Joseph Carrier

Joseph Carrier serves as Chief of Military GPS User Equipment Acquisition Operations within the FA8823 Sustainment MCPNT SSC/PKL under the Department of the Air Force, where he leads the strategic procurement and lifecycle sustainment of critical global positioning system user terminals and associated wireless communications hardware. His role is central to ensuring operational readiness of Air Force and joint force navigation, timing, and positioning capabilities, overseeing end-to-end acquisition cycles for ruggedized, secure, and field-deployable GPS receivers, anti-jam systems, and integrated navigation payloads. He manages complex technical acquisitions aligned with modernization imperatives for contested electromagnetic environments, coordinating with engineering, logistics, and test communities to deliver mission-critical capabilities on schedule. Carrier’s contractor relationships are primarily with Tier 1 defense electronics manufacturers and specialized systems integrators experienced in military-grade RF and signal processing technologies. He engages with vendors possessing deep expertise in DoD-compliant encryption, M-code capability, and MIL-STD environmental hardening, fostering long-term partnerships grounded in technical rigor and supply chain resilience. His procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting, open architecture standards, and rapid fielding cycles to meet evolving operational demands. Carrier’s acquisition portfolio exhibits a 100% preference for non-set-aside contracts, reflecting the specialized, high-technology nature of GPS user equipment requirements and the limited pool of qualified vendors capable of meeting stringent military specifications. While small business participation is not formally prioritized through socioeconomic set-asides, he supports competitive bidding from all qualified sources, including small firms with niche capabilities in secure communications hardware. His primary focus is NAICS 334220, encompassing the manufacturing of radio and wireless communications equipment. He procures advanced military GPS terminals, embedded navigation systems, and secure waveform modules, demonstrating deep technical expertise in satellite navigation architecture, anti-spoofing technologies, and integrated C4ISR interoperability standards.