Missy Ward

Missy Ward serves as Program Manager for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s FA8651 Rwk, where she leads the planning, execution, and oversight of high-priority research and development acquisitions aligned with the Department of the Air Force’s strategic imperatives in aerospace and defense innovation. Her role centers on translating technical roadmaps into actionable procurement strategies, managing full lifecycle contracts for foundational science and engineering projects that enable next-generation air, space, and hypersonic capabilities. She routinely handles competitive, full and open solicitations for advanced R&D services, particularly in autonomy systems, guided missile technologies, and infrared scene projection, ensuring alignment with federal acquisition regulations and mission-critical technical requirements. Missy Ward maintains a consistent working relationship with Concurrent Real-Time, Inc., a trusted contractor specializing in real-time simulation, embedded systems, and high-fidelity modeling for defense applications. Her procurement pattern reflects a preference for established technical partners with proven expertise in complex, physics-based engineering environments, often engaging vendors capable of delivering rapid prototyping, software-defined instrumentation, and closed-loop testbed solutions. These partnerships are characterized by long-term technical collaboration, iterative development cycles, and deep integration with AFRL’s laboratory infrastructure. Missy Ward’s portfolio is exclusively composed of full and open competitions, with no set-asides designated for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic categories. This reflects the highly specialized, mission-critical nature of the research being procured, where technical capability and domain expertise take precedence over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation is not formally incentivized in her portfolio, she remains committed to fair and transparent competition across all eligible vendors. Her primary procurement focus is centered on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where she acquires advanced engineering services, computational modeling, sensor development, and autonomous system integration. Her technical domain expertise spans hypersonics, real-time signal processing, and physics-based simulation, ensuring that funded efforts directly support the Air Force’s technological superiority objectives.