Australia’s extension of a sustainment contract for its Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers (pictured) is expected to support further upgrades for both variants. Australia will potentially operate the Super Hornets until at least 2030. (Commonwealth of Australia)

The Australian government has signed a AUD600 million (USD402.6 million) contract extension with Boeing Defence Australia to sustain and upgrade the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleet.

The five-year contract will ensure that support for the Super Hornet and Growler fleet is continued until 2030, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) said on 6 January. The contract is an extension of the ‘Air Combat and Electronic Attack Sustainment Contract’, which originally commenced with Boeing Defence Australia on 1 July 2016. That initial contract covered a period of five years.

“This is the second contract extension, taking the overall contract value to AUD1.2 billion,” the DoD said.

“The contract extension comes as the EA-18G Growler Airborne Electronic Attack capability reaches final operational capability,” the DoD added.