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 U.S. Air Force is requesting $102.9 billion for fiscal year 2006, up from $96.7 billion enacted in FY '05, which will include $11.9 billion for aircraft procurement. The budget includes $4.4 billion for the F/A-22 Raptor in FY '06, down from $4.7 billion enacted in FY '05. The money will buy 25 new aircraft and fund long-lead items for 29 more, according to an Air Force budget official.
The Air Force plans to request $9.9 billion for military space systems in fiscal year 2006, up from $8.1 billion in FY '05, as the service continues what a senior Defense Department official called an "across-the-board" modernization of all of its major systems. "All of our capabilities are being updated - weather, communications, missile warning, navigation, launch," a DOD official told reporters during a briefing at the Pentagon on Feb. 4.
A new study from the National Academies endorses exploration as NASA's primary goal, calling it "a form of science" if conducted properly. The Space Studies Board of the National Research Council performed the study, which explored the role science should play in NASA's plans to return astronauts to the moon by 2020 and prepare for landings on Mars and beyond.
