Monica Stucke

Monica Stucke serves as Program Manager for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (AFRL/PZL), where she leads the strategic planning and execution of research and development acquisitions critical to advancing next-generation aerospace propulsion and hypersonic systems. In this role, she oversees the full lifecycle of technical contracts—from concept development to technology transition—ensuring alignment with national defense priorities in propulsion innovation, adaptive flight control, and high-performance materials. Her acquisitions are primarily focused on fundamental and applied R&D, bridging laboratory breakthroughs with operational military capability. Stucke maintains consistent, long-term partnerships with industry leaders including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These relationships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, with contractors often engaged in multi-year, high-complexity projects involving computational fluid dynamics, combustor design, and advanced material fabrication. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical excellence and mission-critical performance, favoring vendors with proven expertise in aerospace propulsion systems and extreme-environment materials. Her contracting activity is exclusively classified under “No Set-Aside,” reflecting a focus on technical capability over socioeconomic classifications. While she does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her portfolio consistently supports large, mission-critical contractors with specialized engineering capacity necessary to meet the demanding requirements of hypersonics and propulsion R&D. Stucke’s acquisitions are overwhelmingly aligned with NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences. She procures advanced engineering services, prototype development, materials testing, and system integration for propulsion components, including turbine engines, scramjet systems, and thermal protection architectures. Her domain expertise centers on high-temperature materials, combustion dynamics, and flight-weight propulsion architectures essential to maintaining U.S. air and space superiority.