Ridhi Varma

Ridhi Varma serves as a Contracting Specialist within the FA8823 Sustainment MCPNT SSC/PKL under the Department of the Air Force, where she plays a pivotal role in securing critical capabilities to sustain and modernize aerospace and space-based defense systems. She manages the full lifecycle of complex acquisitions for satellite communications, global positioning infrastructure, and advanced command and control platforms, ensuring operational readiness of national security assets. Her portfolio emphasizes technical procurement in high-stakes, mission-critical domains requiring stringent compliance with DoD acquisition regulations and rapid response to evolving threats. Ridhi collaborates with a diverse array of contractors specializing in satellite telecommunications, systems engineering, and defense R&D. While no single vendor dominates her award profile, she consistently engages with firms possessing deep expertise in space systems sustainment, RF communications, and mission-critical software development. Her contracting approach prioritizes technical proficiency, past performance, and industrial base resilience, fostering long-term partnerships with vendors capable of supporting classified and expeditionary operations across global theaters. Ridhi’s procurement patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted under non-set-aside authorities. This indicates a strategic focus on maximizing technical capability and industrial competition rather than socioeconomic set-asides, aligning with the high-priority, time-sensitive nature of her mission. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in her portfolio, she maintains compliance with all applicable small business goals and may incorporate qualified small businesses as subcontractors within larger prime contracts. Her primary NAICS focus areas—Satellite Telecommunications (517410), Research and Development in Physical and Engineering Sciences (541712), and Other Telecommunications (517919)—reflect her specialization in space-based infrastructure, advanced sensor systems, and next-generation communication networks. She routinely procures technical services including satellite payload integration, signal processing, ground station modernization, and secure data link development, demonstrating deep expertise in space domain sustainment and electronic warfare-enabling technologies.