Boeing was awarded a $1.16 billion long-anticipated contract for 28 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet tactical fighters for the Kuwait Air Force, according to a Friday Pentagon contract announcement.
The 22 single-seat ‘E’ and six two-seat ‘F’ variants are set to replace Kuwait’s 27 current crop of F-18C Hornet fighters.
According to the notification, the contract also provides for long-lead radar warning receivers and aircraft armament equipment. The initial contract pays Boeing $275 million and is set to run until 2022.
The State Department issued a notification to Congress that Kuwait was set to by 40 Super Hornets in late 2016.
“Kuwait is a strategic partner in maintaining stability in the region. The acquisition of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft will allow for greater interoperability with U.S. forces, providing benefits for training and possible future coalition operations in support of shared regional security objectives,” read the November 2016 notification.
The Kuwait deal is one of several potential international competitions for the Super Hornet, including Finland, India, Switzerland and Germany. In addition to U.S. Navy planned purchases, additional international sales could keep the Missouri-line production line open into the 2030s.
The following is the complete March 30, 2018 contract award.
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is being awarded an undefinitized contract action with a not-to-exceed value of $1,165,068,022 for long-lead non-recurring engineering required to develop a baseline configuration for the production and delivery of 22 F/A-18E and 6 F/A-18F Super Hornets in support of the government of Kuwait. In addition, this contract provides for long-lead radar warning receivers and aircraft armament equipment. Work will be performed in Hazelwood, Missouri (47.2 percent); Goleta, California (22.3 percent); El Segundo, California (20.1 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (3.2 percent); Bloomington, Minnesota (1.7 percent); Mesa, Arizona (1.6 percent); Orlando, Florida (1.5 percent); Greenlawn, New York (0.8 percent); Deerfield Beach, Florida (0.5 percent); Wayne, New Jersey (0.4 percent); Torrance, California (.3 percent); Stillwater, Oklahoma (0.2 percent); and Minneapolis, Minnesota (0.2 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2022. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $275,850,901 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(f)(2)(E). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-18-C-1025).