Based in Washington, Jen manages Aviation Week’s worldwide defense, space and security coverage.
Prior to taking on her current 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.
Even though the FAA predicts the U.S. will be home to 7,500 active unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in the next five years, the agency regulating the nation’s airspace has a long way to go to make the skies safe for UAS to fly, according to the Transportation Department’s inspector general (IG). The FAA continues to work toward the goal established by Congress of integrating UAS into the national airspace by September 2015, a report from the IG states. But progress has been held up by a number of technological, regulatory and managerial barriers.
Along with its fiscal 2015 budget rollout early this year, the U.S. Army announced it will replace Bell -TH-67 helicopters with UH-72 Lakotas to train pilots at the Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Industry officials argue that the decision sets up what is a sole-source contract award to Airbus for at least 100 aircraft, and they note that over the long-term, cheaper options may exist. Now the Army’s proposal is facing some scrutiny from Congress and the Pentagon.
