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 first flight of Bell Helicopter's full-scale Eagle Eye unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) demonstrator should take place in Texas within the next three months, according to Robert Dompka, Bell's director of tiltrotor UAV programs. The Eagle Eye tiltrotor UAV is being developed for the Coast Guard as part of its Deepwater recapitalization program. The Coast Guard plans to buy 69 Eagle Eyes, which would be deployed on its new National Security Cutters and Offshore Patrol Cutters.
The tri-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) program expects to receive final approval to enter its design and development (D&D) phase from the German parliament's budget committee in March. "It's our belief right now, from every indicator that we have, that ... most Germans in politics and in the ministry of defense are supportive of the MEADS program, understand the value of it, so we can expect a favorable approval," said Jim Cravens, president of MEADS International.
NASA's Space Flight Leadership Council has settled on May 15 as the target date for the space shuttle's return to flight, when Discovery will conduct the first of two scheduled test flights to evaluate new safety equipment developed in response to the Columbia accident. Although the launch date for STS-114 won't be finalized until late April, "we feel good about that date," NASA Launch Director Mike Leinbach said during a teleconference Feb. 18.
