Boeing delivers newest upgraded F/A-18 and reaffirms production end
The upgrade will take the aircraft to the latest standard. (Photo: Boeing)
Boeing’s Super Hornet Block III modernisation programme has promised to significantly extend the jet’s service life and introduce advanced capabilities. The programme’s first aircraft were delivered to be upgraded in mid-2023.
Boeing has handed over the first two Super Hornet F/A-18 Block III Service Life Modification (SLM) Block III fighters to the US Navy. The development occurred ahead of schedule, according to the company, ahead of moves to open a third site for SLM upgrades as the end of the production of new aircraft nears.
One of the SLM upgrades occurred at Boeing’s St Louis facility where the aircraft was delivered a month early. The other completed upgrade occurred at the company’s San Antonio facility where it was reported as being delivered two months early.
A third site is set to open at the Navy’s
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age]()
October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age
Israel’s $1 billion Apache helicopter order highlights the continued demand for crewed attack aviation, while growing integration with uncrewed systems could shape future modernisation and procurement decisions.
-
![Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence]()
Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence
The rise of drones has reshaped the threat landscape for all European militaries. For industry, future defensive strategies must carefully balance a mix of passive and active measures to address the evolving danger, based around a highly integrated and responsive network of sensors and effectors.
-
![October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges]()
October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges
Recent procurement developments in France and Lithuania highlight the growing demand for loitering munitions, with global annual spending forecast to increase nearly 50-fold between 2020 and 2029.
-
![Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up]()
Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up
Quantum Systems’s Ukraine-made interceptor SPYS is thought to cost approximately 10 times less than Russia's jet-powered uncrewed aerial systems and is being produced at scale.
