Malaysia's aerospace firm Airod Sdn Bhd has won a five-year US$25 million (RM109.17 million) contract to service the KC-130J aircraft of the United States Navy, according to a US Embassy statement today.

It said the contract was awarded to Airod (Aircraft Inspection, Repair & Overhaul Depot Sdn Bhd) by the US Navy's Fleet Logistics Center Yokosuka.

"The agreement represents a significant US government direct investment in the Malaysian aerospace defence industry and demonstrates strengthened US-Malaysia defence trade ties following President (Barack) Obama's April 2014 announcement of a comprehensive partnership between the two nations," said the statement.

Airod will employ 25 engineers and technicians to service the 13 aircraft of the US Marine Corps Aerial Refueller Transport Squadron stationed in Japan, it said.

The statement said work on the first aircraft is planned to start in January next year.

It said the agreement also includes potential in-service repair during the life of the contract, such as component/parts repairs, corrosion control, rework, drop-in repair, manufacturing parts and other similar work for forward deployed US Navy and Marine Corps C-130 aircraft.

"These repairs could take place at the Airod facility or anywhere within the US military's Western Pacific Area of Responsibility," it said.

The statement quoted the US Navy's Fleet Readiness Center Western Pacific (FRCWP) commanding officer Lt Col Thomas A. Atkinson as saying: "We are impressed with Airod's and National Aerospace and Defence Industries Group's depot maintenance knowledge, experience and technical ability on the C-130 aircraft.

"We feel fortunate to be partnering with Airod and through this contract have greatly increased our ability to support the aircraft readiness requirements if the US Navy and Marice Corps."

FRCP's C-130 Program Management Technical representative Timothy Campbell said Airod brought great skills and field service repair capabilities to Fleet Readiness Center Western Pacific and the KC-130J fleet in the Pacific.

"The company's ability to deploy repair teams around the world for emergent repairs will return valuable assets to operational capability in minimal time," he said.

Located in Subang, Airod provides aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services to support Royal Malaysian Air Force aircraft.

Airod has provided services to the US Air Force under a previous US government contract and is an authorised Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules Service Center.

- Bernama