Major Andrew Penrod

Major Andrew Penrod serves as a key procurement professional within the Department of Defense, supporting the agency’s mission to accelerate defense innovation through advanced engineering and mission-critical technology development. He manages complex acquisitions centered on research and development in physical, engineering, and life sciences, with a focus on next-generation analytical systems, secure software platforms, and next-generation communications infrastructure. His work directly enables agile acquisition pathways that transition cutting-edge technologies from concept to operational capability, ensuring alignment with DoD modernization priorities and national security imperatives. Major Penrod maintains consistent contracting relationships with leading defense prime contractors, including Lockheed Martin Corporation, The Boeing Company, Huntington Ingalls Inc., Electric Boat Corporation, and Humana Government Business Inc. These partnerships reflect a reliance on large, vertically integrated defense contractors with proven capabilities in systems integration, advanced manufacturing, and mission-critical software development. His procurement approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical rigor, and compliance with defense-specific acquisition regulations, fostering long-term collaborations built on technical credibility and delivery reliability. Major Penrod’s contracting portfolio reflects a strict preference for full and open competition, with 100% of his acquisitions conducted without socioeconomic set-asides. This indicates a deliberate focus on technical merit and mission readiness over socioeconomic criteria, prioritizing access to the most capable and experienced industry partners to meet urgent defense technology requirements. His approach underscores a mission-first procurement philosophy, where scale, capability, and proven performance outweigh small business participation targets. His primary procurement activity is concentrated in NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting deep expertise in advanced engineering R&D. He routinely procures classified and unclassified systems involving signal processing, secure communications architectures, cyber-resilient software, and analytical tools for intelligence and targeting applications, demonstrating specialized knowledge in defense science and technology acquisition.