General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has received a contract from the US Navy to provide performance-based logistics (PBL) support for the advanced mission computers (AMCs), installed on the US Navy’s F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, and AV-8B aircraft.
Under the five-year $31.5m contract, the General Dynamics will partner with Honeywell Aerospace to provide support for three AMCs that are used on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft.
The company will also repair the mission computer systems manufactured for the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier.
General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems mission integration systems division vice-president and general manager Mike Tweed-Kent said: "Building upon this relationship, we are continuing to streamline logistics support and deliver systems with improved reliability and flexibility through our open architecture model, providing the navy with enhanced cost savings and strengthened performance capabilities."
Designed to enable the navy to quickly address constantly evolving and fast-changing mission needs, the ruggedised AMC can perform general purpose, input/output, video, voice and graphics processing.
The integrated information processing system is also capable of operating in the extreme environmental conditions, while supporting high-performance fighter aircraft missions and allows for the rapid insertion of emerging technologies.
The US Navy’s all-weather premier fighter/attack aircraft, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has been designed to support air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, close air support, suppression of enemy air defences, and forward air control and tanker missions.
A variant of the F/A-18F, the EA-18G Growler is powered by two F414-GE-400 afterburning turbofan engines and supports electronic attack (EA) and suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) operations for the US Navy.
Scheduled to be completed by April 2018, work under the contract will be carried out at the company’s facility in Bloomington, Minnesota, while the US Naval Supply Weapon Systems Support will serve as the contracting activity.
Image: A US Navy’s F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft lands on board an aircraft carrier. Photo: courtesy of Phan Phillip A McDaniel, US Navy.
