Dalila Burton

Dalila Burton serves as a Contract Specialist within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s RDK division (FA9451), where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex research and development acquisitions critical to national aerospace superiority. She manages the full lifecycle of contracts for advanced scientific and engineering projects, including directed energy systems, electro-optical sensors, laser vulnerability assessments, and next-generation instrumentation. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to pioneer breakthrough technologies that enhance air dominance through rapid innovation and technical excellence. Burton specializes in sole-source and competitive acquisitions under FAR Part 35 and 36, often navigating high-technical-risk procurements requiring specialized scientific expertise and stringent compliance with DoD research protocols. Burton collaborates with a diverse ecosystem of federal contractors, including defense primes, university-affiliated research centers, and niche technology firms with deep expertise in physics and engineering sciences. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for partners with proven capabilities in laser system development, optical diagnostics, and high-energy physics instrumentation. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages vendors with active DoD clearances, ISO-certified R&D facilities, and prior experience in classified aerospace programs, fostering long-term partnerships built on technical reliability and regulatory compliance. Burton’s procurement portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted under full and open competition. This reflects the highly specialized nature of RDK’s mission, where technical superiority and proprietary innovation take precedence over socioeconomic preferences. While she does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her process remains fully compliant with all federal socioeconomic regulations, ensuring transparency and fairness in competitive solicitations. Her primary focus is NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where she procures advanced R&D services in laser physics, photonics, materials characterization, and directed energy countermeasures. She routinely awards contracts to firms with demonstrated expertise in high-power laser systems, adaptive optics, and battlefield sensor integration, ensuring the Air Force maintains a decisive technological edge in emerging threat environments.