Crystal Ashton

Crystal L. Ashton serves as a Purchasing Agent at the Naval Air Warfare Center Air Division, where she plays a critical role in acquiring mission-critical aviation systems and support services essential to maintaining air superiority and fleet readiness. Her procurement responsibilities encompass the full lifecycle of airborne subsystems, including avionics, communications, navigation, and electronic warfare components. She manages competitive acquisitions under FAR Part 15, ensuring compliance with defense acquisition regulations while aligning purchases with the agency’s modernization priorities for next-generation naval aircraft platforms. Ashton maintains strong, ongoing relationships with key industry partners including SABRE SYSTEMS, LLC, THE BOEING COMPANY, SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, SYSTEMS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS, INC., and ONTIC ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING, INC. These contractors provide advanced engineering, systems integration, and specialized manufacturing services for complex airborne systems. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical collaboration, performance-based contracting, and long-term sustainment partnerships to support the operational lifecycle of naval aviation assets. A defining feature of Ashton’s contracting profile is her robust commitment to small business participation, with 86% of her awards structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This consistent preference reflects a strategic emphasis on fostering innovation and capacity within the small business industrial base, particularly among firms capable of supporting niche aerospace manufacturing and maintenance requirements. While 8(a) competed set-asides account for 2% of her portfolio, her primary focus remains on broad small business engagement across socioeconomic categories. Her procurement activity is heavily concentrated in NAICS 336413 (Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing), reflecting a specialization in non-airframe components such as mission systems, sensors, and support hardware. She also frequently procures services under NAICS 811310 for commercial and industrial machinery maintenance, demonstrating expertise in sustaining legacy and modernized aircraft systems through technical repair and upgrade contracts.