Keith W Rouch

Keith W. Rouch serves as a Contracting Officer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock (N00167), where he manages the acquisition of advanced maritime systems critical to the Department of the Navy’s mission in naval warfare innovation. His portfolio centers on the research, development, testing, and evaluation of shipboard technologies, with a strategic emphasis on hydrodynamic performance, signature management, and propulsion efficiency. Rouch oversees complex, technically demanding procurements under full and open competition and set-aside authorities, ensuring alignment with Navy modernization priorities and compliance with FAR and DFARS requirements. He frequently handles contracts for engineering services, prototype development, and specialized testing of naval platforms and underwater systems. Rouch maintains enduring relationships with industry leaders including BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., GOODRICH CORP, and Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, partnering with firms possessing deep expertise in naval engineering, sensor integration, and materials science. He also collaborates with specialized joint ventures such as CB Design & Huitt Zollars and niche testing providers like Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research, Inc., fostering vendor partnerships that combine technical innovation with rigorous performance validation. His contracting approach emphasizes long-term vendor engagement, technical collaboration, and performance-based outcomes tailored to Carderock’s mission-critical R&D environment. Rouch demonstrates a balanced commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with equal portions of his acquisitions designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5 and awarded under full and open competition. This pattern reflects a deliberate strategy to integrate capable small businesses into high-impact naval programs while maintaining access to specialized large-capacity vendors. His procurement practices support broad-based small business participation without compromising technical rigor or schedule integrity. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing), encompassing vessel integration, structural modifications, and survivability enhancements, alongside NAICS 713930 (Marinas), which supports testing and evaluation infrastructure for surface and subsurface systems. Rouch’s expertise spans procurement of advanced materials, hydrodynamic testing equipment, and mission-specific instrumentation, reinforcing Carderock’s role as a premier center for naval systems innovation.