Vicki Ladner

Vicki Ladner serves as a key procurement professional within the Missile Defense Agency, supporting the acquisition of advanced missile defense systems and related research and development capabilities. She plays a critical role in executing the MDA’s mission to field layered, integrated defense architectures by managing complex contracts for cutting-edge technologies in sensor modernization, midcourse and terminal-phase interception systems, and guided weapon integration. Her acquisitions focus on high-technology engineering solutions requiring rigorous testing, systems engineering, and rapid prototyping, ensuring alignment with national security priorities and operational readiness timelines. Ladner maintains consistent working relationships with prime contractors including Lockheed Martin Corp and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, leveraging their deep expertise in missile defense system design, radar integration, and command-and-control architectures. She also collaborates with Jacobs Technology Inc. for technical services supporting systems analysis, test range operations, and mission simulation. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term strategic partnerships with industry leaders capable of delivering mission-critical, high-assurance systems under stringent performance and security standards. Her procurement portfolio reflects a singular focus on open competition, with 100% of awards issued under non-set-aside mechanisms. There is no current preference for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic programs, indicating a procurement strategy prioritized toward technical capability, mission urgency, and system interoperability over socioeconomic targeting. Ladner’s acquisitions are exclusively categorized under NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting her specialization in advanced defense R&D. She procures services related to ballistic missile threat modeling, kinetic and non-kinetic intercept technologies, sensor fusion, and live-fire test support, requiring deep domain expertise in aerospace engineering, guidance systems, and defense systems integration. Her work directly enables the MDA’s evolution of next-generation missile defense capabilities.