Darla M Kelly

Darla M. Kelly serves as a Contract Specialist at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex procurement actions to support the development, testing, and sustainment of advanced naval aviation systems. Her responsibilities include managing the full lifecycle of contracts for mission-critical avionics, flight control instrumentation, diagnostic systems, and specialized aircraft components, ensuring alignment with Department of the Navy acquisition policies and technical requirements. Kelly’s work directly enables the agency’s mission to enhance the readiness and operational capability of next-generation naval airpower through timely, compliant, and technically sound contracting solutions. She maintains enduring relationships with prime contractors including Lockheed Martin Corporation, BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc., PCI Aviation LLC, Critical Communications, Controls and Instruments, LLC, and Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC. These partnerships reflect a focus on high-technology aerospace and defense suppliers capable of delivering precision-engineered subsystems, embedded instrumentation, and mission-specific hardware. Kelly’s contracting approach emphasizes performance-based acquisition methods and rigorous technical evaluation to ensure contractor deliverables meet stringent military specifications. Her procurement portfolio is predominantly open competition, with 79.2% of awards issued without set-asides, reflecting the specialized nature of the systems procured. However, she consistently supports small business participation, with nearly 20% of awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, and minor allocations to 8(a) and service-disabled veteran-owned small business programs, demonstrating a balanced commitment to socioeconomic goals without compromising mission-critical needs. Kelly’s primary NAICS focus lies in 336413 (Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing), with significant activity in 334519 and 334513 for precision measurement and control devices, and 334511 for aeronautical navigation and guidance systems. Her expertise centers on procuring high-reliability electronic components, sensor interfaces, and integrated avionics architectures essential to naval aircraft performance and sustainment.