Charles Dean

Charles Dean serves as Program Manager within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where he oversees the strategic acquisition of advanced aerospace propulsion systems, hypersonic technologies, and high-performance functional materials critical to maintaining U.S. air and space dominance. In this role, he leads the end-to-end procurement lifecycle for mission-critical R&D contracts, ensuring alignment with national defense priorities and technical readiness goals. His acquisitions focus on translating fundamental scientific discoveries into operational capabilities, bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and field-deployable systems through structured contracting mechanisms that prioritize technical excellence and schedule fidelity. Dean maintains sustained partnerships with industry leaders including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC, engaging these vendors on complex, high-risk research and development efforts requiring deep expertise in propulsion physics, materials science, and adaptive flight control systems. His contracting approach emphasizes long-term collaboration with prime contractors possessing proven capabilities in aerospace propulsion and advanced manufacturing, often involving cost-sharing arrangements, cooperative agreements, and phased technical milestones to mitigate technical risk and accelerate innovation. There is no preference for socioeconomic set-asides; all procurements are conducted as full and open competitions, reflecting a mission-driven focus on technical merit over socioeconomic criteria. This approach ensures access to the broadest possible pool of qualified vendors capable of meeting the extreme performance demands of next-generation propulsion systems. Dean’s procurement portfolio is exclusively focused on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—encompassing computational fluid dynamics, combustor design, thermal protection systems, and novel composite materials. His technical domain expertise centers on hypersonics, turbojet and scramjet propulsion, and high-temperature structural materials, making him a key steward of the Air Force’s most advanced propulsion innovation pipeline.