Northrop Begins Production of First F/A 18F for RAAF

Published: Mon Jul 21st, 2008
Source: Northrop Grumman

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- July 18, 2007 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC:NYSE) has begun production of the fuselage section for the first F/A-18F Super Hornet for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Mechanics loaded the aircraft's first bulkhead components into place July 10 on Northrop Grumman's state-of-the-art F/A-18 assembly line in El Segundo. The government of Australia is purchasing 24 F/A-18Fs from the United States in the first international procurement of the Super Hornet. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is already in service with the U.S. Navy as its combat-proven strike fighter.

As principal subcontractor to The Boeing Company, Northrop Grumman is responsible for design and production of the F/A-18E/F's center/aft fuselage section and twin vertical tails, integration of all associated subsystems and after-delivery product support. (The "E" model has one cockpit seat; the "F" has two.) Northrop Grumman has delivered more than 1,800 of these fuselage "shipsets."

"This F/A-18 shipset will be built with the same high level of quality as every one we've produced since the program began more than 30 years ago," said George Vardoulakis, vice president of F/A-18 Programs for Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector. "That's a commitment our employees are proud to make, day in and day out, to the men and women in combat who rely on this capable aircraft."

Northrop Grumman's first RAAF shipset will be delivered in April 2009 for final assembly at Boeing's facility in St. Louis, Mo. Australia was one of the original international users of the F/A-18A/B, the first version of the Hornet. Northrop Grumman also has produced structural assemblies for the RAAF's earlier Hornets as part of a capability upgrade program.

The F/A-18E/F program accounts for more than 10,000 jobs in California at more than 700 supplier companies. The Hornet industry team includes Boeing, Northrop Grumman, GE Aircraft Engines, Raytheon and more than 1,800 suppliers in the United States and Canada.

The F/A-18E/F entered service with the Navy in 1999, and more than 360 have been delivered, all on time or ahead of their delivery schedule. With built-in versatility, the aircraft features a suite of integrated and networked systems that provide enhanced interoperability and total force support for the combatant commander and troops on the ground.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.
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Northrop Begins Production of First F/A 18F for RAAF

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