Jeff has been involved in aerospace journalism since the mid 1990s. Prior to joining Aviation Week, Jeff served as managing editor of Launchspace magazine and the International Space Industry Report. He has been the editor and chief of Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report since 2007 and has been a regular contributor to Aviation Week magazine. He received his B.A. from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
U.S. Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, reiterated his service's perennial request for more authority to retire aircraft during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee last week. "It is very challenging for the Air Force to manage the fleet in a way that optimizes their support of my mission," Schwartz said March 21, referring to congressional limitations on the retirement of older aircraft such as the KC-135 and C-5. 'Excessing old platforms'
U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, the head of U.S. Strategic Command, told members of the House Armed Services Committee March 21 that the development of a conventional intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for prompt global strike is both needed to counter future threats and also will help the U.S. reduce its nuclear stockpile.
The second flight of Space Exploration Technologies' (SpaceX) low-cost Falcon 1 rocket on March 20 reached 200 miles altitude but did not make it to orbit due to the premature shutdown of its second-stage Kestrel engine. Liftoff took place at 9:10 p.m. Eastern time from the U.S. Army's Kwajalein missile range in the Marshall Islands. A prior launch attempt on March 19 was aborted a few minutes before liftoff due to a communications glitch that was fixed with a software update.
