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.
Despite recent advances in the acceptance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), regulatory issues still hinder their growth in areas such as homeland defense, according to Daryl Davidson, executive director of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI).
Building on its work in autonomous formation flight (AFF), the Boeing Co. has proposed collaborating with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and NASA on a project to demonstrate autonomous aerial refueling (AAR) in 2004. This technique, in which an unmanned vehicle rendezvous and refuels with a manned tanker, will be a critical enabler for future unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) operations, according to Boeing's AAR Program Manager Greg Larson.
The Dec. 30 crash of a Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used in Operation Enduring Freedom was likely the result of a maintenance-related malfunction, according to Rear Adm. John Stufflebeem, the Joint Staff's deputy director for operations, current readiness and capabilities.
