Sarah Metcalf

Sarah Metcalf serves as a key procurement lead within the Naval Air Warfare Center Air Division, overseeing the acquisition of advanced aviation systems critical to naval air superiority and fleet readiness. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts focused on avionics integration, electronic warfare upgrades, mission-critical sensor suites, and sustainment of legacy airborne platforms. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to modernize naval aviation capabilities through rapid prototyping, systems engineering, and technical sustainment, ensuring operational continuity across next-generation aircraft. She routinely handles complex, high-technical-risk acquisitions requiring rigorous compliance with DoD acquisition regulations and systems engineering best practices. Metcalf maintains consistent, long-term relationships with a core group of prime contractors including SABRE SYSTEMS, LLC, THE BOEING COMPANY, SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, SYSTEMS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS, INC., and ONTIC ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING, INC. These partnerships reflect a balanced approach between large defense integrators and specialized engineering firms capable of delivering tailored avionics, mission computing, and precision manufacturing solutions. Her contracting patterns emphasize collaborative development, performance-based outcomes, and technical risk mitigation through established vendor expertise. A strong advocate for small business participation, Metcalf consistently prioritizes Total Small Business Set-Asides, with approximately 85.7% of her acquisitions structured under FAR 19.5 to maximize opportunities for small businesses. This reflects a deliberate strategy to cultivate a resilient, innovative supply base capable of supporting niche technical requirements in avionics and mission systems. Her procurement approach aligns with DoD socioeconomic goals, fostering competition and capability development among small, agile vendors. Her primary NAICS focus areas include Engineering Services (541330), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), and Other Computer Related Services (541519), underscoring her specialization in systems engineering, sensor integration, and mission data processing. She routinely procures custom hardware, embedded software, data infrastructure, and precision machined components essential to airborne platform modernization, demonstrating deep technical fluency in naval aviation systems.