Richard Axtell Jr, Contracting Officer

Richard L. Axtell, Jr. serves as the primary contracting representative for the FA2371 US AWACS AFLCMC/HBS unit under the Department of the Air Force, where he oversees the acquisition of critical systems sustaining the E-3 Sentry and E-7A Wedgetail airborne warning and control platforms. His role centers on ensuring operational readiness through the procurement of advanced avionics, radar integration components, mission crew simulators, and spare parts essential to long-range surveillance and battle management capabilities. Axtell manages complex, technically demanding contracts aligned with modernization initiatives, focusing on lifecycle support, system upgrades, and mission-critical sustainment to maintain air superiority and command and control dominance. While specific contractor names are not publicly available, Axtell’s procurement patterns indicate consistent engagement with defense aerospace primes and specialized systems integrators capable of delivering high-assurance avionics and mission system components. His working relationships emphasize technical compliance, rapid prototyping, and sustainment support, often requiring vendors with DoD 5000.02 compliance, ITAR expertise, and experience in military-grade software and hardware integration. He fosters partnerships with firms possessing deep domain knowledge in airborne C2 architectures and sensor fusion technologies. Axtell’s contracting portfolio reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 89.5% of acquisitions not set aside, yet he maintains a deliberate 10.5% commitment to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating balanced support for both large defense contractors and qualified small businesses. His approach prioritizes capability over socioeconomic classification, though he regularly includes small businesses with niche expertise in avionics maintenance, logistics, and simulation services. His primary NAICS focus is 334511, reflecting deep procurement expertise in aeronautical system and instrument manufacturing, particularly radar, navigation, and guidance subsystems. He also routinely procures auxiliary aircraft equipment, mission training simulators, and specialized warehousing and systems design services, underscoring his technical proficiency in airborne command and control ecosystems.