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NAVAIRs First Promptathon Demonstrates AIs Role in Accelerating Acquisition Operations
On 15–16 June 2026, the Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR) Cost & Scheduling Analysis Department staged its inaugural Promptathon, a two‑day, hack‑style event that brought together ten teams to test generative AI’s speed in turning ideas into prototypes.
The exercise was part of a broader initiative by the Department of the Navy (DoN) and the Department of the Air Force (DoW) to weave artificial intelligence into acquisition and sustainment workflows. The goal is clear: shorten contract cycles and sharpen war‑fighting readiness.
Kierra Shay, NAVAIR’s digital‑transformation lead, designed the Promptathon to probe how quickly AI can move from concept to prototype. “The benefit of AI is how rapidly you can prototype different solutions,” Shay explained. “We decided, what if we just did two straight days, hackathon‑style?” The event yielded a suite of tools that addressed real‑world problems—from contract administration to cost estimation—and underscored the technology’s potential for the fleet.
One team built an AI “agent” that automates the creation of cost and schedule data‑review requirements for a statement of work. By handling repetitive data‑entry steps, the agent could let NAVAIR hand contracts to industry partners faster. Another team tackled the data‑heavy task of locating accurate analogies for new aircraft systems. The AI combed through extensive historical documentation, turning a weeks‑long process into a matter of hours. A third team delivered a user‑friendly web interface that analyzes schedule logic on the fly, a capability essential for keeping testing and fielding milestones on track.
Mitchell MacAdams, an operations‑research analyst who participated, said the experience revealed how advanced AI has become. “I had no idea how powerful AI has gotten,” he noted. “Being able to build things like a web interface and tools…I think big picture, it's amazing just how far it's come in the last couple of years and how far it's going to continue to go.” John Scaparro, the management‑systems deputy technical warrant holder, described the exercise as the “art of the possible.” He added that his team’s interface “is on steroids compared to what we used to be able to do.”
NAWCAD AI Lead Rich Ernst, who advised the event, emphasized the immediate impact on mission work. “As soon as you sit down with it and spend five minutes, you start to see the value,” he said. “Soon, it'll just be applying it to the work environment. And that benefits the workforce and benefits our customers at the end of the day.”
The Promptathon illustrated that, when guided by clear operational goals, AI can produce scalable solutions that translate into greater efficiency, faster delivery, and improved capability for the Navy’s aviation programs.
The exercise fits within NAVAIR’s broader mission to provide full life‑cycle support for naval aviation aircraft, weapons, and systems. By demonstrating concrete AI applications in cost analysis, contract processing, and schedule management, the department is taking a tangible step toward the DoN’s goal of a more agile acquisition process. It also signals to industry partners that NAVAIR is open to experimenting with new technologies and that AI tools can be integrated into existing workflows without disrupting established practices.
At present, NAVAIR has not announced a formal rollout of the Promptathon prototypes, but the department has indicated that lessons learned will inform future digital‑transformation initiatives. The DoN and DoW are expected to continue exploring AI solutions across acquisition and sustainment, and the Promptathon may serve as a model for similar efforts in other defense commands. The event concluded with a clear message: AI can accelerate operations, but its success depends on disciplined experimentation and alignment with mission priorities. Further updates will be provided as NAVAIR evaluates the prototypes for integration into its acquisition workflow.
The exercise was part of a broader initiative by the Department of the Navy (DoN) and the Department of the Air Force (DoW) to weave artificial intelligence into acquisition and sustainment workflows. The goal is clear: shorten contract cycles and sharpen war‑fighting readiness.
Kierra Shay, NAVAIR’s digital‑transformation lead, designed the Promptathon to probe how quickly AI can move from concept to prototype. “The benefit of AI is how rapidly you can prototype different solutions,” Shay explained. “We decided, what if we just did two straight days, hackathon‑style?” The event yielded a suite of tools that addressed real‑world problems—from contract administration to cost estimation—and underscored the technology’s potential for the fleet.
One team built an AI “agent” that automates the creation of cost and schedule data‑review requirements for a statement of work. By handling repetitive data‑entry steps, the agent could let NAVAIR hand contracts to industry partners faster. Another team tackled the data‑heavy task of locating accurate analogies for new aircraft systems. The AI combed through extensive historical documentation, turning a weeks‑long process into a matter of hours. A third team delivered a user‑friendly web interface that analyzes schedule logic on the fly, a capability essential for keeping testing and fielding milestones on track.
Mitchell MacAdams, an operations‑research analyst who participated, said the experience revealed how advanced AI has become. “I had no idea how powerful AI has gotten,” he noted. “Being able to build things like a web interface and tools…I think big picture, it's amazing just how far it's come in the last couple of years and how far it's going to continue to go.” John Scaparro, the management‑systems deputy technical warrant holder, described the exercise as the “art of the possible.” He added that his team’s interface “is on steroids compared to what we used to be able to do.”
NAWCAD AI Lead Rich Ernst, who advised the event, emphasized the immediate impact on mission work. “As soon as you sit down with it and spend five minutes, you start to see the value,” he said. “Soon, it'll just be applying it to the work environment. And that benefits the workforce and benefits our customers at the end of the day.”
The Promptathon illustrated that, when guided by clear operational goals, AI can produce scalable solutions that translate into greater efficiency, faster delivery, and improved capability for the Navy’s aviation programs.
The exercise fits within NAVAIR’s broader mission to provide full life‑cycle support for naval aviation aircraft, weapons, and systems. By demonstrating concrete AI applications in cost analysis, contract processing, and schedule management, the department is taking a tangible step toward the DoN’s goal of a more agile acquisition process. It also signals to industry partners that NAVAIR is open to experimenting with new technologies and that AI tools can be integrated into existing workflows without disrupting established practices.
At present, NAVAIR has not announced a formal rollout of the Promptathon prototypes, but the department has indicated that lessons learned will inform future digital‑transformation initiatives. The DoN and DoW are expected to continue exploring AI solutions across acquisition and sustainment, and the Promptathon may serve as a model for similar efforts in other defense commands. The event concluded with a clear message: AI can accelerate operations, but its success depends on disciplined experimentation and alignment with mission priorities. Further updates will be provided as NAVAIR evaluates the prototypes for integration into its acquisition workflow.
