Holly DeFord

Holly DeFord serves as a key procurement lead within the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, overseeing the acquisition of advanced simulation and avionics systems critical to naval aviation readiness. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts focused on mission-critical training infrastructure, including immersive flight simulators, tactical combat training systems, and integrated avionics hardware. Her work directly supports the Navy’s strategic imperative to modernize aircrew training through cutting-edge, real-time synthetic environments and mission rehearsal technologies. DeFord’s acquisitions span both hardware development and systems integration, ensuring alignment with Navy aviation training doctrine and operational readiness standards. She maintains strong, long-term relationships with primary contractors STRACON SERVICES GROUP, LLC and FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL INC, both of which provide high-fidelity simulation platforms and training system sustainment services. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes and technical interoperability, often requiring vendors to deliver certified, DoD-compliant training solutions with rigorous testing and validation protocols. DeFord frequently engages contractors in iterative development cycles, fostering collaborative partnerships that align with Navy innovation initiatives and rapid fielding requirements. DeFord demonstrates a balanced commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with approximately half of her acquisitions set aside for small businesses under FAR 19.5, and the other half awarded as full and open competitions. This dual strategy ensures robust competition while actively promoting small business participation across the training systems supply chain. Her procurement patterns reflect a deliberate effort to cultivate a diverse vendor base capable of supporting niche technical requirements. Her primary procurement focus lies within NAICS 333912 (Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing) and 333310 (Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing), reflecting her specialization in mechanical and electro-mechanical systems integral to flight training simulators. She procures components such as motion platforms, hydraulic actuators, environmental control systems, and ruggedized avionics hardware, demonstrating deep technical fluency in the physical and embedded systems underpinning naval aviation training.