The U.S. Navy declared initial operational capability (IOC) for the F/A-18 E/F Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Block II system in November 2024, providing the fleet with an enhanced capability to search, detect and track airborne targets at long range.

The U.S. Navy awarded The Boeing Company a $1.3 billion contract March 19 for the purchase of 17 F/A-18 Super Hornets and delivery of a technical data package vital to the sustainment of the platform. 

The F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265) welcomed a new program manager Aug. 3 when Capt. Michael “Sniff” Burks relieved Capt. Jason “Stuf” Denney as PMA-265's 15^th program manager during a change of command ceremony at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

Ensuring the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet continues to serve effectively as the backbone of U.S. Navy’s carrier air wing is a priority for Naval Aviation. New Super Hornets continue to enter the fleet, with the Navy now expecting the final delivery to occur in 2025—ensuring the capabilities of the strike fighter remain at the service of the nation now and well into the future.

The F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265) has conducted a successful series of manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) flight tests in which a Block III F/A-18 Super Hornet demonstrated command and control of three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The event took place at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Pt. Mugu, California, and included four flight tests supported by Air Test and Evaluation Squadrons (VX) 23 and 31 and industry partners, Boeing and BAE Systems.

Imagine landing a fighter jet at 150 miles per hour on a small runway bobbing in the middle of the ocean – with only one engine. Thanks to the Navy’s latest version of the Precision Landing Mode (PLM), landing in this extremely challenging scenario is now much safer and easier. 

Latest PLM upgrade allows pilots to land safely in failure conditions

Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, while charged with maintaining mission capable rates across the Navy’s fleet of Super Hornets and Growlers, the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265)-led Integrated Supply Chain Management (ISCM) Team revolutionized Fleet support practices and successfully resolved major logistics issues.

The U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Readiness program won the Aviation Week Overall Excellence Award 2021 during the annual Defense Chain Conference in Washington D.C., Oct. 20. Rear Adm. Shane Gahagan, program executive officer for tactical aircraft programs (PEO(T)), accepted the award.

The esteemed Aviation Week Program Excellence Awards honors excellence in program leadership and this is only the third time in 17 years a program has won the Overall Excellence award.

The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the first new-production Block III F/A-18 Super Hornet on Aug. 31.

The first of 78 new Super Hornets built by The Boeing Company was ferried to Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, for continued developmental testing. The next few Block III jets to leave the production line will head to VX-9, at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, California, to start training for operational testing, during which the aircraft will undergo evaluation in scenarios that mimic operational missions.

The U.S. Navy received delivery of the fourth F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to undergo Service Life Modification (SLM) earlier this month – and the first completed at The Boeing Company’s line in San Antonio, Texas.

The three previous jets underwent the series of modifications in St. Louis, Missouri, returning to the fleet fully mission capable, with flight hours extended. The Navy expects delivery of the next completed jet out of St. Louis later this month.