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.
Specialists are becoming increasingly worried that the U.S. electronics industry's lack of interest in radiation hardening is eroding America's ability to produce circuits capable of withstanding the space environment. With the number of rad-hard foundries and facilities dwindling, commercial satellite operators are looking for faster, better, cheaper solutions, according to W. David Thompson, president of Spectrum Astro.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is currently developing aerial vehicles no larger than one foot in any dimension that could eliminate the need for human scouts to locate and identify enemy troops. Organic Air Vehicles (OAVs) could carry a variety of sensors, including infrared or electro-optic devices, to detect vehicles or individual soldiers. They could also perform covert imaging in confined urban areas as well as biological and chemical agent detection, tagging and targeting, and battle damage assessment.
Despite its establishment of an office dedicated exclusively to military transformation (DAILY, Jun. 29), the 2002 defense budget leaves many tough questions about transformation unanswered, according to some defense analysts. Although the amended 2002 budget represents the largest single-year defense spending increase since the mid-1980s, much of the extra spending is dedicated to improving military healthcare and other quality-of-life issues.
