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.
Technical, cultural, and budgetary hurdles still stand in the way of a battlefield-ready High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon system, according to a panel of industry and government officials. An operational laser weapon "has been one of those dreams everybody's had since lasers existed," according to Ed Pogue, director of the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office. "I've got a videotape of things being blown out of the sky starting around 1972. And the question is, why aren't you there yet?"
The U.S. Air Force has formed a task force that plans to deliver a road map for directed energy weapons by early next year, according to Harry Disbrow, deputy director for operational capability requirements at Air Force headquarters.
The U.S. Navy is stepping up its efforts to develop directed energy weapons and has made significant strides in recent months, according to Rear Adm. Brad Hicks, commander of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. "As fiscal constraints allow ... the Navy is increasing its efforts in directed energy," Hicks said during a presentation at the Directed Energy Professional Society's seventh annual symposium in Rockville, Md., on Oct. 19. "We continue to set world records in [Free Electron Laser] performance. ..."
