Ventura Defense Industry Forum Showcases Government Opportunities and Stresses Collaborati

VENTURA, Calif. –

The Ventura Defense Industry Forum drew more than 600 attendees to foster engagement and collaboration between local industry and the Department of Defense (DOD) to help meet the growing, ever-changing needs of the fleet at the Ventura County Fairgrounds and Event Center in Ventura on April 15-16.

The two-day event was hosted by the Ventura Defense Industry Forum (VDIF), a group of government and industry representatives that provide communication and consultation between government activities and private industry in Ventura County.

VDIF is spearheaded by Scott Koslow, a retired U.S. Navy officer from Point Mugu and now group president who founded VDIF to build relationships and foster collaboration between Ventura-based industry and local warfare centers.

The forum launched in 2019, then went on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in February 2024.

In addition to Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD), Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Maryland, and Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) at Point Mugu participated in the event, as well as Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC) at Port Hueneme.

In an interview, Koslow said the goal of the VDIF event is to forge partnerships between local industry and the DOD.

“There are a myriad of companies that have never done business with the DOD and are trying to figure out how to penetrate this very nebulous and unknown market,” Koslow said. “And there are existing contractors here to network and find out where the new work is taking place and expanding.”

During his overview of NSWC PHD, Technical Director Jeffrey Koe spoke about the growing interest in private industry support.

“We are experiencing a lot of action in the Red Sea and have shot (down) more missiles in the last 18 months than we have in the last 10 years,” Koe said. “And that’s where you come in. We need your help as our industry partners to support the warfighter.”

Economic impact

In addition to the call for assistance, Koe shared the robust economic impact NSWC PHD makes on the Ventura County economy.

“Our economic impact on Ventura County is about $640 million,” Koe said, using the most recent figures.

Dan Mahan, NSWC PHD’s deputy for small business, said global events may create an even greater opportunity for small business partnerships.

According to Mahan, in fiscal 2024, NSWC PHD obligated just under $473 million in total contracts and orders.

In fiscal 2025, the command’s projected spend is $463.5 million, of which approximately 55% will be obligated toward small businesses.

In an interview, Mahan said the VDIF provides a great opportunity for both attendees and exhibitors to engage and showcase their services.

“The VDIF offers a chance for contractors to network and hear what the government requirements are,” Mahan said. “And the exhibitors want to know what assistance we (DOD) need in terms of contracting, and they also want to show off what they can do.”

In his presentation, Mahan referred to the SeaPort Next Generation (SeaPort-NxG) contract vehicle as a “golden ticket,” and encouraged business attendees to apply.
SeaPort-NxG is the Navy's primary contract vehicle for acquiring a wide range of professional support services. The contract streamlines procurement across 23 functional areas including engineering, logistics, program management and financial analysis and is open to all U.S. Navy commands. More than 2,000 contractors possess the Seaport NxG contract and the majority are small businesses, according to Mahan.

In his opening remarks, Ventura County District 2 Supervisor Jeff Gorell, a captain in the Navy Reserve, shared the importance of the DOD to the local economy and said Naval Base Ventura County is one of the largest public employers in the county with roughly 20,000 personnel, using the most recent figures.

“We recognize one of the largest employers in Ventura County is our military and DOD,” Gorell said. “And there are thousands of scientists and engineers employed by three warfare centers, representing amazing innovation and engineering right here in our backyard.”

In an interview, Estelle Bussa, deputy executive officer for the County of Ventura, said supporting the local warfare centers is vital to the Ventura County economy.

“The Navy base is (one of) the largest employers in the county,” Bussa said. “And seeing its employment development and business development grow here and succeed is critical for the success of our economy.”

Utilizing technology

Gorell spoke about a recent development in Ventura County — the pending creation of an Advanced Air Mobility Innovation Center— which he described as (potentially being) a “hub of development and innovation” and the result of a new agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration.

In a follow-up presentation, Bussa said the new Advanced Air Mobility Innovation Center will offer testing and evaluation of unmanned aerial systems and will feature a 500-square-mile testing range at the Camarillo and Oxnard airports. The center will offer research facilities, business resources and workforce training.

Capt. Jon Rugg, vice commander at NAWCWD, stressed the importance of collaboration and utilizing technology to support the fleet.

“This Ventura Defense Industry Forum is a call to action to ensure that the warfighter has what they need to be the most dominant force in the world,” Rugg said. “And we do that through pushing the edge of innovation and technology in our relentless support to the fleet.”

NAWCWD Director of Innovation Jared Fife demonstrated how technology is going to reshape how future battles will be fought through a war scenario simulation video depicting unmanned aircraft launching from a carrier and intercepting a threat.

After the film presentation, Fife said he’s focused on how to make this futuristic depiction a reality and is looking for support to address the obstacles.
“The challenge is how do we develop these new technologies more rapidly, and once they’re ready for use, how do we integrate them,” Rugg said. “For instance, we can use an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that’s ready, but how do we put that on the carrier — and that’s what we’re looking for help with.”

In a panel discussion, Alan Jaeger, NSWC PHD’s Office of Research and Technology Applications manager, Rear Adm. Keith Hash commander at NAWCWD, and Cody Reese, NAVFAC EXWC’s chief technology officer, spoke about how the DOD is utilizing UAVs and the issues it is facing.

According to Jaeger, the challenge involves the rapid evolution of unmanned systems and system integration.

“What’s interesting is there’s a lot of private industry and academia bringing us autonomous unmanned systems on a completely commercial side and without our normal system requirements,” Jaeger said. “So the issue is, how do we integrate these new systems into our existing operations because the technology is changing and developing very rapidly.”

Beyond the challenges of adapting commercial unmanned systems for military use, Hash said getting the weapon systems into the hands of the warfighter is an equally pressing issue.

“In the war in Ukraine, the focus is not on the highest performing weapon it has but how fast it (Ukraine) can get it out into the battlefield,” Hash said.

Ultimate goal

As the panel discussion came to a close, Jaeger said that all this technology serves a higher purpose.

“At the end of the day, we want what’s best for our warfighter,” Jaeger said.

Koslow, who served 20 years with the Navy, said that supporting the fleet is the primary mission and for good cause.

“We’re in a place now where we as patriots and businesses and with our government teams and partnerships must come together and provide solutions for the warfighter,” Koslow said.