Article Posted on : - Feb 16, 2011

The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter.

LYNN, US (BNS): The US Navy has awarded a $576 million contract to GE Aviation to provide repair, replacement and programme support for F414 engine components for the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G Growler aircraft.

The three-year Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract “is an availability-based contract providing operational readiness requirements for the F414 fleet through the Navy's Fleet Readiness Center in Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida,” GE said.

The company has also been awarded another $58.4 million by the Navy to extend the F414 Fleet Support contract through June, it said, adding that negotiations were underway for targeted multi-year deal in this regard.

Twin F414 engines power the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers operated by the US Navy. The Navy has taken delivery of more than 1,000 F414 engines with more than 1.5 million engine flight-hours accumulated to date, according to GE.

The F414 has also been selected as the powerplant for growth versions of the Saab Gripen fighter and India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), and is a candidate for other combat aircraft under development.