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.
The head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is projecting a sense of confidence that despite the federal government’s focus on cutting the deficit, the agency’s signature programs—the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system and the Phased Adaptive Approach for Europe—are likely to escape major budget reductions.
The director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency is downplaying a recent test failure of Raytheon’s SM-3 IB missile interceptor as a typical rite of passage for early flight tests. For the SM-3 IB, part of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system, it was the first end-to-end test. And on that early trial in September, the interceptor failed to shoot down a target.
The defense industry and some members of the U.S. Congress have been united in their push against the potential for nearly $1 trillion in reductions to the U.S. military budget. But as budget deliberations in Washington intensify, divisions among denizens of on Capitol Hill are emerging. Lawmakers are making specific pleas to save certain weapons programs. House Republicans are urging the Pentagon to avoid changes to military benefits. And partisan divisions related to spending and taxes are widening.
