Cathy Sheaffer

Cathy Sheaffer serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Air Warfare Center Air Division, supporting the development, testing, and sustainment of advanced naval aviation systems. She manages complex acquisitions for mission-critical avionics, electronic warfare subsystems, and aircraft integration technologies, ensuring alignment with the Navy’s strategic priorities in air superiority and operational readiness. Her portfolio encompasses engineering services, research and development, and specialized instrument manufacturing, often involving high-technology, low-volume production systems. Sheaffer plays a pivotal role in translating operational requirements into compliant, performance-based contracts that support next-generation platforms while maintaining legacy system sustainment. Sheaffer maintains longstanding 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 reflect a focus on established defense aerospace primes and specialized engineering firms capable of delivering advanced technical solutions under stringent military specifications. Her contracting patterns emphasize long-term technical collaboration, often involving prototyping, systems integration, and test and evaluation services requiring deep domain expertise in airborne sensor suites and electronic systems. Her procurement strategy prioritizes open competition, with 85.7% of awards issued without set-aside restrictions, reflecting the technical complexity and limited vendor base in her domain. However, she consistently allocates 14.3% of opportunities to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured commitment to small business participation where capabilities align with mission needs. Her primary NAICS focus includes engineering services (541330) and R&D in physical and engineering sciences (541715), underscoring expertise in systems engineering, avionics development, and test instrumentation. She also procures specialized aircraft subsystems and precision measurement equipment (334515, 336411), reflecting deep technical proficiency in airborne sensor integration, electronic warfare systems, and mission-critical aircraft component manufacturing.