The Navy’s Common Aviation Support Equipment program office (PMA-260) received the Department of the Navy Acquisition Excellence Sarkis Tatigian Small Business Award for outstanding small business contracting achievements during a ceremony on Nov. 4 at the Pentagon.

The acquisition excellence award is named after the DoD’s longest-serving civil servant, Sarkis Tatigian, who served for nearly 78 years! Sarkis Tatigian joined the Navy in 1943 at the age of 19 and passed away in 2020 at the age of 96.

In reflection of his many years of service and dedication, the Navy named the Sarkis Tatigian Small Business Award in his honor in 2012. It recognizes outstanding performance by a field activity in creating an organizational climate resulting in the advancement of small business opportunity through exceptionally-managed small business programs and challenging initiatives and who has made significant contributions to the command and the DON small business program.

The Navy selected PMA-260 as the winner of the 2021 Acquisition Excellence Sarkis Tatigian Small Business Award due to its commitment to leveraging small business as a strategic advantage.

Despite COVID-19, PMA-260 continued to increase the role of small business to support its mission and renewed its commitment to eliminating barriers that limit or preclude small business participation. These values are supported by PMA-260’s efforts to identify new sources and leverage the advantages of small businesses for whenever possible to promote inclusiveness.

Mark Lysaght, PMA-260 principal deputy program manager stated,” PMA-260 has always relied on small business' for their creativity, rapid innovation and ability to deliver common support equipment to the Naval Aviation Enterprise rapidly.”

Over the course of the year, program office leadership enabled small business opportunities through approaches such as: emphasizing small business opportunities in all acquisition strategies; using simplified acquisition contracts; supporting the annual Lakehurst Small Business Forum virtually; briefing industry participants on planned future procurements and small business opportunities; personally meeting with representatives from small businesses to educate them on PMA-260’s mission and programs; and providing them with an introduction/connection to the NAVAIR Small Business Office.

“Small businesses play a major role in PMA-260’s ability to improve the reliability, maintainability, capability, and safety of over 250,000 fielded common support equipment end items,” said Capt. Robert Burgess, PMA-260 program manager. Small businesses contribute to PMA-260’s mission of reducing operations and support costs and fleet manning requirements to operate and maintain fielded common support equipment. “Common support equipment is critical to the readiness of the aircraft and the capabilities of our Navy and Marine Corps fleet to execute their missions on a daily basis”.

Small business contract awards last year included those to Service-Disabled and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses; Woman-Owned Small Businesses; Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Small Businesses; and Small Disadvantaged Businesses.

The program office executed 19 new funded contract actions across two different small business installation services providers for the installation of various aviation support equipment items at Navy and Marine Corps activities valued at more than $1 million. Additionally, nine simplified acquisition contracts were awarded to nine different small businesses with a total value $456,000 for materials in support of various aviation support equipment programs. The program office sponsored three active Small Business Innovative Research programs.

PMA-260 executed 46 contract actions for contract options/delivery orders against existing small business contracts with 22 different small businesses valued at more than $42 million.

Since fiscal year 2018, PMA-260 increased funding to small businesses by 22 percent, and increased the number of small businesses receiving contracts by 62 percent.

“Small businesses across our country are the economic engine that powers our nation, and are a critical part of our defense industry base.  PMA-260 has a culture that understands and maximizes the full potential of our small business vendors,” said Mr. Gary Kurtz, program executive officer, Aviation Common Systems and Commercial Services (PEO(CS).

About ASN RDA

The Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition serves as the Navy Service Acquisition Executive (SAE). ASN RDA has authority, responsibility and accountability for all acquisition functions and programs, and for enforcement of Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment procedures. The Assistant Secretary represents the Department of the Navy to USD (A&S) and to Congress on all matters relating to acquisition policy and programs.

The Assistant Secretary establishes policies and procedures and manages the Navy's Research, Development and Acquisition activities in accordance with DoD 5000 Series Directives. The Assistant Secretary serves as Program (Milestone) Decision Authority on ACAT IC programs and recommends decisions on ACAT ID programs.

About PMA-260

The Navy’s Common Aviation Support Equipment program office (PMA-260) manages the procurement, development and fielding of common aviation support equipment required for the operation and maintenance of aircraft, aircraft weapons, related aircraft weapons subsystems, and miscellaneous ground support equipment. Additionally, PMA-260 manages the Metrology and Calibration program, the Foreign Object Damage mitigation effort, and the mobile facilities used to support Navy Expeditionary and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron intermediate-level maintenance.