The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, one of the core products in Boeing’s military tactical aircraft family, peers into uncertain skies as the world’s military dynamics shift.
Boeing has been aggressively touting the F/A-18E/F to international customers while throwing its F-35 delays into the bargaining table. Its margin of opportunity will shrink as the F-35 nears completion.
In March 2015, the United States approved a $1.14 billion sale of eight F/A-18E/Fs to Kuwait, and in April it signed an agreement with Bahrain to sell the island nation one.
The Navy Chief of Staff seemed to hint at the very real possibility that F/A-18E/F production would be wrapped up by 2017.
That alone, however, combined with a slow F-35C production rate and significant lobbying by Boeing, created enough political pressure to guarantee greater congressional support for additional buys of the F/A-18E/F.
The F/A-18E/F received its biggest overseas sales to date in a deal that established Kuwait as a major customer with negotiations over the purchase of 40 F/A-18E/Fs, which would feature eight conformal tanks for the Advanced Super Hornet model.
This would be an upgrade contract worth $1.5 billion for 28 existing units to Block III in the early 2020s.
Canada represented another nation interested in the F/A-18E/F, and it had planned to agree on a private contract.
However, because of political opposition and a change in policy toward open competitive bidding, no decision was reached by the deadline. Earlier this year, Canada canceled the purchase of F/A-18E/Fs after a U.S. Commerce Department investigation into dumping by Canadian airline Bombardier, following pressure from Boeing.
As a stopgap measure, Canada acquired jets from the Australian Air Force and announced its plan to buy new fighter aircraft, with Super Hornets one of the contenders.
It was, however, declined further due to these failures. In 2018, it managed to pocket the contract for supply of 22 F/A-18Es and 6 F/A-18Fs to Kuwait by 2022. This is its second foreign operator after Australia. Though these delivered aircraft were the latest Block 3 versions, some Block 2 elements had been retained.
As part of a broader change, the Navy’s fiscal year 2021 budget request put to bed F/A-18E/F production as the service moves forward with its next-generation carrier-based aircraft. The Navy’s aerobatic team, the Blue Angels, transitioned to the F/A-18E/F in the 2020s, replacing the F-15.
Germany had initially shown interest in acquiring 30 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and 15 EA-18G Growlers as a replacement for its Tornados. But with the invasion of Ukraine, that plan is being changed. Instead, Germany is opting for 35 F-35As. The F/A-18E/F has also caught the attention of Switzerland and Finland, among others. Switzerland eventually opted for the F-35 because, indeed, it was cheaper.
Boeing continues to demonstrate its commitment to the F/A-18E/F by announcing that it will test the Block III Super Hornet for the Indian Navy’s multibillion-dollar fighter acquisition. The fate of Boeing’s F/A-18E/F is sealed unless the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps take any more orders: the production line will shut down if not ordered. Meanwhile, competition from Dassault’s Rafale which boasts better features in ground attacks and air-to-air capabilities puts another pressure on Boeing.
As the company navigates these challenges, there is still a bright shining light at Boeing: the future of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet as part of the ongoing dynamic development of military aviation.