S&K Aerospace, LLC (SKA) has secured a $4.3 billion single-award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to manage the U.S. Air Forces Parts and Repair Ordering System 7 (PROS 7).

Announced in a press release on October 5, 2026, the agreement tasks the Montana-based company with providing critical supply, repair, and logistics support for non-standard and difficult-to-support items to more than 100 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) partner nations across the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy.

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Contract scope and operational details

The PROS 7 contract serves as a vital logistics bridge for international allies operating U.S.-manufactured military equipment. Through the program, S&K Aerospace will provide Commercial Buying Services (CBS) to procure parts and manage repair services for components that are no longer standard or are otherwise difficult to support through traditional supply chains.

According to the official award notice from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), the contract features a maximum ordering period of 10 years, structured as a one-year base period followed by nine one-year options. A subsequent three-year closeout period brings the expected completion date to September 30, 2039. While S&K Aerospace is headquartered in St. Ignatius, Montana, the operational work for PROS 7 will be conducted in Warner Robins, Georgia.

The contract was officially awarded on September 16, 2026, before the public announcement on October 5, 2026. Tony Amadeo, President of S&K Aerospace, credited the company’s historical performance for the successful bid.

“We had an outstanding team across B&P, Pricing, Contracts, HR, IT/IRM, Quality and our technical and operational organizations that put an enormous amount of work into PROS 7. But we also would not be here without the PROS IV and PROS V teams who have been executing this mission for more than 15 years. Their performance built the customer trust, supplier relationships and reputation that we carried into this competition. We didn’t just show up and win PROS 7 — this team earned it over a lot of years.”

Competitive acquisition and corporate background

The AFLCMC at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio managed the procurement as a two-phase competitive acquisition. Government records indicate four offers were received during the initial phase, with three advancing to the final selection round. The resulting agreement is structured primarily as a fixed-price contract, incorporating cost-type contract line item numbers for vendor-invoiced material and maintenance pass-through costs.

S&K Aerospace brings extensive institutional knowledge to the PROS 7 program, having previously managed the PROS IV and PROS V iterations over the past 15 years. The Department of Defense awarded the $4.2 billion PROS V contract to the company on November 2, 2016.

The company operates as a subsidiary of S&K Technologies, Inc., a tribally owned corporation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) of the Flathead Nation. Revenues generated by the aerospace division and other subsidiaries are reinvested into the CSKT Tribal General Fund to support community programs and services on the reservation.

The PROS 7 award follows another major federal contract secured by the company earlier in the year. In May 2026, the Department of Defense selected S&K Aerospace as an awardee on the Contract Field Teams (CFT) Labor Augmentation Support Requirements (LASR) multiple-award IDIQ contract, a vehicle with a maximum ceiling value of $7.009 billion.

AirPro News analysis

The decision to award PROS 7 to the incumbent contractor underscores the U.S. Air Force’s prioritization of supply chain stability for its international partners. Managing non-standard and out-of-production parts requires an established network of specialized vendors and repair facilities. By retaining S&K Aerospace, the AFLCMC avoids the transition risks associated with transferring a complex, global logistics network to a new prime contractor. This continuity is particularly critical for Foreign Military Sales customers utilizing aging platforms that rely entirely on the PROS framework for sustainment.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has initiated the second phase of a research project designed to automate hose-and-drogue mid-air refueling for uncrewed aerial vehicles. Announced on October 9, 2026, the €8 million effort brings together defense contractors and research institutes from Spain, Germany, and Belgium to solve the complex aerodynamics and control challenges of autonomous tanker operations.

The project targets a critical capability gap for future European and NATO Air Forces. By developing systems capable of coordinating multiple unmanned receivers with a single tanker simultaneously, the consortium aims to establish the technical foundation for autonomous air-to-air refueling (A4R) operations. According to the EDA, this capability is essential for ensuring interoperability among allied nations deploying next-generation combat drones.

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Advancing autonomous refueling capabilities

The second phase of the project officially advanced on October 8, 2026. The EDA outlined that the development will unfold across three distinct stages. The consortium will begin with simulated multi-aircraft refueling operations to test coordination algorithms before moving to laboratory testing utilizing robotic arms to simulate the physical connection. The final stage will involve ground and flight tests using an Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) and an experimental aircraft provided by the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

The engineering and testing workload is distributed among the three participating nations. Spain is represented by Airbus Defence and Space and technology firm GMV. The German contingent includes Airbus Defence and Space, the DLR, and AES Technology. Belgium’s participation involves ScioTeq and the Von Karman Institute.

Building on Phase One foundations

This new €8 million investment builds directly on the results of the project’s first phase, which the EDA launched on December 21, 2022, with a €4 million budget. The initial phase focused on proving the technical feasibility of automated hose-and-drogue refueling. This method is widely used by European air forces but is inherently more difficult to automate than rigid boom systems due to the flexibility and aerodynamic instability of the trailing hose.

During Phase One, researchers utilized an Airbus A330 MRTT tanker alongside a German Panavia Tornado and a Spanish McDonnell Douglas EF-18 Hornet. The consortium successfully developed camera-based tracking systems capable of monitoring both the drogue and the receiver aircraft. The teams also tested drogue stabilization techniques required for uncrewed receivers to make safe and reliable contact.

Airbus expands its automated refueling portfolio

Airbus Defence and Space occupies a central role in the EDA consortium, reflecting the manufacturer’s broader push into automated refueling technologies across multiple platforms. The company has independently pursued A4R capabilities through its Auto’Mate demonstrator program. That initiative previously utilized an Airbus A310 tanker and DT-25 target drones to validate formation flight and automatic contact procedures.

The EDA project aligns with parallel developments in Airbus’s crewed and uncrewed portfolios. In February 2026, Singapore became the first country to achieve full certification for Airbus’s Automatic Air-to-Air Refuelling (A3R) boom operations in both day and night conditions. Shortly after, on March 4, 2026, the EDA selected Airbus Helicopters subsidiary Survey Copter for the €1.1 million Multi Mission Unmanned Aircraft System (M2UAS) project. That contract focuses on developing a hybrid uncrewed aircraft based on the Capa-X drone, which will also be designed to accept automated in-flight refueling.

Strategic implications for European air combat

Automating air-to-air refueling for uncrewed systems is considered a mandatory capability for next-generation air combat systems. Extending the range and loiter time of uncrewed aerial vehicles without requiring human pilot intervention allows air forces to project power further and maintain persistent surveillance or strike capabilities.

Spain has positioned itself as a primary driver of this technology within Europe. The Spanish Ministry of Defence has identified air-to-air refueling as a priority within its Defence Technology and Innovation Strategy (ETID 2026), aiming to establish the country as a global leader in the sector. The Airbus A330 MRTT, which serves as the baseline tanker for these tests, has secured orders from 14 countries, cementing its position as the primary aerial refueling platform for European and allied nations.

AirPro News analysis

The transition from automated boom refueling for crewed aircraft to autonomous hose-and-drogue refueling for uncrewed systems represents a massive leap in aerodynamic and computational complexity. While rigid booms can be actively steered by a boom operator into a receiver’s receptacle, hose-and-drogue systems require the receiver aircraft to do the maneuvering. For a drone, this means processing complex wake turbulence and drogue movement in real time without human depth perception or intuition.

If the EDA consortium can successfully demonstrate multi-drone refueling from a single A330 MRTT, it will fundamentally alter the operational calculus for future European combat air systems. The ability to refuel uncrewed assets mid-air will allow loyal wingmen and autonomous combat vehicles to match the range and endurance of their crewed counterparts, removing a significant logistical bottleneck in future air combat planning.

The New Zealand Government has finalized a $1.648 billion NZD agreement with the United States to acquire five Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopters, replacing its aging fleet of Kaman SH-2G(I) Super Seasprites.

Announced by the New Zealand Ministry of Defence on 16 October 2026, the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract includes the aircraft, associated weapons systems, and spares, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2030. The procurement also allocates $110 million NZD in average annual operating funding over the next decade.

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Enhancing maritime capabilities and interoperability

The new helicopters will be housed at RNZAF Base Auckland in Whenuapai and deployed on Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) frigates. As a joint asset of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), the aircraft will be flown by RNZN aircrew and maintained by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) No. 6 Squadron.

In its official statement, the Ministry of Defence noted that the MH-60R Seahawks will provide essential capabilities including anti-surface and underwater warfare, search and rescue, and maritime counter-terrorism support. The Ministry highlighted that the new aircraft are faster and offer greater range than the outgoing fleet, increasing the surveillance and defensive reach of New Zealand’s naval vessels.

The MH-60R Seahawk features a maximum speed of 180 knots and a range of 520 nautical miles. Operated by a crew of three, the helicopter supports a cargo capacity exceeding 1,500 kilograms in utility mode. The procurement package includes Mk 54 anti-submarine torpedoes, AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, and the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS).

Fleet modernization under the Defence Capability Plan

The finalization of the purchase agreement follows an initial announcement on 21 August 2025, when Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters outlined a $2.7 billion NZD investment under the Defence Capability Plan. That initiative identified the MH-60R as the preferred replacement for the maritime helicopter fleet and selected the Airbus A321XLR to replace the RNZAF Boeing 757 transport aircraft.

New Zealand currently operates eight Kaman SH-2G(I) Super Seasprites from its Anzac-class frigates and offshore patrol vessels. The transition to the Sikorsky platform aligns New Zealand with a broad coalition of allied operators. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, the MH-60R serves as the primary maritime helicopter for the United States Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, and several other nations including Denmark, India, South Korea, and Spain.

Following the commencement of deliveries in 2030, the Ministry of Defence expects to make further investment decisions regarding infrastructure upgrades, training systems, and complementary uncrewed aerial systems to support the new fleet.

AirPro News analysis

We note that the decision to replace eight Super Seasprites with five MH-60R Seahawks represents a consolidation in raw airframe numbers, offset by the Seahawk’s extended range, higher speed, and advanced sensor suite. By selecting the MH-60R, New Zealand prioritizes seamless integration with the Royal Australian Navy and the United States Navy over maintaining a larger, bespoke fleet, reflecting a broader strategic alignment in the Indo-Pacific region.