Major Monika Lunn

Major Monika Lunn serves as the Technical Point of Contact for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (AFRL/PZL), where she provides critical technical oversight for high-priority research and development acquisitions in aerospace propulsion, hypersonics, and advanced materials. In this role, she bridges engineering requirements with procurement execution, ensuring that contract deliverables align with mission-critical R&D objectives. She primarily supports sole-source and competitive research contracts under the Department of Defense’s advanced technology development pipeline, focusing on early-stage innovation that transitions into operational propulsion systems and adaptive flight control technologies. Her expertise ensures technical rigor is embedded in acquisition planning, evaluation, and contract management. Major Lunn maintains sustained working relationships with leading defense and aerospace contractors including UES Inc., General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, with contractors often engaged in long-term, multi-phase R&D efforts requiring specialized capabilities in combustion dynamics, high-temperature materials, and propulsion system integration. Her approach emphasizes technical merit over cost alone, fostering partnerships with industry leaders who possess proven expertise in classified and unclassified aerospace propulsion domains. Major Lunn’s contracting portfolio reflects a strict focus on open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions classified as No Set-Aside. This indicates a deliberate emphasis on technical capability and mission readiness over socioeconomic preferences, prioritizing the most qualified vendors regardless of business size or certification status. While small business participation is not formally targeted, her procurement decisions remain compliant with all federal regulations and are driven by technical necessity and program urgency. Her procurement activity is exclusively concentrated under NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)—reflecting her specialization in fundamental and applied R&D for next-generation propulsion systems, thermal protection materials, and advanced component testing. She routinely procures services related to computational fluid dynamics, materials characterization, hypersonic wind tunnel testing, and propulsion system prototyping, supporting AFRL’s mission to maintain U.S. air and space dominance through technological superiority.