Clyde Hartshorn

Clyde Hartshorn serves as a Contract Specialist within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), where he plays a critical role in executing the acquisition lifecycle for naval aviation systems. Responsible for planning, soliciting, awarding, and administering contracts, he supports NAVAIR’s mission to develop, test, and sustain advanced aircraft, weapons, and avionics for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. His procurement activities primarily focus on complex, high-technology aerospace systems, including carrier-based and expeditionary platforms, with an emphasis on full-spectrum lifecycle management from prototyping through sustainment. Hartshorn ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while aligning contracting strategies with operational readiness goals. He maintains consistent, long-term relationships with leading defense prime contractors, including Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and General Atomics, engaging them on major system integrations, flight hardware, and mission-critical support services. His contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical rigor, and risk mitigation in high-stakes aerospace environments. These partnerships are characterized by collaborative requirements development, structured contract modifications, and rigorous oversight to ensure deliverables meet stringent military specifications. Hartshorn’s contracting portfolio reflects a strong preference for unrestricted, open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This indicates a focus on maximizing technical capability and industrial base efficiency rather than socioeconomic set-asides, aligning with NAVAIR’s priority of procuring mission-critical systems from the most qualified industry partners regardless of business size or certification. His procurement activities are exclusively focused on NAICS 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing), underscoring deep specialization in the design, production, and modification of military aircraft and associated subsystems. He regularly handles procurements for rotary-wing and fixed-wing platforms, propulsion systems, integrated avionics, and flight control technologies, demonstrating expertise in aerospace engineering standards and defense procurement frameworks.