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 U.S. Capitol has been consumed with battles over deficit reduction. But as plans for fiscal 2012 get down to specifics, a new round of battles is set to begin—over individual programs including Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and its Medium Extended Air Defense System.
A U.S. Senate panel’s cut to Pentagon purchasing in fiscal 2012 is one-third less than it seems. A bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee Sept. 15 cuts baseline procurement spending by $6 billion and shifts $2.9 billion to the supplemental account that funds the war in Afghanistan. The 22 budget lines include three of the Defense Department’s highest-profile UAV programs: the MQ-1A Gray Eagle, MQ-8 Fire Scout and the MQ-9 Reaper.
The two biggest losers in the fiscal 2012 spending bill approved Sept. 15 by the Senate Appropriations Committee may have difficulty remaining viable. The committee killed all funding for the Defense Weather Satellite System (DWSS) and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). With such a strong vote against them and additional cuts by the House, the long-term prospects probably aren’t good for either program.
