Navy exercises $180M contract option for T-45 support

Sept. 27 (UPI) -- The Navy has exercised a one-year $180 million contract option with L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace for support on the T-45 trainer aircraft.

The deal, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, calls for L-3 to provide organizational, intermediate, depot-level maintenance, logistics and engineering support to Navy T-45 aircraft. Under the contract, L-3 will also deliver equipment, direct material, services and tools to maintain the flight, test and evaluation operations

The T-45C is a training aircraft for pilots who will eventually fly F/A-18 Hornet, the AV-8B Harrier II and other carrier-based aircraft.

The aircraft includes high-fidelity instrument and flight simulators, computer-assisted classroom learning, an automated training-management asset and contractor logistics support.

Each cockpit contains multifunction displays that show navigation, weapon delivery, aircraft performance and communication information.

Last year, the T-45 experienced problems with its oxygen systems, which also grounded the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.

In 2017, two pilots died when a T-45C Goshawk crashed in the Cherokee National Forest after it experienced oxygen problems.

Work on the contract will be carried out in Florida, Maryland, Mississippi and Texas.

No funds will be obligated at the time of the award but will be paid as individual orders are issued.