SEMA Demonstrated King Aerospace’s Flexibility, Capabilities and Mission Dedication

November 16, 2023

Even as King Aerospace, Inc. (KAI) prepares for the planned sundown of its contractor logistics support (CLS) responsibilities for the U.S. Army’s special electronic mission aircraft (SEMA) fleet, the company stands ready to serve on future assignments in support of our nation’s armed forces.

“It all comes back to ‘God, Country, Family,'” says Sally O’Connor, KAI deputy program manager. “We’re a smaller company, so we’re more nimble and able to respond quickly to any requirement, be it large or small, anywhere across the globe.”

King Aerospace demonstrated those capabilities throughout the SEMA contract, in which the company served as subcontractor for Northrop Grumman. Within three years of the initial contract award in 2017, KAI’s oversight of two CLS locations – in El Paso, TX, and South Korea – expanded to include seven additional U.S. sites and four new international locations.

Furthermore, all those additional locations required operational support within just 30 days, right as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold around the globe. “There were certainly a lot of lessons learned in that environment about the ins-and-outs when working with different countries with different rules and cultures,” O’Connor says.

To accomplish that momentous task, King Aerospace not only leveraged its own established workforce, but also by hiring approximately 200 additional, highly experienced aviation maintenance professionals, all dedicated exclusively to SEMA.

“With every contract, we commit to serve our customer to the very end,” added company Founder and Chairman Jerry King. “We continue to support the U.S. Army in hostile environments around the world and we’ve jointly touched the lives of a lot of families. We proudly serve together with them.”

With that program now nearing the finish line, however, many of those who have worked on SEMA for the past six years may need to transition to other duties. While KAI hopes to retain that workforce on new contract awards, some have opted for retirement while others will seek new opportunities in the industry.

“We’re making every effort possible to ensure everyone who needs a job after the contract expires is able to find one,” emphasizes O’Connor. “This is a family company, and our team has really banded together to help folks find new employment, or to brush up on their interviewing and computer skills.”

Even as the company adapts to the ever-changing procurement environment, King Aerospace remains ready to meet the mission needs of its government and military clients going forward in any capacity.

“We remain proud of the ability we demonstrated throughout SEMA to provide quality service in a quick and timely fashion,” O’Connor adds, “be it for a multiyear logistical support contract or a single, one-off job. No matter the situation or the customer’s requirements, we stand ready to serve.”