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.
Neither of the two men running for Virginia’s open U.S. Senate seat this November — Republican George Allen and rival Democrat Tim Kaine — can match the military experience of their predecessors. The state has been represented by former Navy secretaries since 1979 and is one of the nation’s most defense-rich states. Prime contractors in Virginia earned more than $54.85 billion in 2011, according to the Center for Security Policy’s study of defense contracting dollars, making oversight of the federal defense procurement process a key issue for the job.
The increase in Chinese defense spending dwarfs the growth in military investment across the rest of Asia, growing by 13.4% between 2000 and 2011, according to a new report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The report examined the five Asian nations that spend most heavily on defense: China, South Korea, Japan, India and Taiwan. South Korea ranked second, posting growth of 4.8%. Chinese defense spending could be even higher, the report notes, because of the country’s secrecy regarding defense.
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS: Despite U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s vow to increase defense spending, the employees of defense companies continue to invest in incumbent President Barack Obama. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the defense sector has contributed $660,800 to Obama’s presidential campaign and $574,841 to the Romney effort. Boeing’s employees have given $110,383, nearly double the amount they provided to Romney, which was $58,020.
