NAVAIR Awards a Second Multi-year Procurement for F/A-18E/F and a SD&D Contract for the EA-18G
NAVAIR Release
Press Release Number: E200401061
Release Date: 1/6/2004
Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD - The NAVAIR F/A-18 Program announces it signed a second multi-year procurement contract for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and a contract for system design and development (SD&D) of the EA-18G airborne electronic attack aircraft with the Boeing Company on December 29, 2003.
The multi-year contract, valued at approximately $8.5 billion, includes a total of 210 aircraft over five years. Under the terms of the contract, the Navy will purchase 42 aircraft in fiscal years 2005 through 2009. Deliveries for aircraft purchased will begin in fiscal year 2007. By signing a multi-year contract, the Navy will save over $1.1 billion, and deliver cost-wise readiness and dominant maritime combat ability to the U.S. Naval Fleet.
"One of the F/A-18 program's great strengths has been the stability of its procurement accounts. Multi-year procurements have driven stability and increased cost efficiencies with the program," said F/A-18 Program Manager Captain BD Gaddis.
Gaddis went on to say, "The US Navy realized around $750M in cost savings from the first Super Hornet multi-year contract. In the second multi-year contract we've realized just over $1B in savings... I would call that a pretty good return on investment. I think we've built a lot of trust between NAVAIR, our program sponsors, OSD & Congress with these types of contracts. We need to keep it going."
The 5-year SD&D program for the EA-18G runs from FY04 until early FY09 and encompasses all laboratory, ground test, and flight tests from component level testing through full-up EA-18G weapons system performance flight-testing.
The EA-18G will provide the warfighter with an abundance of operational flexibility. It can carry up to five ALQ-99 jamming pods and will typically add one to two AIM-120 self-defense missiles and one to two AGM-88 High Speed Anti-Radiation (HARM) missiles. The EA-18G has a high degree of commonality with the F/A-18F Super Hornet and is expected to significantly reduce support and training costs for the U.S. Navy's carrier electronic attack community. Combining two proven systems, the F/A-18F and the Improved Capability III (ICAP III) upgrade, enables the U.S. Navy to leverage ongoing investments and allows an initial operational capability in 2009.
Referring to the EA-18G's SD&D contract, Mrs. Lisa Nyalko, Deputy Program Manager for the EA-18G said, "This is a truly momentous occasion for the entire NAVAIR/Industry EA-18G team. From program initiation, to SD&D approval, and now a contract award in less than one year, the team's dedicated efforts speak highly of the future of Naval aviation."
NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technology through the efforts of a seamless, integrated, worldwide network of aviation technology experts. From professional training to carrier launch; from sensor data to precision targeting; from aircraft and weapons development to successful deployment; from real-time communication to aircraft recovery, NAVAIR provides dominant combat effects and matchless capabilities to the American warfighter.
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