Mr. Rafael Soberal

Mr. Rafael Soberal serves as a key procurement lead within the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (N61340), where he manages the acquisition of advanced simulation, flight training, and engineering services critical to naval aviation readiness. His role centers on executing contracts that modernize tactical training systems, integrate immersive avionics environments, and sustain mission-critical training infrastructure for pilots and aircrews. Soberal oversees complex technical acquisitions spanning systems engineering, curriculum development, and simulation platform integration, ensuring alignment with Navy aviation training doctrine and emerging operational requirements. He maintains strategic partnerships with leading training system integrators, most notably STRACON SERVICES GROUP, LLC and FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL INC, which provide high-fidelity flight simulators, synthetic training environments, and instructor support services. His contracting patterns reflect a preference for established industry partners with proven capabilities in aerospace training systems, while maintaining a balanced approach to innovation through smaller, specialized vendors. Soberal’s procurement approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical rigor, and lifecycle sustainment of training assets. Soberal exhibits a strong commitment to socioeconomic diversity in contracting, with approximately half of his acquisitions set aside for small businesses under FAR 19.5. His portfolio consistently includes opportunities for small disadvantaged businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned firms, and other qualified small entities, reflecting a deliberate effort to broaden vendor participation without compromising mission-critical performance standards. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services) and 611512 (Flight Training), reflecting deep expertise in systems engineering for training architectures and operational flight instruction platforms. He procures advanced simulation hardware, embedded training software, avionics integration services, and curriculum design solutions tailored to naval aviation tactics, ensuring training systems meet the evolving demands of modern maritime air operations.