July 12, 2025

Study Reviews Environmental Impact of Navy’s Offshore Training, Activities

Environmental

The Department of the Navy and US Coast Guard have published information evaluating the environmental impact of Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard training and testing activities conducted in the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing study area. The comment period ends Nov. 21.

Navy Awards Contract for Continued AN/UPX-50 Redesign

AN/UPX-50

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

Training

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

9/11

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

Recruits

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

JPALS

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

BAMS

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.