Navy extends Rockwell Collins contract for F/A-18 avionics display support

Oct. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy extended its contract with Rockwell Collins for support of avionics displays in the F/A-18, extending the service agreement by another four years.

Rockwell announced the extension on Tuesday, touting it's longterm work on 1,200 F/A-18s in the Navy's fleet during the last decade and a half. The extension, valued at more than $81 million, is a continuation of the previous performance-based logistics agreement between the Navy and Rockwell.

"The existing PBL agreement with Rockwell Collins has provided the Navy with over 99 percent availability rates, eliminated all backorders on parts since 2005 and performed a turnaround time of less than 48 hours for most replacement hardware," the company said in a news release.

The program is part of a public-private partnership that features various incentives for work and allows the government and Rockwell to work together at two Navy depot locations. The company said the partnership allows "proactive management of Rockwell Collins equipment installed on the aircraft, enabling mission readiness."

The program, which started in 2003, has Rockwell warehousing parts at its own service center, as well as the two Navy depots, and other repair sites around the world. In addition to eliminating back orders during the first two years of the program, the company said it has reduced costs by 26 percent over the last 15 years while limiting issues with repairs and replacements.

"As we move forward, we'll continue to work together to optimize results and deliver the long-term value that PBLs provide," said Aaron Maue, senior director for government service solutions at Rockwell Collins.