F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Aircraft

The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Aircraft program is a Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) managed under the Major Capability Acquisition pathway with an Acquisition Category IC designation. This naval strike fighter aircraft program encompasses the development, production, and sustainment of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G variants for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and several foreign military customers including Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Malaysia, Kuwait, Finland, and Spain. The program's scope includes aircraft modifications, systems integration, and comprehensive product support services to maintain and enhance combat capability.

The contract awards associated with this program primarily consist of delivery orders ranging from $10,000 to $100 million, with occasional definitive contracts exceeding $3 billion for aircraft production. The Boeing Company serves as the primary contractor, with frequent subcontractors including Raytheon Company, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, L3Harris Technologies, and Heroux-Devtek Inc. providing avionics, electronic warfare systems, and landing gear components. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) are the predominant contracting agencies, with work typically performed in St. Louis, Missouri. Contract types are predominantly firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee, with performance periods ranging from six months to five years. None of the reviewed contracts utilized small business set-asides. Deliverables include aircraft production, system configuration sets, electronic warfare support, integrated product support, technical publications, and engineering change proposals.