The Navy’s legacy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets will take a budgetary sting in fiscal year 2021 as a means of developing a next-generation, carrier-based fighter program.
U.S. Naval Institute News reported the shift in resources Monday after viewing the service’s fiscal 2021 budget request.
“The decision to cease F/A-18 procurement after FY 2021 ensures the Carrier Air Wing will maintain capable strike fighter capacity to pace the most stressing threats through the 2030s,” Navy documents read, USNI News reported.
Boeing is currently fulfilling a contract $4 billion from 2019 that will supply the Navy with 78 Super Hornets through next year.
“The money the Navy for planned a subsequent multiyear buy of 36 Super Hornets from FY 2022 to 2024 would be rerouted to ’accelerated development of Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) and other key aviation wholeness investments,’” USNI News reported. “It’s unclear if NGAD will be manned, unmanned or some combination of both.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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