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.
DHS CONTRACTS: The Department of Homeland Security is about to award multiple contracts totaling up to $10 million to study alternatives to laser jammer countermeasures against shoulder-fired missile attacks on commercial aircraft. DHS is seeking either ground-based systems, airborne or a hybrid of the two. The department anticipates making an announcement "sometime soon" about the award of 18-month multiple contracts, a spokesman said.
Lockheed Martin has begun delivering a second batch of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) unitary rockets to the U.S. Army in response to a second urgent need statement from the theater, according to company officials.
Lt. Gen. Steven Boutelle, the U.S. Army's chief information officer, called upon service and industry personnel to "help us make the argument" to acquisition leaders about the importance of moving the military to Internet Protocol (IP)-based communications during a presentation in Washington Oct. 11. Boutelle said that outside the technical community, it's sometimes difficult to convince people of the value of IP, which is the telecommunication standard the Internet is built upon.
