Colleen G. Coombs

Colleen G. Coombs serves as a secondary procurement professional within the Naval Air Warfare Center Air Division, supporting the acquisition of advanced aviation systems critical to maintaining air superiority and fleet readiness. Though not the primary contracting officer, she plays a vital role in facilitating the planning, solicitation, and administration of complex technical contracts for avionics, electronic warfare systems, and mission-critical aircraft subsystems. Her work ensures alignment with the Division’s strategic modernization goals, particularly in integrating next-generation sensors, communications, and navigation technologies into naval platforms. She routinely engages in the full lifecycle of acquisitions, from requirements definition through contract award and oversight, often collaborating with senior contracting officers on high-priority, mission-essential procurements. Coombs maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of 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 blend of large defense integrators and specialized engineering firms capable of delivering advanced technical solutions in avionics, software development, and aerospace component manufacturing. Her procurement patterns indicate a preference for established vendors with proven capabilities in complex system integration, while also supporting subcontracting networks that enable broader industry participation. Her contracting portfolio reflects a strong commitment to small business participation, with over 43% of awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5 and an additional 3.1% awarded through 8(a) competed programs. While the majority of acquisitions remain open to all competitors, her consistent use of small business set-asides demonstrates a deliberate effort to foster innovation and capacity within the defense small business ecosystem. Coombs primarily supports procurements under NAICS codes 511210 (Software Publishers) and 513210 (Software Publishers), reflecting heavy demand for mission software, signal processing algorithms, and embedded systems. She also regularly engages with contractors in 334220 (Radio and Wireless Communications Equipment) and 336413 (Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment), indicating deep technical expertise in airborne communication systems, avionics integration, and specialized aerospace components essential to modern naval aviation platforms.