Capt Charles Salerno, USSF

Capt Charles Salerno, USSF, serves as a key contracting professional within the Space Systems Command’s FA8818 office, responsible for executing complex acquisitions of advanced space-based communication and control systems. His role centers on enabling national defense space superiority through the procurement of resilient launch infrastructure, guided missile systems, and next-generation space vehicle technologies. He manages the full lifecycle of contract actions—from requirements validation and market research to source selection and contract award—ensuring alignment with Air Force and Department of Defense space modernization priorities. His acquisitions primarily support the development and sustainment of mission-critical space systems that enhance orbital awareness, secure communications, and rapid response capabilities. Capt Salerno collaborates with a broad ecosystem of defense aerospace contractors specializing in radio frequency systems, satellite payloads, and wireless command and control architectures. While specific contractor names are not publicly disclosed, his portfolio consistently engages prime contractors with deep expertise in RF engineering, space-grade electronics, and secure data link technologies. His working relationships emphasize technical rigor, performance-based contracting, and rigorous compliance with MIL-STD and NPR requirements, fostering partnerships with vendors capable of delivering high-reliability, space-qualified hardware under tight schedule constraints. Capt Salerno’s contracting activity reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of his acquisitions issued as non-set-aside procurements. This reflects the mission-critical nature of the systems being acquired, where technical capability, speed of delivery, and national security imperatives take precedence over socioeconomic set-asides. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in his portfolio, he adheres to all statutory requirements and may leverage small business subcontracting when technically appropriate. His primary procurement focus is on NAICS 334220—Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing—reflecting deep specialization in secure RF systems, satellite transceivers, phased array antennas, and encrypted space-to-ground communication terminals. He routinely procures components and subsystems integral to space vehicle command, control, and telemetry, demonstrating expertise in electromagnetic spectrum management, signal integrity, and space-hardened electronics.