DLA Aviation in Huntsville supports warfighters with cost-saving procurements
 
  By Natalie Skelton, DLA Aviation Public Affairs
  Employees within Defense Logistics Agency Aviation in Huntsville, Alabama’s Missile Division within Acquisition Programs Directorate have received accolades for their recent efforts to ensure warfighters have the most advanced and effective equipment for their worldwide missions while also saving the government critical resources.
Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems presented Contracting Officer and Branch Chief Justine “Rebecca” Kirk; Contract Specialist and Team Lead Jennifer Triolo and Pricing Analyst Arneke Ivy, with certificates of appreciation and official team coins for their work on two recent time sensitive acquisitions.
The depot level repairable site supporting the Army Aviation and Missile Command, relies on strategic contracting to quickly and resourcefully procure repairable spare parts for multiple Army aviation and missile weapons system platforms, including missile related components incorporated into the Bradley fighting vehicle. This standout approach to procurement, and relationship building with the Army's Tactical Aviation and Grounds Munition Program Office in Huntsville, Alabama and the Mounted Armor Vehicles Program Office in Warren, Michigan have allowed streamline procurement of the improved Bradley Acquisition Subsystem Block 2.8 Upgrade Kit and the outyear procurement of the Commander’s Viewer Unit. The IBAS is the gunner’s sight on the Bradley, providing target acquisition and weapons engagements for all on board weapons. It utilizes the commander’s viewer unit to search for targets, acquire situational awareness and protect our Infantry dismounts. Supply chain issues as a result of the nation’s economic lurch are felt just as strongly within DLA Aviation in Huntsville and Army Aviation and Missile Command as they are in private sector industries, so DLA relies on innovative contracting tools such as the economic price adjustment clause to mitigate risk for both contractors and the government when procuring the new IBAS system.
DLA in Huntsville awarded the IBAS 2.8 kit and associated cables before the end of the fiscal year for $35 million to Leonardo Diagnostic/Retrieval Systems, allowing DLA to meet the production timeline and ensure Army fleet readiness.
Huntsville’s proposal or the CVU assembly included major quantity price range breaks. While only 70 CVUs were needed by PM mounted armored vehicles, DLA Aviation in Huntsville learned from U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Integrated Logistics Support Center headquartered in Michigan, and DLA Land and Maritime that there was an additional need for the three subassemblies that make up the CVU.
 
Huntsville’s team determined that combining the requirements could save the government a significant amount of money. The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command’s Integrated Logistics Support Center agreed to the combined buy and ordered 41 additional CVUs that will be broken down into subassemblies and repackaged by PM MAV at no extra cost. Negotiations for the procurement were completed in May this year, with an estimated savings of $13 million.
Without the DLA strategic contract, the Army would not have been able to meet the desired timelines for these two procurements. Barry Thrower, project manager for the Tactical Aviation and Grounds Munition Program Office said, “The strategic foresight of DLA employees and willingness to combining customer requirements into a comprehensive package has enabled the United States government to save valuable funds.”