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.
Boeing's Unmanned Little Bird helicopter is gearing up for a second round of weapons testing at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., in November, according to Waldo Carmona, Boeing's general manager and director of advanced Army systems. During a previous round of tests at Yuma in August, the Unmanned Little Bird fired nine 2.75-inch rockets and three Hellfire missiles. Two of the missiles hit their target, while the third went into the ground and failed to detonate. The Defense Department later determined that the missile itself was faulty, Carmona said.
Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey said he has not yet accepted the idea that fixing the troubled Aerial Common Sensor program necessarily will require additional money. Service officials have estimated that changing ACS airframes could increase the cost of the program's $879 million system development and demonstration phase by 50%. For now, the proposed ACS payload exceeds the capacity of the Embraer ERJ-145 business jet - the original platform choice - by about 3,000 pounds.
AgustaWestland North America and EADS North America both announced their major partners in their respective bids for the Army's Light Utility Helicopter program during the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting in Washington Oct. 3. AgustaWestland is teaming with L-3 Communications to offer the US139 helicopter for LUH, with AgustaWestland serving as prime contractor and L-3 as principal subcontractor. L-3 would perform final assembly and customization for the US139 at its facility in Waco, Texas.
