Kathie Stone

Kathie Stone serves as a key procurement lead within the FA8523 Aflcmc Eska, a critical unit of the Department of the Air Force responsible for advancing airborne electronic warfare systems. She manages the acquisition lifecycle for advanced avionics capabilities, including radar warning receivers, electronic countermeasures pods, and embedded signal processing systems essential to air dominance in contested environments. Her role centers on ensuring timely, compliant, and technically sound contract awards that align with the agency’s modernization priorities and operational readiness goals, with a focus on engineering services that integrate next-generation electronic attack and defensive systems into tactical aircraft platforms. Stone maintains a consistent and strategic partnership with NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION, the primary contractor for complex electronic warfare system development and integration. Her contracting patterns reflect a reliance on prime contractors with deep expertise in military avionics, while actively requiring subcontracting pathways for specialized technical support. She fosters long-term vendor relationships built on technical proficiency, systems engineering rigor, and proven performance in high-stakes defense environments. Her procurement strategy is fully aligned with small business participation, with 100% of her acquisitions set aside under FAR 19.5 for total small business eligibility. This reflects a deliberate commitment to cultivating a robust small business industrial base capable of supporting advanced electronic warfare requirements. She prioritizes contracting with firms possessing the technical agility to contribute to modular, open-architecture systems and sustainment services. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services), encompassing systems engineering, firmware development, electromagnetic compatibility testing, and mission software integration. She procures services critical to the design, test, and lifecycle support of electronic warfare suites, demonstrating deep domain expertise in signal intelligence, radar countermeasures, and airborne sensor architecture.