Italian F-35B Lands on Carrier for 1st Time
An Italian Navy F-35B Lightning II landed on the ITS Cavour aircraft carrier for the first time Friday. The landing follows the compatibility testing in the US earlier this year, when two F-35Bs from NAS Pax River were deployed on the ship to test every aspect of the aircraft operations.
Somerville New VX-23 Commander
CAPT Elizabeth “Lizard” Somerville took command of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 during a change of command ceremony at NAS Patuxent River.
Boeing Hosts MQ-25 Simulation Training for Pax Team
US Navy aviators are already learning how to “fly” the MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueler even before the first air vehicle comes off the production line.
Pentagon Dismisses Criticism of F-35 Program
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. Lt. Gen. Eric Fick took exception to recent criticism of the F-35 JSF program by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, reports Defense News. The Pentagon’s head of the F-35 Lightning II JPO countered Musk by saying that the jet will be relevant for decades to come. “I’m happy to see what comes next, be it manned or unmanned, but I think the F-35 is going…
Military Pay Hike Is Safe, Some Lawmakers Say
A 3.1% military pay raise is set to take effect in a few months, despite current wrangling among lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Carver Is VX-23’s New CO
Navy Cmdr. James Carver relieves Marine Lt. Col. Kevin Erker as commanding officer of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 after serving as the squadron’s chief test pilot since October 2014. Cmdr. Johannes Jolly assumed duties as VX-23’s chief test pilot.
Air-to-Air Refueling Next Test for Osprey
The Marines are testing the ability of its MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to refuel the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, on the ground and in the air.
Pax River JSF Team Takes Fighter Out to the Desert
For air start testing, the F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) ferried jets from VX-23 to the F-35A testing facility at Edwards AFB.
