Mark S Drager

Mark S. Drager serves as a Contracting Officer within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), responsible for managing the full lifecycle acquisition of naval aviation systems critical to maintaining U.S. Navy and Marine Corps air superiority. He executes complex procurement actions for advanced aircraft platforms, weapons integration, avionics, and sustainment support, ensuring alignment with NAVAIR’s strategic modernization goals. His portfolio encompasses major defense acquisition programs requiring rigorous technical evaluation, risk mitigation, and compliance with DoD acquisition regulations, including FAR and DFARS. Drager plays a pivotal role in delivering mission-critical capabilities from concept through fielding and logistics support. Drager maintains consistent, long-term contracting relationships with leading aerospace and defense prime contractors, including Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and General Atomics. These partnerships center on the development and integration of carrier-based and expeditionary aircraft systems, unmanned aerial systems, and precision strike technologies. His procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting, technical oversight, and supply chain resilience, fostering collaborative environments with industry to meet evolving operational requirements and rapid fielding timelines. Drager’s contracting activity reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of his awards issued without socioeconomic set-asides. This reflects NAVAIR’s mission-critical need for specialized technical capabilities that are currently concentrated among a limited number of qualified industry partners with deep expertise in military aviation systems. While small business participation is not formally prioritized through set-asides in his portfolio, all procurements remain fully compliant with statutory small business goals and include subcontracting opportunities where technically feasible. His primary procurement focus is on NAICS 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing), encompassing the design, development, testing, and sustainment of fixed-wing and rotary-wing naval aircraft, along with associated mission systems and support equipment. Drager’s technical expertise spans flight control systems, radar integration, electronic warfare suites, and logistics support infrastructure, positioning him as a key procurement leader in the naval aviation modernization enterprise.