Michael J Ward

Michael J. Ward serves as a Contracting Officer at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), where he is responsible for managing complex acquisitions of advanced avionics, flight control systems, diagnostic instrumentation, and specialized aircraft support equipment. His role is critical to advancing naval aviation readiness through the procurement of mission-critical technologies that support research, development, test, and evaluation initiatives. Ward oversees full lifecycle contract actions—from solicitation and source selection to award and administration—ensuring compliance with FAR and Navy-specific acquisition policies while aligning procurements with NAWCAD’s strategic objectives for next-generation airpower. He maintains enduring partnerships with leading defense contractors including Lockheed Martin Corporation, BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc., PCI Aviation LLC, Critical Communications, Controls and Instruments, LLC, and Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC. These relationships are characterized by sustained engagement on high-technical-demand projects requiring specialized engineering expertise, rapid prototyping, and rigorous certification processes. Ward’s contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and risk-mitigated contract structures tailored to complex aerospace systems. While the majority of his acquisitions (86.5%) are conducted under full and open competition, he consistently supports small business participation through Total Small Business Set-Asides (13.5%), reflecting a deliberate commitment to expanding the defense industrial base. His socioeconomic contracting patterns prioritize verified small businesses capable of delivering niche avionics and instrumentation solutions. Ward’s procurement focus is overwhelmingly concentrated in NAICS 336413—Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing—reflecting his specialization in procuring non-airframe components such as sensors, control modules, maintenance diagnostics, and mission-critical subsystems. His technical domain expertise spans avionics integration, flight system instrumentation, and support infrastructure for naval aircraft platforms.