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 U.S. Army and Boeing's proposed strategy to sell a limited number of CH-47D Chinook helicopters commercially and apply the proceeds to the manufacture of new CH-47F Chinooks for the Army received final approvals from the government last week, according to program officials.
The industry teams competing in the U.S. Army's Future Cargo Aircraft program came out swinging at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting in Washington, with each touting the advantages of their offering. The final request for proposals for FCA is expected by early November, with an anticipated response time of 30 days. The winning contractor will be chosen in June of next year.
Contrary to recent press reports, the U.S. Army's overall schedule for fielding the first 15 Brigade Combat Teams in the Future Combat Systems program has not slipped, according to service officials. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker recently was quoted as saying that the first 15 BCTs would be fielded around 2030 rather than the previous target date of 2025, leading to speculation that the FCS deployment had slipped five years or more.
