Starr Whalen

Starr Whalen serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Surface Warfare Center, supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to advance surface warfare capabilities through the acquisition of advanced electronic, sensor, and communications systems. Responsible for managing complex contracting actions, Whalen specializes in securing mission-critical technologies that enhance situational awareness, signal processing, and precision instrumentation for naval platforms. Their portfolio encompasses a broad range of technical services and specialized equipment, with a focus on modernizing sonar, radar, and navigation systems to ensure fleet readiness and undersea dominance. Whalen maintains consistent partnerships with a select group of contractors, including ISPA TECHNOLOGY LLC and FIVE RIVERS ANALYTICS, LLC, which provide advanced data analytics and electronic system integration services. Additional key vendors such as BAUER COMPRESSORS, INC. and COUNTERTRADE PRODUCTS, INC. support specialized hardware and sustainment needs. These relationships reflect a preference for established technical specialists with proven capabilities in naval environments, indicating a pattern of awarding contracts based on domain expertise rather than broad commercial capacity. Set-aside preferences are heavily skewed toward open competition, with 83.3% of acquisitions conducted without socioeconomic set-asides. However, Whalen consistently allocates 8.3% of awards each to Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses and Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured but deliberate commitment to small business participation without compromising mission requirements. The procurement focus centers on NAICS codes related to aircraft and maritime electronic systems, including 336413 for auxiliary equipment manufacturing and 541519 for computer-related services. Additional emphasis is placed on security systems services, computer training, and specialized data solutions, reflecting a technical domain expertise in embedded systems, electronic warfare support, and operational training infrastructure for naval surface forces.