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.
Although it seems that old military helicopters never die, a top Army aviation official thinks the Black Hawk, Chinook, Apache and Kiowa Warrior will all be put out to pasture by 2040. As the Army considers its vision for aviation in 2030, upgrades are not a part of the picture. “We should not plan for the Apache Block 40,” says Maj. Gen. Anthony Crutchfield, head of the Army's Aviation Center of Excellence.
NASA bigwigs want to be in Cape Canaveral to watch Space Exploration Technologies launch its first Dragon capsule to the International Space Station (ISS) on Feb. 7. The problem is, the Obama administration expects to present its budget request Feb. 6, so officials are undecided about whether to spell out NASA spending details in Washington or from Florida. As is often the case, the Falcon 9 rocket launch may slip. To allay NASA safety concerns and meet the Feb.
Ron Paul, the Republican presidential candidate most likely to support reductions in defense spending, ranks third in terms of donations from defense industry employees. Paul might want to end the war in Afghanistan, scrap all aid to foreign governments and see Pentagon spending tumble by $1 trillion, but the Texan with Libertarian tendencies strikes a chord with the defense industry's techno-geek workforce.
