Boeing [BA] will offer its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet as the next-generation fighter for the Greek Air Force, the company said.
The Super Hornet is currently competing for strike fighter contracts in nine other countries (Defense Daily, March 3).
Additionally, the outer skin of the first F/A-18F for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has been fitted to its forward fuselage on a pulse assembly line in St. Louis, Mo., the company added.
“We are pleased to offer the Hellenic Air Force the advanced combat capability of the Block II Super Hornet,” Dan Korte, vice president and general manager of Global Strike Systems for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, said. “In addition, we look forward to furthering long-term partnerships with the Hellenic government and aerospace industry.”
The Hellenic Republic Ministry of National Defence is looking to buy upward of 40 fighters, a source told sister publication Defense Daily. A decision on the competition is expected later this year, the source added.
Boeing has delivered more than 380 Super Hornets to the U.S. Navy, all on or ahead of original production schedule. Australia is procuring Super Hornets to bolster its fleet of F/A-18 Hornets.
Australia is buying 24 Super Hornets. Last month Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said the government was going to convert 12 of the 24 Super Hornets to EA-18 Gs. The plan would provide the Australian Super Hornets with counterterrorism capability, Fitzgibbon said (Defense Daily, March 3).
“Boeing has worked closely with the Australian government and the U.S. Navy to meet the Royal Australian Air Force’s specific platform requirements since the March 2007 announcement that Australia would become the first international Super Hornet customer,” Gower said. “Boeing will continue to work to meet those requirements in preparation for delivery of the first RAAF Super Hornet in July, three months ahead of schedule (Defense Daily, March 3).”
The Super Hornet is the first operationally deployed strike fighter to incorporate next-generation capabilities, such as the Raytheon [RTN] APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar integrated with advanced electronic-warfare systems. The Super Hornet program has continued to add capability to the aircraft while decreasing cost over its lifetime, according to Boeing.