Metrea
{{Short description|American military contractor}}
{{for|the moth subgenus|Cliniodes}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Metrea
| image = KC-135 (53177452604).jpg
| logo =
| logo_size =
| type = Private Company
| foundation = 2016
| location_city = Washington, D.C.
| location_country = United States
| industry = Military contractor
| homepage = {{url|https://www.metrea.aero/}}
}}
Metrea (Formerly Meta Aerospace) is a military contractor based in the United States which provides air logistics and surveillance, electronic and cyberwarfare services support to militaries in the US, Canada, NATO and allied countries.
File:Metrea King Air (53916374739).jpg 300 ISR of Metrea, 2024.]]
History
The ServiCenter, Inc was founded in the 1950s at Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City for aircraft maintenance. It was renamed Valair Aviation by AGC Aerospace & Defense in December 2009{{cite web|date=15 December 2009 |language=en |title=AGC Aerospace & Defense Renames Oklahoma Portfolio Company |url=https://www.aviationpros.com/home/press-release/10396700/agc-aerospace-defense-renames-oklahoma-portfolio-company |website=www.aviationpros.com}} before changing its name and expanding its services.
The current iteration was formed on August 26, 2016.{{cite web|language=en |title=Metrea Management Limited – Company number 10348588 |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/10348588 |website=Companies House}}
The head of the Air & Space Group is Jon T. Thomas, former lieutenant general of the US Air Force.https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-t-thomas
As of February 2025, it operated 15 Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.{{cite web |url=https://meta.aero/msm/ |title=Meta Strategic Mobility |website=Meta Aerospace |access-date=25 November 2021 |archive-date=25 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125113247/https://meta.aero/msm/ |url-status=dead}}
4 aircraft were purchased from the Republic of Singapore Air Force when the latter retired them in 2019. They were delivered in late 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/rsaf-kc-135rs-find-new-home-with-us-firm-meta-aerospace/140413.article|title=RSAF KC-135Rs find new home with US firm Meta Aerospace|lang=en|date=1 October 2020|first=Greg |last=Waldron|website=www.flightglobal.com}} and 11 additional aircraft were purchased from the French Air and Space Force in June 2024, with 3 more pending delivery.{{Cite web |last=Trevithick |first=Joseph |date=2024-07-10 |title=All of France's KC-135 Tankers Bought By Private Aerial Refueling Company Metrea |url=https://www.twz.com/air/all-of-frances-kc-135-tankers-bought-by-private-aerial-refueling-company-metrea |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=The War Zone |language=en-US}}
On February 6, 2025, a Beechcraft B300 King Air 350 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance light aircraft from Metrea crashed in the town of Ampatuan on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines during a routine mission supporting U.S.-Philippine security cooperation activities. The three Metrea employees and one American soldier on board died.https://lignesdedefense.ouest-france.fr/crash-dun-avion-isr-aux-philippines-trois-contractors-et-un-militaire-americain-tues/
On 28 March 2025, the Indian Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Metrea Management to supply one KC-135 Flight Refuelling Aircraft (FRA) to the Indian Air Force (IAF) within six months for training pilots of IAF and the Indian Navy for in-flight refuelling.{{Cite news |date=2025-03-28 |title=MOD also signs a contract with Metrea Management for Wet Leasing of one Flight Refuelling Aircraft; To provide Air to Air refuelling training to pilots of Indian Air Force and Indian Navy |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2116411 |access-date=2025-03-29 |work=Press Information Bureau}}