Kelly O'Brien

Kelly O’Brien serves as a Contract Specialist within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), where she plays a critical role in executing the lifecycle acquisition of advanced naval aviation systems. Responsible for planning, soliciting, awarding, and administering complex contracts, she supports NAVAIR’s mission to develop, test, and sustain cutting-edge aircraft, guided weapons, and avionics for the Navy and Marine Corps. Her portfolio primarily encompasses high-technology defense procurements requiring rigorous technical evaluation and compliance with Department of Defense acquisition regulations, including FAR and DFARS. She works closely with engineering, logistics, and program management teams to ensure contractual deliverables align with operational readiness goals and technological modernization priorities. O’Brien maintains longstanding procurement relationships with leading defense prime contractors, including Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and General Atomics. These partnerships center on the acquisition of manned and unmanned aerial systems, missile defense components, and integrated avionics architectures. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, risk mitigation, and technical compliance, fostering collaborative relationships with industry partners to deliver mission-critical capabilities under tight operational timelines. Her contracting activity reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This indicates a focus on leveraging the full industrial base to meet the technical and scale requirements of naval aviation programs, rather than socioeconomic set-asides. While small business participation is not a primary contracting mechanism in her portfolio, she ensures all procurements adhere to fair competition principles and regulatory transparency. O’Brien’s work is concentrated in NAICS 336414—Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing—reflecting her deep specialization in precision-guided munitions, launch systems, and associated mission electronics. She routinely procures advanced propulsion systems, electro-optical sensors, and integrated command and control architectures essential to carrier-based and expeditionary air operations, demonstrating expertise in aerospace defense technology and systems integration.