Charles R Poston

Charles R. Poston serves as a key procurement lead within the Naval Air Warfare Center Air Division, overseeing the acquisition of advanced aviation systems critical to maintaining naval air superiority. He manages complex research and development contracts focused on integrating next-generation avionics, electronic warfare suites, and mission-critical aircraft subsystems into current and future naval platforms. His work directly supports the agency’s mission to modernize airborne sensor technologies and sustain legacy systems through technically demanding, performance-based acquisitions. Poston specializes in engineering services, systems integration, and developmental testing contracts that require deep technical oversight and rigorous compliance with defense acquisition regulations. He maintains sustained working relationships with leading defense 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 long-term, mission-critical collaborations centered on systems engineering, prototype development, and technical evaluation of airborne platforms. Poston’s contracting approach emphasizes performance outcomes, technical innovation, and contractor accountability in high-stakes aerospace environments. Poston’s procurement portfolio reflects a strict focus on open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside preferences. While he does not prioritize socioeconomic set-asides such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, his contracting decisions are driven by technical capability, past performance, and the need for specialized aerospace engineering expertise rather than socioeconomic criteria. His primary procurement focus lies within NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where he acquires advanced engineering services for avionics modernization, signal processing, communications architecture, and electronic attack systems. He routinely procures mission-critical R&D efforts involving radar integration, data link systems, and airborne sensor suite enhancements, demonstrating deep domain expertise in naval aviation technology development and lifecycle sustainment.