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 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Applications Center at NASA Research Park plans a test flight Aug. 18 that will serve as a prelude to a mission next spring in which a UAV will help winegrowers prevent frost damage in the largest vineyard in the U.S. The test flight will feature a gas-powered APV-3 UAV with a 12-foot wingspan flying above the 5,000-acre San Bernabe Vineyard in Monterey County, Calif. Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems is providing the UAV in partnership with California-based companies RnR Products and MLB.
The U.S. Air Force and Boeing have rescheduled the next launch attempt of the final Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) spacecraft for Aug. 28 from Cape Canaveral, Fla., according to Boeing. The Delta IV flight will be the second mission in the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. The launch team will consider earlier opportunities in the month should the range become available, according to Boeing.
The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MOD) has chosen Lockheed Martin as the prime contractor for Project Soothsayer, which is to deliver the next-generation electronic warfare (EW) system to British land forces. Worth more than 130 million pounds ($200 million), the 10-year program will provide integrated Electronic Support Measures (ESM) and Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) capability for the British Army and the Royal Marines. Lockheed Martin and Thales had been competing for the prime contract (DAILY, Aug. 23, 2000).
