Tonya Savage

Tonya Savage serves as Program Manager for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s FA8651 Rwk, where she leads the strategic planning and execution of high-risk, high-reward research and development acquisitions in support of next-generation aerospace and defense technologies. Her role encompasses end-to-end management of technical contracts spanning autonomy systems, guided missile architectures, space vehicle platforms, and infrared scene projection capabilities. She ensures alignment between scientific innovation objectives and acquisition execution, bridging technical requirements with federal procurement regulations to deliver mission-critical capabilities to the Department of the Air Force. Savage maintains a consistent working relationship with Concurrent Real-Time, Inc., a key contractor providing advanced real-time simulation and embedded systems solutions critical to hypersonic and autonomous system testing. Her procurement patterns reflect deep collaboration with specialized engineering firms capable of delivering complex, prototype-level technologies under rapid development cycles. She prioritizes technical excellence and performance-based outcomes, fostering long-term partnerships with vendors who demonstrate agility, domain expertise, and proven success in defense R&D environments. Savage’s acquisition portfolio exhibits no set-aside preferences, with 100% of her awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a deliberate focus on securing the most technically capable solutions, regardless of vendor size or socioeconomic designation, consistent with the mission-critical nature of AFRL’s advanced technology development. While small business participation is not structurally mandated in her portfolio, she evaluates all offers based on technical merit, schedule feasibility, and past performance. Her primary procurement focus is squarely on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where she acquires advanced modeling and simulation tools, sensor fusion systems, real-time data processing platforms, and hypersonic flight test instrumentation. Her domain expertise lies in physical sciences and engineering R&D, with a strong emphasis on technologies enabling air, space, and hypersonic dominance.