Pentagon Awards $252 Million Contract to Support Iraq’s F-16 Fleet

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a significant development for the security infrastructure of Iraq, the United States Department of War announced on Friday, November 21, 2025, the awarding of a massive contract aimed at sustaining the operational capabilities of the Iraqi Air Force. Leading a diverse slate of defense allocations, Vectrus Systems LLC, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been secured for a $252,050,925 contract to provide comprehensive base support services specifically for the Iraq F-16 program.

This substantial agreement underscores the continued cooperation between Washington and Baghdad regarding military sustainability and air defense. The contract, officially designated as a cost-plus fixed-fee indefinite contract action, tasks Vectrus Systems with a wide array of critical responsibilities necessary to keep the F-16 fleet operational.

According to the official announcement, the services provided under this agreement include base operating support, base life support, and essential security services.

The operations are slated to take place at the Martyr BG Ali Flaih Air Base in Iraq. The Department of War has indicated that the work is expected to be completed by September 24, 2026. This extensive project is being executed under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, a mechanism that facilitates the sale of U.S. arms, defense equipment, defense services, and military training to foreign governments.

The Pentagon confirmed that this was a sole-source acquisition, indicating that Vectrus was uniquely positioned to fulfill these specific requirements without a standard competitive bidding process.

At the time of the award, Foreign Military Sales funds totaling $123,994,954 are being obligated, ensuring that the initial phase of the logistical and security operations can commence immediately.

The contracting activity managing this significant portfolio is the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. This investment represents a critical injection of resources into the maintenance of Iraq's air sovereignty, ensuring that the facilities housing the F-16s are secure, habitable, and operationally sound.

Global Air Force Logistics and Allied Support

While the Iraq F-16 program headlined the day’s announcements, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center also engaged in other critical logistical agreements. DRS Sustainment Systems Inc., operating out of Bridgeton, Missouri, was awarded a $12,693,852 fixed-price-incentive delivery order.

This order falls under an indefinite delivery requirements contract focused on contractor logistics support for the Tunner aircraft cargo loader.

The scope of the DRS Sustainment Systems contract includes material management infrastructure, the provision of material management parts, and program engineering support specifically for the Tunner ACL. The work is scheduled to be performed in West Plains, Missouri, with a completion target of November 21, 2026.

The Department of War noted that Fiscal Year 2026 operations and maintenance funds matching the full contract value were obligated at the time of the award. The contracting activity for this logistical support is based at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.

In another move bolstering international alliances through Foreign Military Sales, the Air Force awarded a contract to General Electric Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio. This firm-fixed-price contract, valued at a maximum of $9,740,500, is designated for the procurement of initial spares and consumables for the F110-GE-129 engine, a powerhouse component for fighter aircraft.

This specific contract is in support of the Bulgarian Air Force, highlighting the U.S. commitment to NATO allies in Eastern Europe. The work, to be performed in Cincinnati, is expected to conclude by November 27, 2026. Like the Iraq contract, this was a sole-source acquisition, with the full amount obligated at the time of the award by the Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.

Naval Power: Carrier Capabilities and Middle East Operations

The Department of the Navy also announced a series of high-value contracts on Friday, ranging from aircraft carrier development to continued operations in the Middle East. Huntington Ingalls Incorporated of Newport News, Virginia, received a multifaceted modification to previously awarded contracts aimed at the Pre-Commissioning Unit John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).

The modification is financially complex, incorporating a $60,000,000 cost-reimbursable component, a $58,556,527 cost-plus-incentive-fee component, a $20,924,993 fixed-price-incentive (firm target) component, and a $3,436,456 cost-plus-fixed-fee component.

These funds are allocated to improve capabilities at the time of ship delivery and to definitize unpriced change orders. The work will be carried out in Newport News, Virginia, with an expected completion date of June 2026. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., serves as the contracting activity, though no funds were obligated immediately at the time of the award.

Reinforcing its footprint in the Middle East, Vectrus Systems LLC received a second significant award on Friday, this time from the Navy. The company was granted a $33,634,728 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification to a previous contract for base operations support services.

This award brings the cumulative value of the contract to an impressive $186,859,582. The services are to be rendered at Isa Air Base in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with operations expected to continue through November 2026. This modification exercises option five of the contract. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they arise.

In the realm of amphibious warfare, BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair was awarded a $31,550,329 cost-plus-award-fee modification. This contract covers fitting out availabilities and post-shakedown availabilities for three amphibious transport ships: the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28), the USS Richard McCool Jr. (LPD 29), and the Harrisburg (LPD 30).

Work is slated for Norfolk, Virginia, ending in September 2026. A mix of fiscal year 2017 and 2025 shipbuilding and conversion funds were obligated at the award time.

Furthermore, Raytheon Company was awarded a $22,062,022 modification involving firm-fixed-price and cost-plus structures for the Cooperative Engagement Capabilities (CEC) system. This critical major weapon system contract involves design, development, integration, testing, and maintenance.

Notably, this project represents a multinational effort, with funding contributions from Australia, Japan, and Canada alongside U.S. Navy and Marine Corps funds. The work will be split between locations in Florida and Massachusetts, aimed for completion by November 2026.

Smaller but vital naval supply chains were also addressed, with McNally Industries, LLC receiving a $10.8 million order for four MK 6 Ammunition Hoists, to be manufactured in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, with a completion date of March 2029.

Defense Logistics and Army Infrastructure

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) moved to secure supply lines for troops, awarding PRAK Industries LLC in Puerto Rico a maximum $44,283,084 contract for combat uniform coats and trousers. This competitive acquisition, which saw six responses, is a five-year contract extending through November 2030, supporting both the Navy and Coast Guard.

Additionally, Coastal Pacific Food Distributors in Washington state received a $41,063,053 bridge contract for full-line food and beverage items for the Navy, ensuring provisions through November 2026.

In the medical sector, an update was issued regarding the electronic catalog for medical equipment. Dustoff Technologies LLC has been added as an awardee to a multiple-award contract with a ceiling of $48,600,000, supporting the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support in Philadelphia.

On the infrastructure front, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded Northbank Civil and Marine a $19,853,000 firm-fixed-price contract for hydraulic system upgrades to the intake gate at Ice Harbor Dam. The project, located in Burbank, Washington, is expected to take several years, with a completion date set for March 30, 2029.

Special Operations Command Correction

Finally, the U.S. Special Operations Command issued a correction regarding a high-value contract announced earlier in the week. A firm-fixed-price delivery order awarded to The Boeing Co. on November 20, 2025, was initially announced with an incorrect financial figure. The Department of War clarified on Friday that the correct amount for the contract is $271,733,232, confirming a massive investment in special operations aviation capabilities.

This slate of contracts, led by the quarter-billion-dollar investment in Iraq’s air base infrastructure, highlights a robust day of defense spending focused on sustaining international partnerships, maintaining naval superiority, and ensuring logistical readiness across all branches of the armed forces.