Meagan Rippeon

Meagan Q. Rippeon serves as a Contract Specialist at the Naval Air Warfare Center Air Division, where she plays a critical role in executing complex acquisitions to support the development, testing, and sustainment of advanced naval aviation systems. Her responsibilities encompass the full lifecycle of procurement—from market research and solicitation development to contract award and administration—ensuring alignment with Department of the Navy strategic priorities in avionics, electronic warfare, and mission-critical aircraft subsystems. She primarily handles engineering services and specialized manufacturing contracts for next-generation airborne systems, balancing technical rigor with regulatory compliance under FAR and DFARS frameworks. Rippeon maintains consistent working relationships with key industry partners including SABRE SYSTEMS, LLC, THE BOEING COMPANY, SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, SYSTEMS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS, INC., and ONTIC ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING, INC. These partnerships reflect a blend of prime contractors with deep aerospace expertise and niche suppliers capable of delivering specialized components for radar, navigation, and sensor integration. Her procurement approach emphasizes long-term collaboration with vendors possessing proven capabilities in high-reliability systems and defense-grade manufacturing standards. While the majority of her acquisitions (83.3%) are conducted under open competition, Rippeon demonstrates a deliberate commitment to small business participation, with 16.7% of awards structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. She actively seeks qualified small businesses capable of supporting technical domains requiring ITAR compliance and specialized engineering certifications, fostering a diverse supplier base without compromising mission readiness. Her primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services), where she sources systems engineering, integration, and test support, followed by NAICS 336413 (Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing) for avionics hardware and NAICS 334513 for precision instrumentation. This technical emphasis underscores her expertise in procuring mission-critical components for airborne platforms, ensuring interoperability, survivability, and operational sustainability across the fleet.