Melissa Skelley

Melissa Skelley serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to maintain technological dominance in undersea warfare systems. She manages complex acquisitions for advanced sensor, navigation, guidance, and signal processing technologies critical to submarine and unmanned undersea vehicle operations. Her portfolio centers on the development, testing, and sustainment of ruggedized electronic systems, including sonar arrays, underwater communication modules, and mission-critical computing platforms designed for harsh maritime environments. Skelley ensures compliance with DoD acquisition regulations while aligning contract strategies with the Navy’s modernization priorities in undersea domain awareness. She maintains consistent working relationships with specialized contractors including ORDNANCE TECHNOLOGY SERVICE, INC., Boh Environmental, L.L.C., and AEROSPACE & COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, all of which provide high-assurance electronics, environmental testing services, and mission-specific system integration. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical rigor and performance-based contracting, favoring vendors with proven expertise in defense-grade hardware and software development for undersea applications. These partnerships are typically long-term and performance-driven, reflecting a focus on reliability and sustainment over commoditized procurement. Skelley’s contracting activity reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside categories. This indicates a strategic emphasis on technical capability and industrial base readiness over socioeconomic classifications, though small business participation may occur organically through subcontracting or joint ventures. Her approach prioritizes mission-critical performance and system interoperability over socioeconomic targeting. Her primary focus is on NAICS 334511—Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing—reflecting deep expertise in procuring advanced undersea sensing, electronic warfare, and autonomous navigation systems. She consistently acquires custom-engineered hardware and software solutions tailored for submarine and UUV platforms, ensuring compatibility with naval combat systems and secure data architectures.