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 Air Force has awarded two contracts worth nearly $300 million to Northrop Grumman Corporation for enhancements to the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), including increasing the aircraft's payload capacity to 3,000 pounds. This increase will help enable "plug and play" payload flexibility for Global Hawk without compromising its ability to meet performance requirements, according to Northrop Grumman spokeswoman Cynthia Curiel.
Arianespace's March 28 launch of two Boeing-built communications satellites leaves only six more flights before the Ariane 4 family is phased out, leaving the company entirely reliant on its Ariane 5 heavy-lift vehicle, which recently returned to service after a seven-month grounding. The Ariane 4 launch from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou successfully carried two Boeing-built communications satellites into orbit - JSAT Corp.'s JCSAT-8 and SES Astra's Astra 3A.
Lockheed Martin is spending its own money to develop a concept for a submarine-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system that would allow the sub to remain submerged during both launch and recovery. The company hopes this capability would make a good fit for the Ohio-class ballistic missile nuclear submarines (SSBNs) that are being modified by the Defense Department for special operations, according to Neil Kacena, deputy for advanced development programs at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
