A bipartisan group of Pennsylvania lawmakers on Capitol Hill urged the General Services Administration (GSA) to expedite a U.S. Navy contract with Gecko Robotics to bolster national security and create jobs in the southwestern part of the state.
“This contract stands not only to bolster our national and economic security in the face of increasing Chinese aggression but to create jobs and grow Navy business in southwestern Pennsylvania, a region long known for its industrious workforce and ingenuity,” the members wrote in a Sept. 24 letter sent to GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan.
The Navy’s pending $75 million contract with Pittsburgh-based Gecko Robotics will support ship maintenance and help ensure the Navy’s readiness against increasing maritime threats from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), according to the letter, which adds that the project will directly create 150 new jobs in southwestern Pennsylvania and help grow defense business in the region to create future job opportunities.
“And, through workforce investments by Gecko Robotics, it will [also] help traditional manufacturing workers in the area develop the advanced manufacturing skills and expertise necessary to compete in the global marketplace,” wrote U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA), as well as U.S. Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) and Chris Deluzio (D-PA).
The growing buildup of the PRC’s navy continues to strengthen its chances of winning a potential future war against the United States, the lawmakers wrote, pointing out that larger fleets have won 89 percent of wars with significant naval combat.
“Today, this shifting balance allows China to more confidently project power despite U.S. counter efforts,” they wrote. “A competition against a state, China, controlling 230 times our shipbuilding capacity will require continued large-scale investments and a refocused strategy to address today’s threats.”
Specifically, they requested that Carnahan expedite issuance of the Navy’s pending Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to Gecko Robotics for automated vessel inspection and maintenance from its delayed second-quarter 2025 start date to a start date in the first quarter of 2025, allowing the Navy to move more quickly in addressing its maintenance backlog while saving taxpayer funds compared to existing vehicles.
“Despite the contract’s strategic importance and prioritization by the Navy, it has stalled with GSA,” wrote the lawmakers. “GSA must do better. The nation’s security demands it.”