Anchorage-based Lynden Air Cargo has been awarded a nearly US$50 million contract from the US Military Transportation Command to deploy American troops to the Middle East, reported the Alaska Journal of Commerce.

A subsidiary of Seattle's Lynden Inc, the company has been lifting military cargo on a similar contract since 1998. It received its latest contract to help deploy troops to the Middle East for an expected $63.7 million, but with a guarantee of $47.4 million.

The contract that ends in September 2008 specifies that the lifts will be done from worldwide locations. Lynden Air Cargo operates six Hercules. In Alaska Lynden operations are based at South Airpark at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, but the firm is also located at airports in Germany, Japan and from New Jersey.

According to US Department of Transportation filings Lynden Air Cargo posted $6.7 million in profit for the quarter ending June 30.

The US Transportation Command said Lynden's bid was picked from 32 others as part of a government solicitation from Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.