Franklin Patton

Franklin Patton serves as a key procurement lead within Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport, supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to advance maritime warfare capabilities through cutting-edge research, development, testing, and evaluation. He manages a diverse portfolio of contracts focused on naval sensor systems, electronic warfare components, integrated communication architectures, and navigation instrumentation critical to undersea, surface, and aerial domain superiority. His acquisitions are strategically aligned with the agency’s technical priorities, ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical technologies that enhance fleet readiness and operational dominance. Patton maintains strong, long-standing relationships with leading defense and aerospace contractors including Science Applications International Corporation, Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, Astronics Test Systems Inc, Serco Inc, and Mikel Inc. These partnerships reflect a preference for established industry players with proven expertise in naval systems integration, test equipment development, and advanced electronics manufacturing. His contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and compliance with defense acquisition regulations, fostering reliable vendor collaboration on complex, high-stakes programs. While the majority of his acquisitions are unrestricted, Patton consistently allocates approximately 25% of his portfolio to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to small business participation. He prioritizes vendors with relevant technical capabilities over socioeconomic classifications, resulting in a balanced mix of small business engagement without reliance on specialized set-aside programs such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB. His primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services) and 334511 (Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing), reflecting deep expertise in sonar arrays, underwater acoustic sensors, avionics integration, and precision navigation hardware. He routinely procures custom-designed electronic systems, test and calibration equipment, and embedded computing platforms tailored to naval operational environments.