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.
The proposed U.S. missile defense site in Poland clearly is not "oriented toward Russia" and would not negate that country's ballistic missile arsenal, according to U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Deputy Director Brig. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly. To be operational by 2011, the Polish site would host up to 10 interceptor missiles at a total cost of about $3.5 billion. Formal talks about the site are getting under way. Meanwhile, the U.S. also is in discussions with the Czech Republic about hosting the radar that would support the interceptors (DAILY, Jan. 26).
Countering China's recently tested anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon system with America's missile defense arsenal would be a "straightforward" job for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) if it were given that mandate, according to MDA Deputy Director Brig. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system scored a successful intercept Jan. 26 during its first test at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii.
