Ciao Wireless, Inc.

Ciao Wireless, Inc., doing business as Ciao, is a small-business manufacturer of solid-state hybrid radio frequency and microwave amplifiers and components that operates as a prime contractor (93% of recent awards) on federal purchase orders for defense and civilian government agencies, with occasional subcontract work on major defense platforms. Ciao is a for-profit organization headquartered in Camarillo, California, that competes across both total small business set-asides and full-and-open procurements.

Ciao's capability portfolio centers narrowly on RF and microwave amplifiers in multiple frequency bands and configurations—limiting amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, low-band omni amplifiers, mid-band omni amplifiers, gain blocks, and data acquisition amplifiers—sold as discrete units or in small production lots to support defense radar systems, communications networks, electronic warfare, undersea warfare sensors, and civilian weather and airspace monitoring. Representative prime work includes a $410,475 purchase order from Naval Sea Systems Command in September 2023 for 126 amplifiers in the 2-20 GHz band (total small business set-aside), a $306,630 sole-source purchase order from NAVSEA in September 2023 for RF amplifiers to support undersea research, and a $204,450 purchase order from Naval Supply Systems Command in December 2024 for 15 radio frequency amplifiers (total small business set-aside). Recent smaller orders from Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime in March 2026 include a $64,440 purchase order (total small business set-aside) for radio frequency amplifiers to DLA Distribution Warner Robins and a $2,500 purchase order for a single RF amplifier unit.

Customer concentration sits heavily with the Department of the Navy and Defense Logistics Agency. The top five customer entities by award count account for 72% of recent awards, led by DLA 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). The top customers by potential value rank differently: the Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration holds the largest aggregate dollar value across four award centers ($8.5 million combined), followed by NAVSEA ($2.4 million) and NAVSUP ($1.9 million). This split reflects that FAA orders, while fewer in number, carry larger unit values; Navy orders dominate volume but carry smaller per-unit prices.

Ciao's prime footprint splits between total small business set-asides and full-and-open awards. Roughly half of recent awards carry the total small business set-aside designation, while the remainder compete open. The vendor places the majority of work through small purchase orders (purchase order contract type dominates the footprint) rather than through government-wide vehicles or IDIQs; four named parent vehicles carry task orders worth $5.3 million combined, but these account for a small share of total volume. Activity has grown modestly from four awards in 2022 to sixteen in both 2023 and 2024, with thirteen awards in 2025 and three awards in the first quarter of 2026 (through 30 March). Only four awards with completion dates inside the next twenty-four months carry combined potential value of $405 thousand, indicating light recompete pressure.

On the subcontract side, Ciao supplies RF amplifiers and gain blocks to major defense primes including Sierra Nevada Company (four recent sub awards for high-band and mid-band amplifiers, P-8A Poseidon components, and Big Safari amplifiers as of October 2024), Raytheon Company (two recent sub awards for engineering services and non-recurring engineering across fiscal years 2023 and 2024), and BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services (one 2025 sub award for instrumentation range support amplifiers). Ciao also subcontracts to Fairwinds Technologies, Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems, General Dynamics Information Technology, and specialized research contractors including Valkyrie Enterprises and HX5 LLC supporting MIT Lincoln Laboratory RF component development.

Ciao's 180 total awards across prime and sub channels carry $15.8 million in combined potential value, with $14.5 million obligated (91% execution rate). The vendor's core NAICS clustering—Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (50 awards) and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (41 awards)—reflects its focused position as a specialty RF components manufacturer. SAM registration since 2003 and consistent annual awards since 2005 position Ciao as an established supplier in the defense industrial base, despite its small business status and narrow product focus.

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