Nancy C Keys

Nancy C. Keys serves as a Contract Specialist at the Naval Air Warfare Center Air Division, where she plays a critical role in executing complex acquisitions to support the development, testing, and sustainment of advanced naval aviation systems. Her responsibilities encompass the full lifecycle of contract management for mission-critical avionics, electronic warfare subsystems, and aircraft integration projects, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and alignment with the Navy’s strategic modernization goals. She specializes in engineering services and technical support contracts that enable the fielding of next-generation airborne sensor suites and mission-critical aircraft components. Keys maintains established working relationships with leading defense contractors including SABRE SYSTEMS, LLC, THE BOEING COMPANY, SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, SYSTEMS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS, INC., and ONTIC ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING, INC. These partnerships are primarily performance-based, focusing on systems engineering, technical integration, and specialized manufacturing of aircraft subsystems. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical rigor, risk mitigation, and long-term sustainment support, fostering collaborative relationships with prime contractors to deliver high-reliability solutions under tight operational timelines. Her contracting activity reflects a strong preference for unrestricted competitions, with 94.1% of awards issued without set-asides, indicating a focus on technical capability and industrial capacity over socioeconomic preferences. Nevertheless, she consistently incorporates small business participation through Total Small Business Set-Asides, demonstrating a measured but deliberate commitment to expanding opportunities for qualified small firms in niche technical domains. Keys’ procurement portfolio is heavily concentrated in NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services) and 336413 (Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing), with significant activity in testing laboratories, avionics manufacturing, and precision measurement systems. Her expertise lies in procuring specialized technical services that support the integration of advanced communication, navigation, and electronic warfare systems into naval aircraft platforms, ensuring fleet readiness and technological superiority.