Peter Flick

Peter Flick serves as a Program Lead within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (AFRL/PZL), where he oversees the acquisition of advanced aerospace propulsion systems, hypersonic technologies, and high-performance functional materials critical to U.S. air and space dominance. His role centers on managing complex research and development contracts that bridge fundamental scientific innovation with operational capability delivery. Flick specializes in securing cutting-edge engineering solutions through competitive, full-and-open procurement strategies, ensuring alignment with the Department of the Air Force’s strategic modernization goals in propulsion and adaptive flight systems. He maintains long-standing, mission-critical relationships with industry leaders including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, with contractors providing specialized expertise in propulsion system design, materials characterization, computational fluid dynamics, and manufacturing scalability. Flick’s approach emphasizes performance-based contracting and technical risk mitigation, fostering enduring vendor relationships grounded in rigorous engineering validation and iterative prototyping. Flick’s procurement portfolio is exclusively structured under full-and-open competition, with no set-asides applied to his acquisitions. This reflects a strategic emphasis on accessing the broadest possible pool of technical capability, prioritizing mission-critical performance over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation is not formally incentivized in his portfolio, vendors of all sizes are evaluated on technical merit, innovation, and proven capability in high-stakes aerospace domains. His primary focus is on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where he procures advanced propulsion prototypes, hypersonic test hardware, thermoplastic composite structures, and adaptive control algorithms. His technical domain expertise spans gas turbine systems, scramjet integration, thermal protection materials, and high-temperature structural components essential for next-generation air and space platforms.