The Navy’s Security Cooperation Programs Office (SCPO) recently awarded a contract to small business industry partner Tyonek Services Group, an Alaskan Native corporation (Tyonek), for aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) and training in support of the unique requirements of our international partners.

The program office and its International Sustainment Center provide product support and sustainment services to our international partners, contributing to the Secretary of the Navy, The Honorable Carlos Del Toro’s, strategic objectives of expanding our U.S. forward presence, enhancing warfighting readiness, innovating and modernizing our work, cultivating talent and teamwork, strengthening alliances and partnerships abroad, and reducing the time platforms and systems are offline.

“The use of small businesses promotes competition at the working level, and provides the U.S government with an agile and flexible resource provider that can easily and quickly adapt to the rapidly changing requirements experienced in today’s evolving warfighting environment,” said Binnie Rawalay-Vandevoort, SCPO’s international sustainment center division director.

Partnering with a small, agile business allows the SCPO to perform not only MRO, but also logistics and training functions at multiple sites across the globe in support of NAVAIR program offices. Tyonek is assisting NAVAIR with executing an Excess Defense Article foreign military sales case, which is currently in the early execution phase. This effort consists of extracting nine TC-12B’s and one UC-12B special mission aircraft from the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) and subsequent maintenance regeneration effort for all 10 aircraft. The overall objective of this case is to return all 10 aircraft to Federal Aviation Administration safe for flight airworthiness condition and status, while simultaneously complying with the international partner’s request to minimize material repairs to the greatest extent possible.

Tyonek is operating in an overseas contingency environment to assist the SCPO with the on-site replacement of Mi-17 helicopters in an allied nation. These replacement helicopters are a critical enabler to the Multi-National Aviation Special Project Office (MASPO), coalition aviation force draw down efforts, and to the international partner’s ability to increase their operational tempo over the course of the next year.

These efforts are indicative of the SCPO’s mission to move capability closer to the global flight-lines and strengthen strategic partnerships to achieve interoperability, integration, and interchangeability across the allied operating space, and ensure mutual support in the pursuit of U.S. and international partner shared missions.

“The use of small businesses to support U.S. government requirements is a highly beneficial, opportunity for both the government and the small business community,” said Ron Weinberger, SCPO director.

Due to the benefits seen in working with small businesses and the rapidly growing requirements in support of international partners, SCPO is always seeking small businesses to support other emerging SCPO requirements. To learn more about the 8(a) Small Business Community, and to find more small businesses like Tyonek, SCPO representatives attended the 2021 National 8(a) Associations Regional Conference in Anchorage, Alaska in August of this year. During this trip, SCPO representatives had the opportunity to visit the Tyonek Village. While at the village, SCPO representatives received a tour and presentations from tribal leaders and reciprocated the hospitality by presenting a SCPO challenge coin to the Tyonek tribal leaders.

The Navy’s Security Cooperation Programs Office (SCPO) mission is to advance U.S. strategic objectives by supporting key allied and International Partners with the acquisition, training and sustainment of U.S. Defense Systems on behalf of the Naval Aviation Enterprise.