NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Naval Air Systems Command leaders used the Sea-Air-Space Exposition 2026 to highlight opportunities for small businesses, accelerate technology delivery and address great power competition challenges, with direct ties to operations at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in St. Mary’s County.
NAVAIR’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs wrapped panel presentations on April 22 with a session titled “NAVAIR Acquisition On-Ramp: Small Business and Tech Transition Pathways.” The discussion emphasized partnerships that strengthen the industrial base and deliver capabilities to the fleet.
Irma Alvarez-Alexander, deputy director of the NAVAIR Headquarters Office of Small Business Programs, led the panel alongside Richard Tarr of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Technology Transfer Office and Colin Wilkinson, NAVAIR SBIR technical lead.
Alvarez-Alexander outlined cradle-to-grave support for fixed-wing, rotary-wing, unmanned systems and weapons programs. She directed interested companies to sam.gov for contract opportunities and encouraged attendance at networking events like Sea-Air-Space. She also highlighted the new Department of War LYNX digital platform, which helps businesses build capability statements, identify opportunities and address weaknesses.
Tarr described NAWCAD’s role as the Navy’s primary aviation research, development, test and evaluation hub. “My role as the tech transfer office is to both spin in and spin out technology,” Tarr said. The office licenses Navy patents for commercialization while bringing in non-traditional and dual-use technologies relevant to the warfighter. It seeks broader engagement with companies new to NAVAIR, universities and even STEM programs, offering access to unique labs and facilities to reduce risk and development costs.
Wilkinson noted that U.S.-based businesses with fewer than 500 employees qualify for SBIR programs. Target areas include sea-based aviation challenges such as launch and recovery, corrosion and autonomy, particularly for the Pacific theater.
“Before you come and want to talk to our team, we highly encourage you to do your homework,” Alvarez-Alexander said. “It’s a very comfortable fireside chat on exactly how you can bring your products and services to our ecosystem.”
Earlier panels at the exposition reinforced NAVAIR’s focus on speed, readiness and workforce development. On April 21, NAVAIR Commander Vice Adm. John E. Dougherty IV led a discussion on transitioning to Portfolio Acquisition Executive organizations. These changes empower leaders to make data-driven trade-offs prioritizing time to field while managing the industrial base.
Dougherty stressed great power competition demands faster performance. “We have got to go quicker,” he said. Rear Adm. Todd Evans, Capt. Joseph Hidalgo and Paul McGinty joined him in addressing organizational flattening, culture shifts and depot-level sustainment at Fleet Readiness Centers.
The April 20 opening panel, “Program Leadership Perspective: Delivering Warfighting Capabilities to the Fleet,” featured program executive officers Brig. Gen. David C. Walsh, Rear Adm. Joseph B. Hornbuckle and Rear Adm. Anthony E. Rossi. They discussed modular open systems architecture, rapid integration of unmanned systems like the MQ-25 Stingray and MQ-4C Triton, and reliability improvements drawn from current operations.
All panels noted NAS Patuxent River’s central role. Located in St. Mary’s County, the base serves as NAVAIR headquarters and supports thousands of jobs while driving Southern Maryland’s economy through defense contracts, small business activity and STEM education. Local companies and residents benefit from technology transfer, lab access and acquisition opportunities tied to naval aviation priorities.
Sea-Air-Space, hosted by the Navy League at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, brings together defense leaders to discuss maritime advancements. NAVAIR’s presence underscores its commitment to innovation that supports warfighters while boosting the Southern Maryland region that hosts its primary operations.
Small businesses interested in partnering can visit https://www.navair.navy.mil/organization/SBIRSTTR or https://www.lynxconnect.io for more information.
