Derek Tenney

Derek Tenney serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), supporting the acquisition and sustainment of advanced naval aviation systems critical to U.S. Navy and Marine Corps air superiority. He manages complex contracting actions for high-priority defense platforms, focusing on guided missile systems, space vehicle technologies, and integrated avionics architectures. His work directly supports NAVAIR’s lifecycle management mission, ensuring operational readiness through the procurement of cutting-edge weapons systems, missile defense components, and related mission-critical infrastructure. Tenney handles full-spectrum acquisitions, from research and development through production and logistics support, often coordinating with engineering and test communities to align contractual requirements with technical performance standards. Tenney maintains consistent, long-term relationships with prime contractors including Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and General Atomics, all of which serve as primary integrators for naval aviation platforms and guided weapon systems. His contracting approach emphasizes performance-based logistics, systems engineering support, and risk-sharing partnerships with industry leaders capable of delivering high-assurance, mission-essential capabilities. These relationships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, iterative contract modifications, and sustained sustainment contracting to support fleet modernization efforts. Tenney’s procurement portfolio reflects a strict focus on open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside conditions. This indicates a preference for full and open competition, prioritizing technical capability and industrial base readiness over socioeconomic set-asides. While small business participation is not formally incentivized in his portfolio, his contracting actions remain compliant with all federal acquisition regulations and support broader Department of Defense goals for a resilient, capable industrial base. His primary technical domain centers on NAICS 336414—Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing—reflecting deep expertise in procurement of air-launched munitions, hypersonic systems, missile guidance packages, and space-enabled targeting architectures. Tenney’s work ensures the Navy’s airborne strike and defensive capabilities remain technologically superior, leveraging advanced propulsion, sensor fusion, and networked warfighting systems.