The U.S. government this week awarded Boeing [BA] a modification to a previously awarded Navy contract for full-rate production of 14 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft while also approving the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of 18 F-18s to Canada along with weapons and support equipment.
The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) award is for nearly $676.6 million for full-rate production and delivery of six Lot 41 F/A-18E and eight F/A-18F aircraft. The bulk of the work will occur in El Segundo Calif., and St. Louis, Mo., with an expected completion date of Feb. 2019.
Fiscal year 2017 Navy aircraft procurement funds of the full amount is obligated at award time, with none of it set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
Separately, the State Department approved a possible $5.2 billion FMS to Canada of 10 F/A-18E and eight F/A-18F aircraft with F-414-GE-400 engines along with associated support and equipment. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the sale on Sept. 11.
Primary contractors for the sale to Canada include Boeing, Northrop Grumman [NOC], Raytheon [RTN], and General Electric [GE].
Additional equipment includes eight spare engines, 20 Raytheon AN/APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars, 20 M61A2 20MM gun systems; 28 AN/ALR-67(V)3 Electronic Warfare Countermeasures Receiving Sets; 15 Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods, 28 AN/ALQ-214 Integrated Countermeasures Systems, and 130 LAU-127E/A and or F/A Guided Missile Launchers.
The FMS also includes weapons and ammunition, including 100 Raytheon AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder Block II Tactical Missiles; 30 AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder Block II Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM); eight AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder Block II Special Air Training Missiles (NATM); 20 AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder Block II Tactical Guidance Units, and 16 AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder Block II CATM Guidance Units.
DSCA said Canada would use the aircraft and equipment to improve its capability to meet current and future threats as well as allow for greater interoperability with U.S. forces. It noted the interoperability will provide “benefits for training and possible future coalition operations in support of shared regional security objectives.”
The agency said implementation of the sale would require the assignment of an unspecified number of contractor personnel to Canada on an intermittent basis over the life of sale to support delivery of the aircraft and weapons. The personnel are also needed to provide supply support management, inventory control, and equipment familiarization, DSCA said.