Boeing delivers first-production Super Hornet Block IIIs to US Navy

Boeing delivered its first F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet to the US Navy on 31 August. The Block III Super Hornet extends the plane's airframe life from 6,000 hours to 10,000 hours. (Boeing)

Boeing has delivered the primary two of 78 contracted F/A-18 Block III Super Hornets to the US Navy (USN), which took supply of the primary platform on 31 August.

Jen Tebo, Boeing vice-president and programme supervisor of F/A-18 and EA-18G, advised reporters on 23 September that these totally operational Block III Super Hornets will probably be dispersed to totally different check squadrons earlier than arriving at USN squadrons by the top of the 12 months. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) stated in a 27 September assertion that the primary of those newbuild Block IIIs was ferried to Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland, for continued developmental testing. The subsequent few Block III plane to depart the manufacturing line will head to VX-9 at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, to start out coaching for operational testing (OT).