Helen Smith

Helen Smith serves as a key procurement lead within the U.S. Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal (ACC-DTA), responsible for acquiring advanced ground combat systems and enabling technologies critical to modernizing Army tactical forces. She manages the full lifecycle of contracts for armored vehicle components, integrated ordnance systems, and survivable tactical platforms, ensuring alignment with the Army’s strategic priorities in lethality, mobility, and rapid prototyping. Her work directly supports the fielding of next-generation equipment that enhances soldier effectiveness on the modern battlefield, with a focus on technical rigor, supply chain resilience, and mission-critical delivery timelines. Smith maintains long-standing contracting relationships with specialized defense manufacturers including Schutt Industries, VAREC NV, ONTIC ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING, INC, A&M AEROSTRUCTURES, INC., and BOWHEAD AVIONICS MANUFACTURING, LLC. These partnerships center on high-integrity manufacturing of chassis systems, armor integration, avionics packaging, and precision ordnance components. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based specifications, technical validation, and rigorous quality assurance protocols, fostering collaborative relationships with vendors capable of meeting stringent military standards for durability, interoperability, and rapid fielding. Her contracting portfolio reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside conditions. This indicates a deliberate focus on sourcing the most capable industrial partners regardless of socioeconomic designation, prioritizing technical capability and production readiness over socioeconomic categorization. While small business participation is not formally targeted, her awards consistently involve firms with proven defense manufacturing expertise. Smith’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336212 (Truck Trailer Manufacturing) and 336120 (Heavy Duty Truck Manufacturing), reflecting deep specialization in the acquisition of armored vehicle platforms, tactical transport chassis, and integrated mobility systems. Her technical domain expertise encompasses structural survivability, ballistic protection integration, and modular platform architectures essential to modern mechanized forces.