Iris Gelb

Iris Gelb serves as a Contract Specialist at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), where she plays a critical role in executing complex acquisitions to support the development, testing, and sustainment of advanced naval aviation systems. Her responsibilities include managing the full lifecycle of contracts for high-precision avionics, flight control hardware, diagnostic instrumentation, and mission-critical support technologies. She ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while aligning procurement actions with NAWCAD’s mission to enhance the readiness and technological superiority of naval airpower. Her portfolio primarily involves technical, engineering-driven procurements requiring deep domain expertise in aerospace systems integration. Iris maintains longstanding relationships with leading defense 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 are characterized by collaborative, performance-based contracting approaches tailored to meet rigorous military specifications. She frequently engages with vendors possessing specialized capabilities in avionics architecture, sensor integration, and flight test instrumentation, fostering a culture of innovation and accountability through clear performance metrics and technical oversight. Iris’s contracting activity is exclusively conducted under full and open competition, with no set-asides designated for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic programs. This reflects the highly specialized, mission-critical nature of the systems she procures, where technical superiority and rapid delivery timelines often necessitate access to the broadest possible pool of qualified industry partners with proven aerospace and defense credentials. Her procurement focus centers on NAICS 336413 for other aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment, NAICS 334511 for aeronautical navigation and guidance systems, and NAICS 334515 for electrical signal measurement instruments. She specializes in acquiring flight test data systems, embedded diagnostics, and ruggedized electronic components that operate under extreme environmental conditions, demonstrating deep familiarity with MIL-STD and DO-160 compliance requirements in naval aviation contexts.