Ciao Wireless, Inc.

Ciao Wireless, Inc., doing business as Ciao, manufactures solid-state hybrid radio frequency and microwave amplifiers and related RF components as a prime contractor to federal agencies, with 93% of recent awards as a prime and the remainder as a subcontractor to major defense primes. The Camarillo, California-based manufacturer competes predominantly under small business set-asides — the majority of its 181 tracked awards carry Total Small Business designations, with the remainder on full-and-open or no-set-aside bases.

Ciao's customer concentration sits heavily with the Department of the Navy and Defense Logistics Agency. The top five customer agencies account for 71% of awards by count, led by Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime (43 awards, $1.2 million combined potential value), Naval Sea Systems Command (36 awards, $2.4 million), and Naval Supply Systems Command (30 awards, $1.9 million). By dollar value, the Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration dominates: the FAA Aeronautical Center and Franchise Acquisition Services combined anchor $6.9 million across six awards, driven by a $5.3 million IDV (DTFAAC09D00035) that has funded four task orders. Naval Sea Systems Command and Naval Supply Systems Command remain significant by volume but carry lower unit values — most Navy awards are purchase orders under $200 thousand. Ciao also has active relationships with NOAA (weather radar spare parts), the Smithsonian Institution, Naval Air Systems Command, and other civilian and defense customers.

Ciao's capability portfolio centers on RF amplifier components across a broad frequency range and application set. Representative recent prime awards include a $114,100 Total Small Business purchase order from NOAA in September 2026 for sixty units of CIAO Wireless Amplifiers (P/N CA24-456) as replenishment spares for the National Weather Service's WSR-88D Severe Weather Radar systems, a $410,475 total-small-business contract from Naval Sea Systems Command in September 2023 for 126 AMPLIFIER 2-20 GHZ units for undersea warfare research, and a $306,630 sole-source award from NAVSEA in September 2023 for radio frequency amplifiers where Ciao was identified as the only source. Product categories span limiting amplifiers, gain blocks, preamplifiers, data acquisition amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, and frequency-specific variants serving radar, electronic warfare, communications, imaging, and sensor systems.

Activity has remained relatively flat — four awards in 2022, sixteen in 2023, sixteen in 2024, thirteen in 2025, and four in the first nine months of 2026. Only three awards with combined potential value of $293 thousand face ultimate completion inside the next twenty-four months. The vast majority of Ciao's award footprint consists of firm fixed-price purchase orders under $250 thousand, with performance at Ciao's Camarillo facility and delivery to Navy installations, logistics distribution centers, and FAA sites nationwide.

In its subcontractor role, Ciao supplies amplifiers and RF components to Sierra Nevada Company (multiple high-band and P-8A omni amplifier deliveries), Raytheon (engineering services and production amplifiers), General Dynamics Information Technology (special technologies engineering support), BAE Systems (instrumentation range support amplifiers), and several others including Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems, Fairwinds Technologies, and Valkyrie Enterprises. Across both roles, Ciao's NAICS classification centers on Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (50 awards) and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (42 awards), with smaller concentrations in search, detection, and navigation systems. PSC coding reflects 116 amplifier-specific awards, with ancillary work on communications equipment, electrical assemblies, and radar systems.

Design and Manufacture RF & Microwave Solid State Amplifiers from DC to 30 GHz, including Narrow Band and Broad Band designs.