Based in Washington, Jen managed Aviation Week’s worldwide defense, space and security coverage from 2013 to January 2024.
Prior to taking on the Executive Editor role, Jen was Aviation Week's Congressional Editor. Jen came to Aviation Week in March 2011 from Politico, where she covered the intersection of defense and politics. She also worked as a reporter and editor for Defense Daily, Inside the Army, The Other Paper and The Columbus Dispatch.
Jen received a Master’s degree in journalism as a Kiplinger Fellow at the Ohio State University. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in history and journalism from the University of Michigan.
Three years after then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates scrapped Lockheed Martin's VH-71 program to replace presidential helicopters—erroneously slamming it for requiring the capability “to cook dinner while in flight under nuclear attack”—the Pentagon has finally re-initiated the procurement. Addressing concerns about the previous program's penchant for costly, leap-ahead technology, the Navy's new plan draws on mature technology to satisfy user requirements. But the current fleet of nearly 40-year-old helicopters will still be in service for quite some time.
Expect defense to be a sideshow, rather than center stage, at this week's Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. Pro-military Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), Rob Portman (Ohio) and Kelly Ayotte (N.H.) are all on the speaking lineup, but New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.)—neither of whom are known as strong on national security issues—will headline.
In the race to create a new commercial space industry, the FAA is trying to establish rules for safely conveying crews and passengers into space. The Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee recently held the first of three teleconferences aiming to help the FAA craft regulations for the nascent industry. The discussion revolved around questions such as what level of safety and care should be expected. Former astronaut Livingston Holder, the chair of the systems working group, highlighted the difficulty of embarking on this regulatory journey.
