The St Louis-based Sabreliner Corporation has signed a $60-million subcontract with Boeing to continue repair work for the US Air Force (USAF) fleet of KC-135 stratotanker aircraft, the company announced on Wednesday 12 September. The contract is part of a programmed depot maintenance (PDM) award by the Air Force to Boeing on 11 September. (See: Boeing wins $1.1 billion KC-135 aerial refuelling tanker programmed depot maintenance contract )

The contract is for one base-year and nine one-year options, making a total of 10 years. It will double the volume of flight control component work performed monthly at Sabreliner''s Sainte Genevieve facility in Missouri.

The company will repair critical flight components for the KC-135 aircraft, which are mainly used for airborne refuelling.

Sabreliner has been repairing components for the fleet as a Boeing subcontractor since 2002. The corporation provides aviation logistic support, as well as repairs and maintains aircraft and jet engines.