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Boeing tapped for Kuwait Super Hornet fighter work

By Stephen Carlson
A U.S. F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet operating over the USS Theodore Roosevelt during an exercise. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy
A U.S. F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet operating over the USS Theodore Roosevelt during an exercise. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy

Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Boeing has been awarded $92.4 million for work on F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter planes for the Kuwaiti government.

The contract, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, includes logistics for 22 F/A-18E and 6 F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft under Foreign Military Sales. The work is expected to be completed in December 2020.

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The F/A-18 series of multirole fighters is capable of operating from airfields and aircraft carriers. It is designed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, and can carry a variety of weapons ranging from air-to-air missiles to precision-guided bombs and long-range standoff munitions.

The platform has been produced in several versions, including the upgraded Super Hornet. Also in service is the EA-18G, an electronic warfare platform capable of jamming enemy radars, communications and missiles

The F/A-18 series is in use by allied nations across the world and is the primary fighter for both the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. It will stay in service for decades to come while being gradually replaced by the F-35 Lightning II in the United States and other countries.

Kuwait has been operating Hornets for many years, with current and ordered versions of the plane planned to serve alongside the Eurofighter Typhoon as their primary fighter fleet.

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