Linda Carlson

Linda M. Carlson serves as a Contract Specialist within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), where she plays a critical role in executing the acquisition lifecycle for advanced naval aviation systems. She manages complex procurements spanning the development, testing, and sustainment of aircraft, avionics, and mission-critical defense systems, ensuring alignment with NAVAIR’s mission to maintain air superiority through cutting-edge technology. Her work encompasses full-cycle contracting for high-priority programs involving carrier-based and expeditionary platforms, with a focus on technical compliance, risk mitigation, and lifecycle support. Carlson’s acquisitions are instrumental in sustaining the operational readiness of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviation assets. She maintains longstanding procurement relationships with industry leaders including Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and General Atomics, partnering with prime contractors who deliver integrated aerospace and weapons systems. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, systems integration, and sustainment support, often involving technical specifications for radar, electronic warfare, and unmanned aerial systems. These partnerships are characterized by consistent collaboration, rigorous oversight, and adherence to defense acquisition regulations, ensuring timely delivery of mission-essential capabilities. Carlson’s contracting portfolio reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This indicates a focus on leveraging full industry capability to meet stringent technical requirements, rather than socioeconomic set-asides. While she does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, her approach ensures that all qualified vendors—regardless of size—compete on technical merit and delivery capability. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 334511 (aeronautical and navigation system manufacturing) and 336411 (aircraft manufacturing), reflecting deep expertise in avionics, sensor systems, flight control technologies, and airframe integration. She routinely procures advanced systems including radar suites, missile guidance components, flight instrumentation, and support equipment critical to naval air operations, demonstrating specialized knowledge in defense aerospace engineering and systems acquisition.