美 해군, Super Hornet 및 Growler 124대 계약...

 

9월 28일 美 해군이 Boeing 社로부터 124대의 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet 및 EA-18G Growler 를 총액 52억9천7백만불에

구입하기로 계약 하였다는 소식 입니다. 2012년부터 2015년까지 년차적으로 美 해군에 인도될 예정인 이번 다년 계약은

F/A-18E 46대, F/A-18F 20대 그리고 EA-18G 58대 입니다.

 

1기당 조달 금액은 약 4천2백7십만불 이며, 이 금액은 엔진 (F414-GE-400) 이 제외된 금액 입니다. 1개당 약 400백만불

내외로 알져지고 있는 엔진 가격을 추가한다면, 1기당 최종 평균 조달액은 약 5천만불에 이를 것으로 판단됩니다.

 

이번의 다년 계약은 美 해군과 Boeing 社와의 3번째 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet 구입 관련 계약이며, 이번의 계약으로 인해

약 6억불에 이르는 비용절감을 가져올 것으로 알려지고 있습니다. 2000년부터 210대와 267대, 2번으로 나누어서 각각 체결

된 바 있는 Super Hornet 및 Growler 구입 다년 계약은 현재까지 약 17억불 이상의 비용 절감 효과를 가져왔다고 Boeing

측은 밝히고 있습니다.

 

한편 같은 날 美 해군은 McDonnell Douglas 社와 2억4천9백만불에 이르는 F/A-18E/F 관련 부품 및 지원장비 조달 계약

을 체결하였다고 발표하였습니다. 이 계약은 기존 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet 의 운영 및 유지와 관련된 내용으로써, 124대

신규 구매와는 분리된 것으로 이해가 됩니다.

 

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US Navy orders 66 Super Hornets and 58 Growlers Worth $5.3 Billion

Boeing Logs Third Multi-Year F/A-18E/F Procurement Contract by US Navy

 

09:32 GMT, September 29, 2010 defpro.com | With 430 delivered F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, the aircraft can undoubtedly be described as the most important aircraft in the US Navy’s inventory. The days in which US aircraft carriers harboured many different aircraft types, each having a very specific task to accomplish within the large range of possible missions, have been ended by this particular aircraft, offering an unprecedented versatility. Until the Navy adopts its next-generation fighter aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II, this workhorse will continue to rule the roost on carrier flight decks and in carrier-based combat missions.

 

Yesterday, the US Department of Defence (DoD) and Boeing announced, that the US aerospace giant has been awarded for the third time a multi-year procurement (MYP) contract for the production and delivery of 46 F/A-18E, 20 F/A-18F, and 58 EA-18G airframes for the Navy. According to the DoD, the modification of a previously awarded advance acquisition contract is worth $5.297 billion. The aircraft, which will predominantly be manufactured and assembled in St. Louis, Missouri, and El Segundo, California, are scheduled to enter service from 2012 through May 2015.

 

In the same step, some $249 million have been awarded yesterday to the McDonnell Douglas Corporation for logistics support and associated materials for the F/A-18E/F aircraft. As bloomberg.com informs, further suppliers for the aircraft include Northrop Grumman, which is responsible for the aft and center fuselage; General Electric, providing the engines; and Raytheon, which makes the radar.

 

“The men and women of Boeing are honored to provide the Super Hornet's advanced, combat-proven multirole capability and the EA-18G's unmatched airborne electronic attack capability to the American warfighters serving their nation around the world each day,” said Boeing F/A-18 and EA-18 Programs Vice President Kory Mathews. “Procurement of these 124 aircraft through a multi-year contract takes advantage of the full efficiencies of Boeing's production and supplier operations, which will generate more than $600 million in cost savings for U.S. taxpayers.”

 

The EA-18G Growler, of which the U.S. Navy‘s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) at Naval Air Systems at Patuxent River ordered 58 aircraft within this latest contract, is a special configuration based on the F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet. It provides full-spectrum airborne electronic attack (AEA) capabilities, replacing the ageing EA-6B Prowlers which have been in service since 1971 and which are based on a platform that has been designed in the late 1950s. According to Boeing, the EA-18G is scheduled for its first combat deployment later this year. The VAQ-132 “Scorpions” squadron reached operational status in October 2009.

 

“Boeing and its Hornet Industry Team suppliers have delivered every Super Hornet and Growler on schedule to the warfighter and on budget for the taxpayer from the first Super Hornet delivery,” said Mathews, further emphasising that the first two F/A-18E/F multi-year contracts generated more than $1.7 billion in savings for the United States.

 

The F/A-18 Super Hornet has not only introduced a new era within the world of carrier-based aircraft. It is also participating in a further new development of aircraft carrier technology. According to NAVAIR, the F/A-18E Super Hornet will be the first platform to be launched by the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). This system, which is planned to replace the conventional steam pistons catapults, is currently being developed by General Atomics and the US Navy. EMALS is expected to weigh less, require less space, maintenance and manpower, be more reliable, and use less energy than conventional aircraft catapults.

 

As NAVAIR announced on Monday, EMALS completed catapult commissioning testing for its system functional demonstration (SFD) at NAVAIR Lakehurst last week. The EMALS programme will begin delivery of the first ship set to USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) in 2011.

 

By Nicolas von Kospoth, Managing Editor

 

 

  ⓒ U.S. Navy

 

  ⓒ U.S. Navy

 

  ⓒ U.S. Navy

 

  ⓒ U.S. Navy

 

  ⓒ U.S. Navy