TARIK CABALLERO

Tarik Caballero serves as the primary procurement lead for the Asc Commodities Division within the Department of Defense’s Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, where he oversees the acquisition of mission-critical mechanical and electrical components essential to military aviation readiness. His responsibilities include managing the full lifecycle of contracts for high-reliability fasteners, precision-turned parts, nonferrous forgings, and wiring devices that ensure the structural and electronic integrity of aircraft systems. He works closely with engineering and logistics teams to align procurement strategies with operational requirements, ensuring timely delivery of certified, defense-specified parts under stringent quality and traceability standards. Caballero maintains a broad network of industrial suppliers specializing in aerospace-grade hardware and precision manufacturing. While no single contractor dominates his portfolio, he routinely engages with firms possessing AS9100 certification, Nadcap accreditation, and experience in defense-supply chain compliance. His contracting approach emphasizes technical capability, material traceability, and Just-In-Time delivery performance, fostering long-term partnerships with manufacturers capable of meeting military specifications such as MS, NAS, and AN standards. His procurement activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic focus on technical superiority and supply chain resilience over socioeconomic preferences, prioritizing performance and availability over certification-based set-asides. While small business participation is not formally incentivized, qualified small manufacturers with proven capability in high-integrity component production are routinely considered based on technical merit. Caballero’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 332722 (fasteners and washers) and 332510 (hardware manufacturing), with significant activity in nonferrous forging (332112) and precision turned products (332721). He specializes in sourcing high-strength, corrosion-resistant components for jet engines, flight control systems, and avionics housings, demonstrating deep expertise in aerospace metallurgy, tolerancing, and defense-specific certification protocols.