Joanna Berntsen-Rooney

Joanna Berntsen-Rooney serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), supporting the lifecycle acquisition and sustainment of advanced naval aviation systems for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. She manages complex contracting actions for high-priority aircraft platforms, avionics, weapons integration, and associated logistics infrastructure, ensuring alignment with NAVAIR’s mission to maintain air superiority through technological innovation and operational readiness. Her work spans the full acquisition lifecycle—from requirements definition and source selection to contract award and performance oversight—focusing on mission-critical capabilities that support carrier-based and expeditionary aviation operations. She maintains consistent, long-term contracting relationships with leading defense prime contractors including Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and General Atomics, partnering with industry leaders to deliver next-generation rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, and precision strike technologies. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting, systems engineering integration, and risk-mitigated acquisition strategies, fostering collaborative partnerships with vendors capable of meeting stringent military specifications and rapid fielding timelines. Joanna’s contracting portfolio reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This underscores a strategic focus on maximizing technical capability and industrial base capacity over socioeconomic categorizations, though she remains compliant with all federal small business regulations. Her approach prioritizes mission need and system performance, ensuring access to the most capable and qualified industry partners regardless of business size classification. Her primary procurement focus is centered on NAICS 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing), encompassing the design, production, and sustainment of naval aircraft systems, including flight control systems, mission avionics, propulsion integration, and embedded logistics support. She possesses deep technical expertise in military aerospace systems, with particular proficiency in platforms requiring advanced sensor fusion, electronic warfare compatibility, and carrier suitability certifications.