Chris Brake

Chris Brake serves as a secondary contracting professional within the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, supporting the procurement of mission-critical aviation systems and specialized components essential to naval airpower sustainment. While not the primary contracting officer, he plays a vital role in facilitating acquisition planning, vendor coordination, and contract administration for complex technical procurements. His work centers on advanced avionics, flight control subsystems, diagnostic instrumentation, and maintenance infrastructure, ensuring alignment with the division’s RDT&E mission to enhance aircraft readiness and operational performance across the Navy’s fleet. Brake maintains consistent collaboration with a core group of defense aerospace contractors, including Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration, PCI Aviation, Critical Communications, Controls and Instruments, and Aerospace & Commercial Technologies. These partnerships reflect a focus on high-reliability, military-specification components and integrated systems requiring rigorous testing and certification. His working relationships are characterized by technical engagement, iterative requirements validation, and adherence to defense acquisition regulations, often supporting sole-source or limited-competition procurements for proprietary or classified technologies. His procurement activity reflects a balanced approach to socioeconomic goals, with nearly half of all contracts set aside for small businesses under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a strong commitment to broadening vendor participation. While no single socioeconomic category dominates, the consistent use of small business set-asides signals a deliberate strategy to cultivate innovation from niche suppliers and maintain a resilient supply base for critical aviation subsystems. Brake’s technical focus is concentrated in NAICS 336413 for other aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment, with significant activity in machine shops (332710), industrial machinery (333924), rubber and plastics hose manufacturing (326220), and cutting tool accessory production (333515). These categories underscore his expertise in procuring precision-engineered, non-airframe components essential to aircraft systems integration, maintenance, and operational support.