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.
PARIS - The clock has started ticking for European Union members to begin adopting legislation aimed at opening their own national defense and security procurements to foreign firms. An EU directive to introduce more competition took effect Aug. 21, with members having two years to pass appropriate legislation. The objective is to bring about a “European defense market.” Western defense spending and acquisition is dominated by the United States.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — With the weather looking clear, NASA began loading space shuttle Discovery’s external tank with 535,000 pounds of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen at Launch Pad 39A here late Aug. 25, in anticipation of a second attempt to launch STS-128 early the next morning.
JDAM WORK: The Pentagon announced Aug. 17 that the U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing of St. Louis, Mo., a $98 million cost plus fixed fee contract to provide integration and production of the laser Joint Direct Attack Munition system on various Foreign Military Sales aircraft. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., manages the contract.