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.
A version of the Hellfire missile equipped with a thermobaric warhead has been tested and is ready for operational use, according to Ronald Sega, director of defense research and engineering (DDR&E) at the Department of Defense. The new weapon was part of a rapid development program undertaken with funds provided by Congress in fiscal year 2002, according to Sega.
In testimony before a Senate subcommittee April 2, former NASA historian Alex Roland recommended NASA phase out the space shuttle, calling it "unsustainable as a safe, reliable, and economical launch vehicle." Testifying before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee's subcommittee on science, technology, and space, Roland said NASA made two crucial mistakes in the late 1960s and early 1970s when it began developing the shuttle.
Aided by a significant boost in its fiscal year 2004 budget request, U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is preparing to take a lead role in future operations and transition from a "supporting" to a "supported" command, according to Marshall Billingslea, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low intensity conflict.
