Sotanya Rushing

Sotanya Rushing serves as a Contract Specialist within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), where she plays a critical role in executing the acquisition lifecycle for advanced naval aviation systems. Her responsibilities encompass the full spectrum of contracting activities—from market research and solicitation development to award administration and contract closeout—for complex technical programs supporting Navy and Marine Corps air platforms. She specializes in procurements related to aircraft modernization, avionics integration, and mission-critical sustainment, ensuring alignment with NAVAIR’s strategic imperatives in air superiority and expeditionary readiness. Her work directly supports the acquisition of next-generation systems critical to naval aviation dominance. Rushing maintains consistent contracting relationships with industry leaders including Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and General Atomics, partnering with prime contractors who deliver advanced aircraft manufacturing, weapons systems, and logistics support. Her engagement patterns reflect a preference for established defense contractors with proven track records in systems engineering and lifecycle sustainment, often managing multi-year, performance-based contracts requiring rigorous technical oversight and risk mitigation. These partnerships are foundational to NAVAIR’s mission of maintaining operational readiness across carrier-based and expeditionary aviation fleets. While the majority of her acquisitions are unrestricted—reflecting the technical complexity and scale of naval aviation requirements—Rushing demonstrates a meaningful commitment to small business participation, with approximately 16.4% of her portfolio allocated to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. She actively facilitates opportunities for small businesses capable of delivering specialized engineering services, communications equipment, and test instrumentation, ensuring broad industrial base resilience. Her procurement focus centers on NAICS categories including aircraft manufacturing, research and development in engineering sciences, and instrument manufacturing for electrical testing. She routinely handles contracts for avionics systems, flight control instrumentation, and engineering services supporting aircraft integration and testing, demonstrating deep technical fluency in naval aviation systems and their supporting supply chains.