Boeing expects to receive a US Government green light to launch the F/A-18EF Super Hornet on the international market by the middle of the year following the completion of US Navy operational evaluation and testing.
The company claims to have several requests in hand from foreign air forces for detailed technical briefings on the F/A-18E/F. "We are moving through licensing requests in Washington-and would anticipate an export licence by mid-year," says Peter Briscoe, Boeing director Asia sales and marketing.
Release of the F/A-18EF will fill the gap left by the impending shutdown of F/A-18C/D production after Boeing failed to muster sufficient support last year to keep building the aircraft in economical numbers. Sales efforts had been focused on Chile, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland as well as a potential follow-on sale to Malaysia.
For those countries unable to afford the F/A18E/F's $40 million asking price or which want an interim solution ahead of the new fighter's 2005 availability, there are surplus USN F/A-18A/Bs available. Boeing expects that new Super Hornet sales to F/A-18C/D operators could also free secondhand fighters.
"We're talking to Malaysia and used US Navy aircraft is a possibility. They would need a lot of work to bring them up to a C/D standard. My idea is we could then put some upgrade work into Malaysia. Another option would be for Malaysia to go for the E/F," says Briscoe.
Boeing adds that it would be possible to deliver an export of the F-18E/F sooner than 2005, but development of the aircraft's new Raytheon active electronically scanned array radar or new third generation advanced tactical forward looking infrared sensor would not be complete by then.
"We've intimated to interested countries to delay until then," says Briscoe.
Source: Flight International
