Cherokee Federal has won a $99.3-million US Navy contract to maintain protective gear, firefighting systems, and other equipment sailors rely on to survive emergencies and operate safely.
The five-and-a-half-year award went to Cherokee Nation Government Solutions, a Cherokee Federal company, through the SeaPort-NxG contracting vehicle. The work will support the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division and Navy fleet organizations worldwide.
Under the contract, the company will manage equipment throughout its service life, covering inventory, inspections, fitting, testing, repairs, storage, and distribution. It will also provide program management, logistics, and field support to help ensure equipment reaches units when needed.
The work spans several categories of mission-critical equipment, including chemical, biological, and radiological defense gear, personal protective equipment, damage control and firefighting systems, anti-terrorism systems for ships, and life-support equipment.
“When a sailor’s safety depends on the equipment we support, there’s no room for error,” Cherokee Federal President Tom Watson said.
Navy Improves Fleet Readiness
Maintaining individual pieces of equipment is one part of a broader challenge for the US Navy.
A January 2025 Government Accountability Office report found that the service continued to face problems sustaining its combat surface ships, including shortages of spare parts and qualified personnel, as well as postponed maintenance.
Those issues can keep ships from returning to training and operational duties on schedule.
The US Navy is directing substantial funding to address these issues. Its fiscal year 2027 budget materials, released in April 2026, proposed $17 billion for ship maintenance. It also included funding for ship operations, aviation maintenance, and field logistics.