IN Brief:
- Vigor Marine received a $42,758,897 firm-fixed-price award for a 120-day overhaul and drydocking availability.
- Work on USNS Henry J. Kaiser is scheduled in Portland from 15 December 2026 to 13 April 2027.
- Four unexercised options could raise the cumulative contract value to $45,820,041.
Portland ship repair contractor Vigor Marine has received a $42.8 million US Navy contract to overhaul and drydock the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187). The 120-calendar-day availability is scheduled to begin on 15 December 2026 and conclude on 13 April 2027, placing a significant block of naval maintenance work at the company’s Oregon operations during the first part of the US government’s 2027 financial year.
Military Sealift Command awarded contract N3220527C0002 on 23 October with a firm-fixed-price base value of $42,758,897. Four unexercised options covering additional work and time could lift the total to $45,820,041. The Portland yard can therefore plan against the funded base availability, while the Navy must decide separately whether to exercise any of the options.
USNS Henry J. Kaiser is the lead vessel of its class of fleet replenishment oilers. Military Sealift Command lists the class at approximately 677.5 feet long and 97.5 feet in beam, with vessels operated primarily by civilian mariners. The ships transfer fuel, freight and stores to naval units at sea, allowing combatant vessels to sustain operations without returning to port whenever their tanks or supply spaces need replenishment.
During drydocking, the vessel is taken out of its normal operating cycle and placed where the underwater hull, propeller and other submerged structures can be accessed. Inspectors can then examine areas that are difficult to assess at sea while repair crews coordinate access to machinery spaces and equipment. That sequencing is particularly consequential for a replenishment ship, whose ability to resume service depends on the condition of both its propulsion systems and cargo handling equipment.
The published contract specifies a regular overhaul and drydocking availability but contains no itemised list of hull, machinery, piping or electrical tasks. Inspection, preservation and equipment servicing are typical of such work; their presence in this particular package cannot be assumed. Neither a sensor upgrade nor a major redesign is established by the award notice, so the confirmed scope remains the 120-day maintenance availability.
Maintaining an oiler has a direct connection to fleet readiness because the vessel’s usefulness depends on the reliable transfer of fuel and stores at sea. Replenishment requires the ship to keep station alongside another vessel while personnel operate transfer equipment under controlled conditions. Reliable propulsion, steering, communications and fuel handling infrastructure consequently underpin a support function that can be as operationally demanding as the ship’s more visible combat counterparts.
Because the award uses a firm-fixed-price structure, the base work package needs to be defined closely enough for the yard to allocate labour and materials before the ship arrives. Inspection may nevertheless expose conditions that require a change to the planned sequence. Options provide a defined contractual mechanism for additional agreed work or time, but they do not establish that defects have already been found aboard Henry J. Kaiser.
Drydock capacity, specialist trades, equipment deliveries and government inspection points must all be fitted into the 120-day window. Work in enclosed machinery spaces can depend on a separate team finishing isolation, access or testing, while the vessel must ultimately be made ready for harbour trials and the return to service process. These are general ship repair dependencies rather than evidence of a current problem with the oiler’s condition or schedule.
The competition was conducted through the federal procurement portal and attracted one offer, according to the award announcement. Vigor’s Portland site is the named place of performance. The contract buys repair and maintenance services for an existing support vessel, with $42.8 million committed to the base package and the approximately $45.8 million figure representing the maximum if every option is exercised.
The planned dates are consistent with the Navy’s existing financial year 2027 maintenance planning, which identifies Henry J. Kaiser for a December-to-April availability. An annual maintenance plan and an awarded shipyard contract serve different purposes: the former allocates a period for the ship to leave service, while the latter establishes a specific contractor and commercial terms. Actual progress will depend on the condition of the vessel and the findings of inspections during the availability; neither is reported in the October award notice.
Work is due to begin on 15 December and finish on 13 April 2027, matching the December-to-April window identified in the Navy’s maintenance planning. The award fixes the contractor and base price before the vessel enters the yard; subsequent inspection results and any option decisions will determine whether the work changes. The next independently measurable development will be the start of the availability, followed by completion and the oiler’s return to its supply role.
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