GE awarded $630M contract for F/A-18 engine support

Aug. 1 (UPI) -- General Electric has received a $630.5 million contract for F414 engine components used on the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G F414 aircraft.

Work on the contract, announced Tuesday by the Department of Defense, will be performed at several GE plants and in Jacksonville, Fla., and is expected to be completed by April 2022. Navy annual fiscal year funds will be obligated as orders are placed.

The contract follows another awarded in early July for repair, replacement and general support of 773 F414 engines in the aircraft. The new contract is for components to support work on the 773 engines.

The F414 fighter engine can deliver 22,000 pounds of thrust and a thrust to weight ratio of 9:1, allowing it to give the aircraft high speed and vertical climb capabilities.

The F/A-18 is an aircraft carrier capable twin-engine fighter plane which comes in variants ranging from air superiority fighters to electronic warfare platforms. It has been a staple of Marine Corps and Navy air fleets for decades.

The EA-18G Growler is the electronic warfare variant of the F/A-18. It is designed to jam enemy communications and radars using high-frequency emitters.