- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Native Contracting
Cherokee Strategic Solutions, a subsidiary of Cherokee Federal, secured a $69.4 million Federal Aviation Administration contract to manufacture and install weather sensor technology at more than 500 airports nationwide.
The five-year deal with three optional one-year extensions represents Cherokee Federal's third consecutive contract in the weather systems sector and expands the company's role beyond manufacturing to include full installation services previously handled by FAA personnel.
Cherokee Federal will build the systems at its Pryor, Okla. facility and plans to add about 15 employees to handle the increased workload. The modernized Automated Weather Observing Systems will provide real-time weather data to air traffic controllers and pilots, with installations particularly critical for airports in Alaska and other weather-sensitive regions.
"This award reflects the FAA's ongoing confidence in our team and our shared commitment to advancing aviation safety," Aaron Fletcher, senior program manager at Cherokee Federal, said in a statement.
The contract builds on Cherokee Federal's decade-long relationship with the FAA. Since 2015, the company has manufactured and deployed 231 AWOS-C systems and 226 Surface Weather Systems, according to the company. Cherokee Federal has also delivered mobile weather solutions and supported wind measurement systems at facilities including the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma and Juneau Airport.
The recent FAA contract also adds to Cherokee Federal's expanding aviation portfolio. In March, the company unveiled its Mobile Vertipad Platform, a portable aircraft landing system designed for helicopter operations in remote locations. The global VTOL aircraft market was valued at $5.6 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow 15.2% annually through 2030, according to prior Tribal Business News reporting.
Federal spending on aviation infrastructure has increased in recent years. The FAA received $24 billion in fiscal 2024, up from $23.6 billion in fiscal 2022. The Biden administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included $25 billion over five years for airport and air traffic control infrastructure improvements.
Cherokee Federal, the federal contracting arm of Cherokee Nation Businesses, competes for government contracts as a small business under federal procurement rules that provide preferences for Native American-owned companies. Cherokee Nation Businesses serves as the economic development entity for Cherokee Nation, the largest federally recognized tribe in the United States.
