Zelda Rappuhn

Zelda Rappuhn serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock (N00167), supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to advance maritime warfare capabilities through specialized acquisitions in sensor systems, signature management technologies, and advanced measuring and controlling devices. She oversees the acquisition lifecycle for high-precision instrumentation and control systems critical to hydrodynamic testing, propulsion efficiency, and underwater platform survivability. Her work directly enables research, development, and evaluation efforts that enhance the performance and stealth of naval vessels, ensuring alignment with DoD technical standards and operational readiness requirements. Rappuhn maintains established relationships with leading defense and aerospace contractors, including BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., GOODRICH CORP, and AEROSPACE & COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, as well as specialized engineering firms such as CB DESIGN & HUITT ZOLLARS JOINT VENTURE, LLC and WESTMORELAND MECHANICAL TESTING & RESEARCH, INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for industry leaders with proven expertise in precision instrumentation, signal processing, and naval systems integration. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and long-term vendor collaboration to support complex, mission-critical test and evaluation programs. Rappuhn’s procurement activity is exclusively conducted under non-set-aside mechanisms, with 100% of awards issued through full and open competition. This reflects a strategic focus on accessing the broadest possible pool of technical capability rather than socioeconomic set-asides, prioritizing mission-critical performance over socioeconomic preferences. Her primary procurement focus lies within NAICS 334519 (Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing), where she acquires advanced sensors, data acquisition systems, hydrodynamic measurement tools, and real-time control instrumentation. These procurements support Carderock’s core domains in signature reduction, underwater acoustics, and high-fidelity environmental modeling, requiring vendors with deep expertise in ruggedized, high-precision engineering solutions for naval applications.