April J Powers

April J. Powers serves as a Contractor Specialist at the Naval Air Warfare Center Air Division, where she plays a pivotal role in managing the acquisition of mission-critical aviation systems and subsystems essential to naval air superiority. Responsible for executing full lifecycle procurement actions, she specializes in complex contracts for advanced avionics, electronic warfare suites, communications networks, and auxiliary aircraft equipment. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to modernize and sustain next-generation naval aircraft platforms, ensuring operational readiness through timely and technically sound contracting solutions. Powers interfaces extensively with engineering, systems integration, and test teams to align procurement strategy with technical requirements and program timelines. She maintains enduring relationships with prime contractors including SABRE SYSTEMS, LLC, THE BOEING COMPANY, SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, SYSTEMS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS, INC., and ONTIC ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING, INC. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, with vendors providing specialized engineering services, hardware integration, and sustainment support for high-performance airborne systems. Powers consistently engages these industry leaders on competitive, performance-based contracts requiring rigorous compliance with military specifications and defense acquisition regulations. Powers’ contracting portfolio reflects a 100% preference for unrestricted acquisitions, with no set-asides designated for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic programs. Her approach prioritizes technical capability and mission-critical performance over socioeconomic preferences, aligning with the agency’s focus on rapid modernization and operational urgency. Her primary procurement focus lies within NAICS 336413—Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing—where she procures precision-engineered components, mission computer hardware, sensor interfaces, and embedded systems integral to naval aircraft. Her expertise spans avionics architecture, electronic countermeasures, and aircraft systems integration, making her a key liaison between defense contractors and the Navy’s technical community in delivering cutting-edge air warfare capabilities.