Military

FISC Yokosuka Negotiates $87 Million Contract for NAPRA

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070811-06
Release Date: 8/11/2007 11:02:00 AM

By Tim Shannon, U.S. Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Yokosuka

ATSUGI, Japan (NNS) -- U.S. Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC) Yokosuka negotiated a five-year contract valued at more than $87 million between the NIPPI Corporation and the Naval Air Pacific Repair Activity (NAPRA), at Naval Air Facility Atsugi on July 26.

NIPPI is an acronym of Nippon Hikouki. NAPRA provides forward deployed naval aviation depot level rework, repair and modification of aircraft support equipment and aeronautical components.

According to Lt. Cmdr. Matt Edwards, the NAPRA operations officer, the current contract with NIPPI is more than a simple renewal of an existing one.

“The new contract implements extensive changes from the previous contract and focuses on improving contractor performance by decreasing the turn-around time of aircraft in work while maintaining a high level of quality,” said Edwards.

“The new contract requires NIPPI to meet more stringent timelines while accomplishing the depot maintenance requirements. The reduced turn-around time will enhance fleet readiness by returning ready-for-tasking aircraft back to the squadrons in less time.”

The contract was negotiated by FISC Yokosuka procurement contract officer, Nancy Darley-Gibson and contract specialist Fusako Oguri. Their task was to create a contract that would account for the greater needs of NAPRA while also meeting the needs of NIPPI.

“This is a follow-on contract and is up for renewal and negotiations every five years,” said Darley-Gibson. “There were many revisions and NAPRA, FISC and NIPPI worked very hard during these negotiations to ensure a win-win result.”

Edwards stated that the hard work done by FISC will, in fact, benefit both the Navy and the NIPPI Corporation.

“As the contractor implements process improvements that reduce the number of labor hours required, the efficiencies realized translate into better profits for the contractor [NIPPI],” Edwards said. “Likewise, the Navy benefits from the process improvements with better contractor performance and reduced aircraft maintenance turnaround time.”

The NIPPI Corporation is NAPRA’s largest contractor and provides depot maintenance services. Under this contract, NIPPI, at their facility adjacent to NAF Atsugi, will provide approximately 25 to 30 aircraft depot maintenance events for various Navy and Marine Corps fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, ensuring the Navy’s mission capability and enhancing fleet readiness.