Robert E Klees

Robert E. Klees serves as a Contracting Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where he manages complex research and development acquisitions critical to advancing U.S. air and space dominance. His portfolio focuses on next-generation aerospace propulsion systems, hypersonics, and high-performance functional materials, ensuring timely procurement of cutting-edge technologies through competitive, performance-based contracts. Klees plays a pivotal role in translating mission-critical R&D objectives into actionable acquisition strategies, aligning contract vehicles with the technical rigor required for classified and unclassified aerospace innovation programs. He maintains long-standing partnerships with leading aerospace and defense contractors including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These relationships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, with vendors frequently engaged in prototyping, materials characterization, and system integration for propulsion and flight control technologies. Klees prioritizes contractors with proven expertise in hypersonic aerodynamics, combustion modeling, and advanced composite manufacturing, fostering a procurement environment that demands technical excellence and rapid iteration. Klees’s acquisition portfolio reflects a strict focus on open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside provisions. While he does not routinely utilize socioeconomic programs such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB, his contracting approach emphasizes technical capability and mission readiness over socioeconomic preferences, ensuring that the most qualified industry partners deliver on high-stakes propulsion research objectives. His primary procurement activity centers on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where he secures services related to computational fluid dynamics, materials testing, propulsion system validation, and adaptive control algorithms. Klees specializes in procuring advanced engineering services, prototype development, and systems integration for next-generation propulsion architectures, reflecting deep domain expertise in aerospace propulsion technology cycles.