Raytheon to Retrofit F18 Launch Controllers

The US Navy has awarded a contract to Raytheon to retrofit 603 multi-platform launch controllers of the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft.

Under the $6.7m contract, the company will retrofit the launch controllers for the US Navy aircraft as well as for Australian aircraft under a foreign military sales programme.

The controllers for the Hornet aircraft are used to launch a countermeasure decoy to draw enemy missiles away from aircraft.

F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multi-role fighter jet, designed to attack ground and aerial targets.

Work will be carried out in California and is expected to be complete by April 2013.