Colleen Whipple

Colleen Whipple serves as a Contract Specialist within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), where she plays a pivotal role in executing the lifecycle acquisition of critical naval aviation systems. She manages complex contracting actions for aircraft platforms, propulsion systems, and associated avionics, ensuring alignment with NAVAIR’s mission to maintain air superiority through technologically advanced, sustainment-ready capabilities. Her work spans the full acquisition continuum—from requirements validation and source selection to contract award and performance management—supporting both new development and modernization initiatives for carrier-based and expeditionary aircraft fleets. Whipple maintains consistent, high-volume contracting relationships with leading defense aerospace primes, including Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and General Atomics. These partnerships center on the procurement of mission-critical systems such as rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, and integrated weapons architectures. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical risk mitigation, and long-term sustainment planning, fostering collaborative, mission-aligned vendor relationships grounded in compliance and accountability. Her procurement portfolio reflects a strong emphasis on full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This underscores a strategic focus on leveraging the industrial base’s largest and most capable defense contractors to meet urgent operational requirements, rather than socioeconomic set-asides. While small business participation is not a primary mechanism in her current portfolio, her processes remain fully compliant with FAR and NAVAIR-wide socioeconomic policies. Whipple’s primary contracting focus lies within NAICS 336412 (Aircraft Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing), reflecting her deep specialization in propulsion systems, turbine components, and powertrain integration. She also engages in NAICS 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing) for airframe and system integration contracts. Her technical expertise spans gas turbine engineering, flight control systems, and logistics support infrastructure, positioning her as a key steward of naval aviation’s core technological capabilities.