Shantora Bennett

Shantora Bennett serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), supporting the acquisition and lifecycle sustainment of advanced naval aviation systems for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. She manages complex contracting actions for mission-critical aerospace technologies, including avionics, sensor systems, and auxiliary aircraft components, ensuring alignment with NAVAIR’s strategic goals of air superiority and fleet modernization. Her work directly enables the fielding of next-generation carrier-based and expeditionary platforms through rigorous source selection, contract administration, and performance oversight. Bennett maintains consistent working relationships with industry leaders such as Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and General Atomics, partnering with prime contractors who deliver integrated aerospace solutions ranging from unmanned aerial systems to mission-critical avionics. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical fidelity and operational readiness, often coordinating with engineering and logistics teams to ensure contract deliverables meet stringent military specifications. These partnerships are built on long-term sustainment needs and performance-based contracting frameworks that prioritize reliability and systems interoperability. Her contracting activity reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of awards issued without socioeconomic set-asides. This indicates a focus on technical capability and mission urgency over socioeconomic preferences, aligning with NAVAIR’s priority to rapidly field high-performance systems using the broadest possible industrial base. Bennett’s procurement portfolio is heavily concentrated in NAICS 334511 for aeronautical system and instrument manufacturing and NAICS 336413 for aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment. She routinely procures radar and navigation systems, flight control modules, communication suites, and support hardware critical to manned and unmanned aerial platforms. Her technical expertise spans electronic warfare integration, sensor fusion, and airborne mission systems, making her a pivotal link between operational requirements and industrial innovation in naval aviation.