U.S. Navy Signs Deal with Boeing for 17 F/A-18 Super Hornets

U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Orloff, assigned to the ‘Blue Blasters’ of Strike Fighter Squadron 34, conducts a supersonic pass in an F/A-18E Super Hornet during a training exercise in the Atlantic Ocean on August 23, 2019. [Courtesy: U.S. Navy]

The U.S. Navy has entered into an agreement with Boeing to buy 17 Block III F/A-18 Super Hornets, the service announced.

The $1.3 billion contract for the updated variant, considered the backbone of the Navy's carrier air wing, also includes a technical data package that the service said is vital for the platform's sustainment for decades to come.

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“The technical data package was a crucial part of this negotiation.; It is necessary for naval aviation’s operational readiness and postproduction sustainment,” said Rear Admiral John Lemmon, program executive officer for tactical aircraft programs. “The Super Hornet remains a predominant aircraft in the carrier air wing and will continue to provide significant combat capability into the 2040s.”