless manner nor with malicious intent,” according to the Naval Air Forces Command.
BAMS-D Aircraft Welcomed Back to Pax
The US Navy’s Global Hawks are back home at NAS Patuxent River after its more than a decade-long mission. Returning after a 13-year deployment that was initially supposed to be six months, the remaining Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator program, or BAMS-D, aircraft are on their way to tying off a storied career.
US Postpones Ballistic Missile Test
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. The Pentagon has postponed a planned test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile in an effort to quell tensions with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, reports The Hill. “We did not take this decision lightly, but instead to demonstrate that we are a responsible nuclear power,” John Kirby, Pentagon spokesman, said in a DoD news release. Fighter jets from the aircraft carrier Harry S….
