Leidos awarded $11.6M for engineering work on F/A-18

Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Leidos Corp. was awarded an $11.6 million contract for non-recurring engineering efforts to integrate the adaptive radar countermeasures program on the F/A-18 aircraft for the U.S. Navy.

The company will analyze, define and document system and subsystem requirements for capability enhancements of the system and how to integrate it with the aircraft, the Defense Department announced Monday.

Half the work will be performed at Naval facilities in Arlington, Va., with one-quarter in Clifton, N.J., and 10 percent each in Goleta, Calif. and St. Louis. Some work will also be handled in Raleigh, N.C. and Huntsville, Ala.

It is expected to be completed in June 2020.

Naval fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the full amount will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The F/A-18's AESA radar system is manufactured by Raytheon.

Leidos' defense and intelligence business, with headquarters in Reston, Va., provides systems, solutions, and services covering air, land, sea, space and cyberspace for the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Defense Information Systems Agency, NATO and the Intelligence Community.

The single- and double-seat F/A-18 Hornet, manufactured by Boeing, is a carrier-capable combat jet, designed as a fighter and attack aircraft.

Hornets entered active duty in January 1983. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet made its first flight in November 1995. In 2008, the EA-18G Growler joined the Navy's fleet.