Tanika Banks

Tanika Banks serves as a Contract Specialist at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock (N00167), where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex acquisitions to support the development, testing, and evaluation of advanced maritime systems. Her work directly enables the agency’s mission to enhance naval vessel performance, stealth, and survivability through cutting-edge research in hydrodynamics, signature management, and sensor integration. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts spanning engineering services, specialized equipment manufacturing, and systems integration, with a focus on technical procurement under FAR Part 15 competitive negotiation procedures. Her acquisitions are critical to sustaining the Navy’s technological edge in underwater warfare and surface platform modernization. Tanika routinely collaborates with a core group of industry partners, including BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Goodrich Corp., Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, CB Design & Huitt Zollars Joint Venture, LLC, and Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research, Inc. These relationships reflect a pattern of sustained engagement with high-technical-capability vendors experienced in naval systems engineering, propulsion testing, and advanced materials. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical rigor, and long-term vendor partnerships that align with Carderock’s mission-critical R&D objectives. Her procurement strategy prioritizes open competition, with 75% of awards issued without set-aside restrictions, reflecting the specialized nature of the work. However, she consistently allocates 25% of opportunities to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to fostering innovation through small business participation. While no specific socioeconomic categories dominate her portfolio, her use of small business set-asides supports broader DoN goals for broadening the industrial base. Her primary NAICS focus lies in Ship Building and Repairing (336611), followed by Engineering Services (541330) and Industrial Fan and Blower Manufacturing (333413), underscoring her expertise in procuring naval platform integration, hydrodynamic testing equipment, and specialized environmental control systems. She regularly engages vendors capable of delivering custom-engineered solutions for acoustic damping, propulsion efficiency, and sensor survivability in harsh maritime environments.