Vets’ Jobless Rate Worsens
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 unemployment rate for all veterans rose to 4.5% in January, up from 3.8% in December–the post-9/11 generation of veterans unemployment rose to 5.8% from 5.1%, reports Military Times. The monthly report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics released last week showed the jobless rates for veterans had exceeded those for the general population for the second time since President Donald Trump took office.
The US has changed its attitude on Europe prioritizing European defense manufacturers while limiting American participation. Elbridge Colby, under secretary of defense, cited “a different attitude now,” with the fundamental US interest in having allies that do more for their own security, reports Federal Times. Europe accounted for 35% of US arms exports in the 2020-2024.
Air Force One jets are expected to receive a new paint job in Trump’s preferred colors of red, white, gold, and dark blue, reports The Hill. Both the luxury jet donated by Qatar and new VC-25B Boeing jets will feature the new colors. Also to receive new paint jobs are the four smaller C-32 aircraft, dubbed Air Force Two when the vice president is aboard, and also used by the first lady and babinet secretaries when they travel.
The United States will send the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier to the Middle East to back up another already there, reports Military Times.
Iran has said it has reached an understanding with the US on the main “guiding principles” to resolve their dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program, reports BBC. Speaking after indirect talks between the US and Iran, in Geneva, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added that work still needed to be done. The US said “progress was made.”
As the talks began, Iran announced that Iranian forces had fired live missiles toward the Strait of Hormuz and would close it for several hours for “safety and maritime concerns,” reports Military.com. This is the first time Iran has announced the closure of the key international waterway, through which 20% of the world’s oil passes, since the US began threatening Iran and rushing military assets to the region.
Two-thirds of Germans view the United States as the second greatest threats to world peace, surpassing China and edging closer to Russia, according to a recent survey. Stars and Stripes reports that the 65% of respondents naming the US among the countries posing the greatest threat to global peace rose from 46% in 2025 and fewer than a quarter in 2024. Germany hosts the largest US troop presence in Europe.
The F-35’s “computer brain,” including its cloud-based components, could be cracked to accept third-party software updates, just like “jailbreaking” a cellphone, according to Dutch State Secretary for Defense Gijs Tuinman. The statement comes as foreign operators of the jets continue to be pressed on what could happen if the United States cut off support, reports TWZ. “If, despite everything, you still want to upgrade,” Tuinman said, “I’m going to say something I should never say, but I will anyway: you can jailbreak an F-35 just like an iPhone.”
Lockheed Martin has signed a new $12.5 billion contract with the DoD to produce and deliver 148 F-35 fighters, reports MSN.com. The agreement consolidates the purchase of 40 F-35A jets for the USAF, 20 aircraft for the Marine Corps (B and C models), and nine F-35Cs for the Navy. Allies will receive 15 units, while 64 fighters are allocated to international clients.
Lockheed Martin’s Lamprey Multi-Mission Autonomous Undersea Vehicle latches onto any ship or submarine hull like a mechanical remora, recharging its batteries during the ride to wherever mayhem needs delivering. Unveiled last week, the internally funded project sidesteps the usual defense procurement glacial pace, handing the Navy a plug-and-play warfare tool that arrives at 100% charge, reports Yahoo News.
The US military carried out strikes on three boats accused of smuggling drugs in Latin American waters, killing 11 people in one of the deadliest days of the Trump administration’s campaign against alleged traffickers, reports Military.com. Two vessels carrying four people each were struck in the eastern Pacific Ocean, while a third boat with three people was hit in the Caribbean Sea, bringing the death toll to at least 145 people in the 42 known strikes since early September.
The US is preparing to send about 200 troops to Nigeria to train the country’s armed forces as they battle an Islamist insurgency, authorities in Lagos said recently. They will supplement a small team of American military officers already embedded with Nigerian forces, reports Military Times.
The Navy relieved CAPT Chavius G. Lewis from his role as commanding officer of the guided-missile destroyer USS Mason, on Feb. 13, based on a “loss of confidence in Lewis’ ability to command,” a standard phrase used in relief announcements involving senior leaders, reports Military.com.
DoD wants to end military participation in graduate-level programs at Harvard University, reports Military.com DefSec Pete Hegseth framed the move as a readiness decision, arguing that elite civilian institutions increasingly push ideological frameworks at odds with military culture, cohesion, and mission focus. Undergraduate ROTC programs remain unaffected, and currently enrolled servicemembers may finish their studies.
Contracts awarded in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., Feb. 17-18, 2026.
InDyne Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland, has been awarded an $11,847,426 modification (P0021) to a previously awarded contract (FA251823C0002) for Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System support. The modification exercises Option Year Three of the contract bringing the total amount on contract to $42,511,249, with a cumulative face value of $72,886,894 for the base and all options. Work will be performed at Cavalier Space Force Station, North Dakota, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2027. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $11,847,426 are being obligated at the time of award. The Space Operations Command’s Space Acquisition and Integration Office, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity.
Liquid Robotics Inc., Herndon, Virginia, will be awarded a $25,000,000 contract for 20 commercial unmanned surface vehicles. The contract provides for work related to control software, payloads, and peripheral launch and recovery equipment. Work will be performed at Herndon, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 16, 2028. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Japan. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2026 research development test and evaluation funds; and fiscal 2026 FMS funds, in the amount of $25,000,000, will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA2823-26-C-0006).
UPDATE: L1 Enterprises,** Frederick, Maryland (SPE2DH-26-D-0005, $49,000,000), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract for medical equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency Electronic Catalog, issued against solicitation SPE2DH-21-R-0002 and awarded Feb. 10, 2022. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
**Service-disabled veteran-owned small business
