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 purchase of the UH-72A Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) is prompting the U.S. Army to adjust its acquisition processes and devise new policies for commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) purchases, according to service officials.
The number of systems envisioned for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program may drop as the service grapples with its current budgetary pressures, according to Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Claude Bolton. The number of systems in FCS - a networked suite of manned and unmanned ground and air platforms - has fluctuated in the past, dipping as low as 12 before settling at 18, Bolton said.
Northrop Grumman last week briefed Israeli officials on the Skyguard laser defense system and expects to hear shortly whether it has been chosen to protect aircraft taking off and landing at Israeli airports from shoulder-fired rockets. Building on the company's Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) program, Skyguard is a high-energy chemical laser system that would be installed at airports to shoot down man-portable air defense system (MANPADS) rockets out to a range of roughly 12 miles (DAILY, July 13, 2006). 'Very technical' briefing
