James Headington

James Headington serves as the primary contracting lead for the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation at Oklahoma City, where he oversees the acquisition of critical aviation components essential to sustaining U.S. military aircraft readiness. His responsibilities include managing the full lifecycle of procurement actions for propulsion systems, avionics, and auxiliary equipment, ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical parts for both legacy and modern airframes. He operates within a high-tempo operational environment where supply chain resilience and technical compliance are paramount, focusing on direct-source contracts that support the Department of Defense’s aviation sustainment objectives. Headington maintains long-standing relationships with key industry partners including Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Aero International, LLC, and Thomas Instrument, Incorporated, all of which provide specialized engineering and manufacturing capabilities for aircraft systems. His contracting patterns reflect a preference for established Tier 1 suppliers with proven track records in aerospace component production, particularly those capable of meeting stringent MIL-SPEC and AS9100 requirements. While he engages with a limited pool of trusted vendors, his approach emphasizes reliability, technical validation, and contract performance over volume-based competition. His procurement portfolio exhibits minimal use of socioeconomic set-asides, with 98.9% of actions awarded under full and open competition, reflecting the specialized nature of aviation parts requiring certified manufacturing capabilities. Small business participation remains low at 1.1%, primarily through Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, indicating a focus on technical capability over socioeconomic criteria in this high-stakes domain. Headington’s primary acquisition focus lies in NAICS 336412—Aircraft Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing—where he procures turbine components, fuel control systems, and exhaust assemblies. Secondary activity includes parts under 336413 for avionics support equipment and 332991 for high-precision bearings. His expertise centers on complex mechanical and electro-mechanical systems requiring rigorous certification, underscoring his deep technical familiarity with aerospace propulsion and auxiliary systems.