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.
An early version of the Navy's helicopter-mounted laser mine detection system will begin flying in exercises this summer, according to manufacturer Northrop Grumman. The hardware will be a prototype of the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS). Northrop Grumman spent several million dollars of its own resources to develop the prototype last year.
Lockheed Martin hopes it will soon be able to begin building the prototype for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of satisfying both the Navy's surveillance and unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) requirements.
The Navy and Marine Corps' proposed cuts in Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet procurement make sense in light of the enhanced capabilities of the new aircraft, according to Lt. Gen. Robert Magnus, Marine Corps deputy commandant for programs and resources. "The systems that we're buying are not only a little bit more capable than the ones they replace - they're multiples more capable," Magnus said, speaking on a panel at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space Exposition in Washington March 26.
