Raytheon Australia wins RAAF Super Hornet, Growler training contract
1 August 2022
The prime has been tapped by Defence to deliver training and support services upgrades for the Royal Australian Air Force’s fleets of Boeing-built fighter jets.
Raytheon Australia has secured a new $109.7 million contract to deliver training support services for the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft, based at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland.
The five-year Electronic Attack Air Combat Training Support deal involves upgrading and extending air combat training support through the provision of ground-based simulator training support.
This is expected to include maintenance and engineering services, as well as aircrew training such as instruction courseware development and force generation tasks.
“This new Electronic Attack Air Combat Training Support contract will ensure our RAAF personnel retain their edge through high-quality F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler training,” Director General Aerospace Combat Systems, Air Commodore Leanne Lee, said.
The work is tipped to employ approximately 49 personnel from Raytheon Australia and local pilot training provider Milskil.
Most of the training services are expected to be delivered from RAAF Base Amberley.
Australian industry content is estimated to make up more than 95 per cent of the work, with Air Commodore Lee adding it would generate $104 million for the domestic economy.
The Boeing-built EA-18G Growler and F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft play a key role in supporting the RAAF’s air combat power.
The EA-18G Growler is an electronic attack aircraft, designed to disrupt, deceive, and deny military electronic systems — including radars and communications — to curtail enemy operations.
The F/A-18F Super Hornet is a multi-role strike fighter, deployed for a range of operations, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defences, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions.
This is Raytheon’s latest local aircraft support contract, coming less than a week after global business, Raytheon Intelligence & Space, announced its receipt of a subcontract from Cobham Special Mission.
The contract involves the integration of the most advanced version of its SeaVue Multi-Role radar across a fleet of Australian Dash 8 fixed-wing aircraft.
The technology is expected to support Australian border protection operations by delivering long-range, high-altitude surveillance capabilities to the special mission fixed-wing aircraft.
Source: Defence Connect