Amy T. Richards

Amy T. Richards serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWC Dahlgren), supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to advance integrated warfighting systems through research, development, test, and evaluation. She manages a portfolio of acquisitions focused on advanced hardware manufacturing and applied research in electronic warfare, signal processing, command and control platforms, and embedded computing systems. Her work directly enables the modernization of surface ship combat systems and networked battle space capabilities, ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical technologies to the fleet. Richards maintains consistent contracting relationships with specialized vendors including TEX-TECH ENGINEERED COMPOSITES, LLC for advanced material systems, TATITLEK GOVERNMENT SERVICES, INC. for technical support and engineering services, 3DB LABS INC for additive manufacturing solutions, WASTE REMOVAL USA, LLC for environmental compliance services, and BOWHEAD PROGRAM MANAGEMENT & OPERATIONS, LLC for programmatic and logistics support. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term partnerships with firms possessing niche technical expertise in defense-critical domains, fostering collaboration between industry and government R&D teams. Her procurement strategy reflects a balanced commitment to socioeconomic goals, with approximately one-third of awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate emphasis on enabling small business innovation. While the majority of acquisitions are open to full and open competition, she actively prioritizes qualified small businesses with proven capabilities in defense electronics and advanced manufacturing. Richards’ primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 332510 (Hardware Manufacturing) and 541715 (Research and Development in Physical and Engineering Sciences), reflecting her specialization in procuring ruggedized electronic components, sensor hardware, and applied engineering services for naval combat systems. Her expertise spans the full lifecycle of technical acquisitions—from prototype development to production-scale manufacturing—ensuring alignment with Navy modernization priorities in electronic warfare and networked warfare environments.