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Navy Opens Third Super Hornet SLM Conversion Line

Thursday, July 14th, 2022

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Navy Opens Third Super Hornet SLM Conversion Line

Artist's impression of an F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet Block III with conformal fuel tanks (top) alongside a Block II (bottom). (Image: Boeing.)

The Navy opened a third Service Life Modification (SLM) line to increase Super Hornet flight hours to improve the Navy’s strike fighter inventory levels. The SLM work involves aircraft maker Boeing [BA] taking F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block II aircraft nearing the end of their 6,000 flight hour service lives and upgrading them to the new Block III configurations with a focus on pushing their flight hour lifespan to 10,000 hours total. The process includes two increments, first increasing flight hour…

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