Kerstin Howard

Kerstin Howard serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Air Warfare Center Air Division, supporting the acquisition of advanced avionics, mission systems, and integrated software solutions critical to naval air superiority. She manages complex contract vehicles focused on computer systems design services, ensuring that cutting-edge technical capabilities—from electronic warfare suites to next-generation navigation and communications subsystems—are rapidly developed, tested, and fielded across fleet platforms. Her work directly enables the agency’s mission to modernize airborne sensor architectures and sustain legacy aircraft systems through agile, performance-based contracting approaches. Howard maintains longstanding relationships with leading defense technology contractors including SABRE SYSTEMS, LLC, THE BOEING COMPANY, SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, SYSTEMS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS, INC., and ONTIC ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING, INC. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, often involving systems engineering, software integration, and rapid prototyping of mission-critical aviation technologies. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance outcomes, technical risk mitigation, and sustained vendor engagement throughout the acquisition lifecycle. Howard’s procurement portfolio is exclusively classified under NAICS 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services), reflecting a singular focus on high-complexity, engineering-driven IT and systems integration services. She does not utilize any socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of her acquisitions competed without restriction, indicating a preference for technical excellence and full and open competition among qualified industry leaders. Her contracting patterns prioritize mission-critical capabilities over socioeconomic preferences, aligning with the agency’s urgent need for specialized expertise in avionics architecture, embedded systems, and real-time data processing for naval aircraft.