Boeing has been granted a modification contract worth $200m to procure critical long lead material and associated efforts to produce F/A-18E/F aircraft.
The contract modification aims to ensure the maintenance of the production timeline, with work expected to be completed by June 2025. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, oversees the contract.
Boeing, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, has secured a contract modification worth $200m from the US Navy. The modification aims to support the production of F/A-18E/F aircraft by procuring critical long-lead material and associated efforts.
Under the terms of the contract modification, Boeing will carry out the work at various locations across the United States and Canada. Most of the work will be performed in El Segundo, California, for 68.9% of the effort.
The F/A-18E/F aircraft is a versatile and competent platform used by the US Navy and Marine Corps for various missions, including air superiority, strike warfare, and reconnaissance.
According to GlobalData’s “US Defence Market 2022-2027” report, the US Navy’s F/A-XX program, a component of the broader USN Next Generation Air Dominance program, is looking to create a new jet to replace the older Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet models, with an in-service date initially planned for 2030.
This contract shows the US Navy’s commitment to maintaining the F/A-18E/F aircraft while developing the F/A-XX program.
However, it could also hint at production for the aircraft not ending as soon as the US Navy and Boeing initially thought, as both parties try to balance the costs of the Next Generation Air Dominance programme and existing platforms.
According to GlobalData’s “The Global Military Fixed Wing Aircraft Market 2023-2033” report, Boeing Co is anticipated to account for 12% of the North American military fixed-wing aircraft.
