Tyler Cory

Tyler Cory serves as a procurement lead within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), managing complex research and development contracts critical to advancing next-generation aerospace propulsion, hypersonic systems, and high-performance functional materials. His role centers on executing full lifecycle acquisitions for fundamental and applied engineering research, ensuring alignment with the Department of the Air Force’s strategic imperatives in air and space dominance. He routinely handles sole-source and competitive solicitations under FAR Part 35, prioritizing technical innovation, rapid prototyping, and transition-ready solutions for mission-critical propulsion platforms. Cory maintains longstanding relationships with leading defense and aerospace contractors including UES Inc., General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit AeroSystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, often involving cooperative research agreements, cost-reimbursement contracts, and SBIR/STTR transition pathways. His procurement approach emphasizes sustained engagement with industry partners possessing proven expertise in propulsion system integration, adaptive flight control, and advanced composite manufacturing. Cory’s contracting portfolio exhibits a 100% preference for unrestricted, open competition, with no set-asides designated for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic programs. This reflects the highly specialized, technically demanding nature of the work, where only a limited pool of vendors possesses the necessary clearance levels, facilities, and domain-specific capabilities to meet mission requirements. His primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—encompassing advanced materials development, propulsion system modeling, combustion dynamics, and hypersonic vehicle testing. He consistently sources high-fidelity simulation tools, exotic material fabrication, and flight-test instrumentation, supporting the Agency’s mission to deliver transformative propulsion technologies for next-generation air and space systems.