Richard Boast

Richard Boast serves as a Procuring Contracting Officer at the Missile Defense Agency (HQ0276), where he plays a critical role in acquiring advanced technologies to support the development, testing, and fielding of integrated missile defense systems. He manages complex acquisitions spanning research and development, systems integration, and operational testing of kinetic and non-kinetic countermeasures, including interceptors, sensors, and command-and-control architectures. His procurement activities directly enable the agency’s mission to defend the United States and its allies against ballistic and hypersonic threats, ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical capabilities through compliant, risk-managed contracting practices. While specific contractor names are not disclosed, Boast consistently engages with a diverse ecosystem of defense contractors and technical service providers specializing in aerospace engineering, systems analysis, and defense innovation. His contracting patterns reflect deep collaboration with prime contractors possessing high-level security clearances and proven expertise in classified defense programs, often partnering with firms capable of rapid prototyping, live-fire testing support, and systems engineering integration across multi-domain environments. Boast’s procurement portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects the highly specialized, classified, and technically demanding nature of missile defense systems, where only a limited pool of qualified vendors possess the requisite expertise, infrastructure, and security protocols. His approach prioritizes technical excellence and mission readiness over socioeconomic set-asides, aligning with the agency’s operational imperatives. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541712, encompassing research and development in physical and engineering sciences, particularly in guidance systems, radar signal processing, and hypersonic threat modeling. He also routinely procures process and logistics consulting services under NAICS 541614 to optimize supply chain resilience and test campaign execution. His domain expertise centers on cutting-edge defense R&D, systems integration, and operational test and evaluation, making him a key steward of the nation’s layered missile defense architecture.