Virginia Terminals Wins $19.8 Million Navy Stevedoring Contract

Virginia International Terminals LLC secured a firm-fixed-price deal to handle cargo loading at the Ports of Virginia, with work running through Aug. 20, 2031, under U.S. Transportation Command.

First Published: August 5, 2026, 1:32 PM ET

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA — Virginia International Terminals LLC, the operator of the Ports of Virginia, won a $19.8 million contract to load and unload military cargo through 2031, as announced on war.gov.

The firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity award covers stevedoring and related terminal services at the Ports of Virginia, according to war.gov. Work is expected to be completed by Aug. 20, 2031. Fiscal 2026 transportation working capital funds of $19.8 million were obligated at the time of award, and the contract carries a total cumulative face value of $24.7 million.

The U.S. Transportation Command Directorate of Acquisition at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, serves as the contracting activity, according to war.gov. The command competitively procured the deal through the System for Award Management website and received four offers.

Stevedoring covers the loading and unloading of ships, a service that keeps military supply chains moving through commercial ports. The award benefits the Norfolk-based terminal operator and the workers who staff the docks, while giving the Navy guaranteed cargo-handling capacity at one of the largest port complexes on the East Coast. The indefinite-delivery structure lets the government order services as needs arise, up to the contract ceiling.

The deal marks the first contract awarded to Virginia International Terminals LLC recorded in the database in 2026, establishing the company’s initial benchmark within the Navy portfolio. It stands as the 157th Department of Defense contract awarded in Virginia during the year. The award ranks between the 2026 Navy portfolio’s year-to-date range, well below the largest deals that reach into the billions. It was one of 12 Department of Defense contracts issued nationwide on August 5, 2026.

For the average reader, the contract shows how the military relies on commercial ports and civilian labor to move equipment and supplies. Cargo handled by stevedores at Norfolk supports troop deployments and humanitarian missions, functions that rarely draw attention until a crisis exposes the supply chain behind them.

Such awards have happened before at the Ports of Virginia. The complex has long served as a hub for military sealift, and repeated stevedoring contracts have kept the docks operating for defense cargo across multiple administrations. The competitive process and multiple bidders point to a steady market for terminal services along the mid-Atlantic coast.

The next decision rests with the U.S. Transportation Command, which will issue task orders against the contract as cargo requirements emerge through the completion date of Aug. 20, 2031. A date for any specific order has not been announced.

Norfolk has anchored American naval power for more than a century, and its terminals have carried the weight of the nation’s wars before. During World War II, the Hampton Roads ports shipped millions of tons of supplies and troops to the European and Pacific theaters, cementing the region as a linchpin of military logistics. That legacy of moving men and material through Virginia’s waterfront continues in every stevedoring award signed on the same docks today.

This contract represents the 1st contract awarded to Virginia International Terminals LLC, in 2026, bringing the company’s total contract value for the year to $19,778,309. It is also the 157th Department of Defense contract awarded in Virginia during 2026. Because this is the first award to Virginia International Terminals LLC recorded in the database, it establishes the company’s initial benchmark within the Navy portfolio. Specifically, it falls between the 2026 Navy portfolio’s year-to-date minimum of $9,046,496 and maximum of $8,000,000,000. Overall, this award was announced among 12 Department of Defense contracts issued nationwide on August 5, 2026.