King Aerospace Named a U.S. Navy KRACEn Contract Awardee

King Aerospace announces it has been selected as an awardee on the Kits, Recovery, Augmentation, Components and Engines (KRACEn) multiple award contract (MAC) supporting the United States Navy.

Commander, Fleet Readiness Center (COMFRC) awarded a 10-year, $6.1 billion enterprise contract vehicle to 42 small-business industry partners on April 14, enabling U.S. Navy, government customers and international partners to procure aircraft-maintenance services and sustainment support quicker. 

The award contract is an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) MAC that will provide maintenance services and support for single satellite sites, small aircraft quantities, personnel to augment government maintenance teams, and overhaul capabilities for aircraft components and subsystems. This is COMFRC’s first, multi-billion contract award.

The MAC’s scope of work, which is set aside for small businesses, includes modification kit build and installations, recovery of downed aircraft, repair and overhaul of aircraft and components, repair and overhaul of engines, and augmentation labor supplement for maintenance both ashore and afloat. 

“As one of 42 small-business industry partners, King Aerospace will help enable COMFRC to effectively use the KRACEn enterprise contract vehicle, allowing the Navy to meet its sustainment needs expeditiously while delivering improved outcomes,” says COMFRC executive director, Roy Harris. “KRACEn is a crucial addition to our traditional organic capabilities, providing us with the means to tap into the expertise of small-business industry partners.”

The nature of the work covered by KRACEn — simple platform, organizational-level contractor logistic services (CLS) requirements involving few aircraft, elemental or off-aircraft tasks — is well-suited for small businesses, according to COMFRC Acquisition Group, CLS Division lead, Chris Giggey. The CLS Division, formally known as the Fast Acquisition Solutions to Enable Readiness (FASTER) team, was charted by Commander, Naval Air Systems Command in 2018 to improve acquisition speed and quality of services by developing expertise in CLS contracting.

“King Aerospace has served the U.S. military for almost three decades so this news means that much more to us,” says King Aerospace president, Jarid King. “It validates and encourages our team tremendously.”

King Aerospace, Inc. (KAI), is a global operation that serves the U.S. military and government to deliver responsive aircraft maintenance and logistics support in some of the world’s most hostile, remote and harsh locations. KAI operates facilities at Biggs Army Airfield, El Paso, TX; Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, NM; Camp Humphreys, South Korea; and 24/7 logistics outposts around the world. Its sister company, King Aerospace Commercial Corporation (KACC) is a one-stop provider of aircraft services with offices and facilities in Dallas, TX, and Ardmore, OK.

“This opportunity is both welcomed and appreciated, especially considering the current pandemic-related uncertainty in the world today,” says Greg Mitchell, King Aerospace vice president of government services. “This designation will facilitate our efforts to be there for our nation’s Navy.”