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Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Raytheon was awarded an $88.4 million contract for upgrades of sensor system software and hardware for the U.S. Navy's F/A-18 Hornets and EA-18G Growler. The contract will incorporate updates, improvements and enhancements of tactical capabilities for the two aircraft models, the Department of Defense announced Monday. The contract also includes technical support for testing and evaluation of systems and support equipment on the aircraft again.
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Work will be performed at Raytheon's plants in El Segundo, Calif., and is expected to be completed in February 2024.
Funding includes $1.4 million of Navy fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds. None of the awarded funding will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
Raytheon has delivered more than 3,000 multi-spectral targeting system sensors to U.S. and international armed forces, covering more than 4 million flight hours, according to the company. It successfully integrated 44 variants of the system on more than 20 rotary-wing, unmanned Aerial System and fixed-wing platforms.
In 2018, the Navy approved plans to use some F/A-18A-D Hornets as parts sources while retiring many between the 2017 and 2020 fiscal years, according to The Drive. The larger F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has flown since 1999.
Earlier this month, the last operational F/A-18C Hornet squadron took flight over Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va.
In 2008, the EA-18G Growler joined the Navy's aircraft fleet.
