The U.S. Navy has earmarked $400M to extend the operations of a consortium-based alternative acquisition program managed by Advanced Technology International for a total of five years.
James “Hondo” Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, approved the allocation that would increase the ceiling value for the Information Warfare Research Project to $500M and extend the performance period by two years, the Navy said Monday.
Naval Information Warfare Systems Command created IWRP in 2018 to simplify the Navy acquisition process and accelerate prototype development through nontraditional procurement methods like other transaction agreements.
Jee Youn Fickling, program manager for IWRP at NIWC Atlantic, said the program’s OTAs encompass 14 technology areas of interest across various Navy and Marine Corps units.
“Collaboration with our partners in industry, small business, and academia, with the flexibility necessary to adapt to evolving requirements, is critical to our success in winning the fight,” noted Nicole Stone, director of rapid prototyping – information warfare at NIWC Pacific.
According to the Navy, IWRP has funneled all of the original $100M ceiling amounts since the program’s establishment two years ago.
