Michael Ford

Michael Ford serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, supporting the U.S. Navy’s mission to modernize and sustain surface ship systems. He manages complex acquisitions for advanced electronic systems, shipboard integration, and industrial control infrastructure critical to naval operational readiness. His portfolio spans engineering services, mission-critical hardware, and systems integration for propulsion, damage control, and ballast systems, ensuring compliance with Department of Defense technical and acquisition standards. Ford’s work directly enables the lifecycle sustainment and technological evolution of naval platforms through strategic contracting decisions aligned with naval modernization priorities. He maintains established working relationships with leading defense contractors including Fairbanks Morse, LLC, Leidos, Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation, G.S.E. Dynamics, Inc., and Kampi Components Co Inc. These partnerships reflect a balanced approach to sourcing high-reliability components and integrated systems from both large prime contractors and specialized engineering firms with deep domain expertise in naval applications. Ford’s procurement patterns emphasize technical rigor, performance-based requirements, and long-term sustainment support, fostering collaborative vendor relationships grounded in quality, compliance, and mission alignment. His contracting approach reflects a deliberate equity between unrestricted and small business opportunities, with equal portions of awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting goals, actively engaging qualified small businesses in high-technology domains without compromising mission-critical performance standards. He consistently prioritizes small business participation across the acquisition lifecycle, ensuring diverse vendors have meaningful access to naval engineering and systems integration contracts. Ford’s procurement focus is concentrated in NAICS 334111 (Electronic Computer Manufacturing) and 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing), reflecting expertise in procuring embedded computing systems, naval-grade electronics, and shipboard integration hardware. He specializes in acquiring ruggedized control systems, sensor networks, and industrial automation solutions tailored for harsh maritime environments, ensuring interoperability with legacy and next-generation naval platforms.