Burleson-based Air Center Helicopters has landed roughly $166 million in U.S. Navy contracts to fly vertical replenishment missions for the Military Sealift Command. The twin deals will station company detachments on dry cargo and ammunition ships that resupply vessels in the U.S. 7th and 5th Fleets, sending Air Center crews on extended deployments at sea.
The awards were first flagged locally by the Fort Worth Report and appear in federal procurement records as two firm fixed price contracts worth about $82,842,593 each, or roughly $166 million combined. Federal award listings indicate the Navy’s Military Sealift Command posted the contracts in early June 2026, and FBODaily carries entries for both awards.
Contract details and timeline
Each award is identified in procurement notices as N3220526C1235 and N3220526C1236 and includes a one-year base period with four one-year option periods plus an option to extend services for up to six additional months. Performance is scheduled to start in late July 2026 and, if every option is exercised, could continue through January 2032. The notices describe the work as firm fixed price vertical replenishment (VERTREP) services, a description echoed in defense contracting roundups from ClearanceJobs.
What the work will involve
Contract documents state that Air Center detachments will be forward deployed and are expected to operate primarily from Combat Logistics Force T-AKE class dry cargo and ammunition ships to meet Seventh and Fifth Fleet requirements. The missions will mean ship-to-ship transfers of cargo, gear and supplies, along with long rotations at sea for Air Center crews and aircraft. Procurement postings also note that the awards will be funded incrementally using Navy appropriations that do not expire, language reflected in government award listings and aggregators such as GovContractFinder.
Local base, aircraft and company history
Air Center is headquartered in Burleson and operates long-range Airbus H225LP (Super Puma) helicopters, aircraft commonly used for VERTREP work. The company has a track record of contracts supporting Military Sealift Command and earlier VERTREP awards, and local reporting says Air Center helped develop and flight test a filter for the H225 earlier this year.
The new awards underscore a continuing operational relationship between this small North Texas operator and the Navy and are likely to keep Air Center crews on lengthy deployments for years to come. Military Sealift Command is listed as the contracting activity in the notices, and the deals are structured to be funded incrementally using Navy appropriations. ClearanceJobs summarizes the contracting activity and funding language contained in the award notices.
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