The US Navy has awarded a $15.9m contract to Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas for ancillary mission equipment used by navy aircraft.

Under the contract, the company will procure the supplementary components for the navy’s F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler aircraft.

Work will be carried out in California and is expected to be complete by March 2012.

The contract has been awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland.