The new Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at the North Carolina Global TransPark in Kinston hit another milestone April 15 when the Navy officially signed a lease agreement for the property.

The agreement with the state of North Carolina provides FRCE with 65 acres at the Global TransPark, paving the way for the command’s maintenance support of Navy and Marine Corps C/KC-130 Hercules/Super Hercules transport aircraft and Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II search and rescue helicopters, scheduled to begin in September.

“This historic initiative will increase the nation’s depot capacity for both the C-130 and HH-60W aircraft, significantly enhancing fleet readiness, while simultaneously creating hundreds of highly skilled technical jobs, providing a major economic boost to eastern North Carolina,” said FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. Randy J. Berti.

“We’re also anticipating that our team – working in this new, state-of-the-art facility – will provide unprecedented efficiency due to the thoughtful flow and design,” Berti continued.

The partnership between the Navy and the state of North Carolina is the first of its kind within the Department of War and represents an innovative collaboration. The idea for the project originated more than six years ago to address both the need for a C-130 maintenance facility on the east coast, and the lack of adequate space for such a facility.

In 2023, state lawmakers approved $350 million in funding for Global TransPark to conduct site improvements to accommodate the 750,000-square-foot FRCE facility. The Navy will operate the depot under a long-term lease executed by Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC). The arrangement resulted in an estimated $700 million cost avoidance for the U.S. government and cut the construction timeline by more than 50%.

“The acquisition strategy we executed in partnership with the State of North Carolina is just one example of how NAVFAC is delivering warfighting infrastructure in new and innovative ways while saving millions of dollars and shaving years off the delivery schedule,” said NAVFAC Commander Rear Adm. Jeff Kilian.  “We know that traditional military construction isn’t always the best solution.  At FRCE, we addressed a critical C-130 infrastructure gap on the east coast by combining unique authorities made available by Congress for real estate leases and intergovernmental support agreements.” 

The Navy-North Carolina partnership is pioneering in its approach, Berti noted.

“This collaboration could serve as a repeatable, scalable model for future infrastructure projects across the Department of War, demonstrating how federal and state entities can partner to deliver critical capabilities faster and more cost-effectively,” he explained. “This groundbreaking solution could be a true game changer in the way the organic industrial base provides support to the warfighter.”

Along with enhanced aviation readiness for the nation’s warfighters, leaders anticipate the facility will bring growth to eastern North Carolina in the form of jobs and economic impact.

“The long-term agreement will bring economic prosperity to eastern North Carolina and support our nation’s military readiness,” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said in an official release. “North Carolina’s strong defense and aviation tradition and world-class workforce make this announcement a perfect partnership.”