US Navy cuts down Super Hornet orders. The last ones to be delivered are in 2021.

[Tyzuris]

Navy Cuts Super Hornet Production to Develop Next-Generation Fighter - USNI News

THE PENTAGON – The Navy wants to truncate production of the legacy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in favor of pumping money into accelerating the development of its long-gestating next-generation carrier-based fighter program, the service revealed in its Fiscal Year 2021 budget request. Next year’s...

news.usni.org

An excerpt:

THE PENTAGON – The Navy wants to truncate production of the legacy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in favor of pumping money into accelerating the development of its long-gestating next-generation carrier-based fighter program, the service revealed in its Fiscal Year 2021 budget request.

Next year’s order of two dozen F/A-18E/F Super Hornets would be the last on the books for the Navy under this plan. In 2019, Super Hornet maker Boeing won a $4-billion multi-year contract to buy 78 Super Hornets through FY 2021.

According to the justification in the documents, the money the Navy for planned a subsequent multiyear buy of 36 Super Hornets from FY 2022 to 2024 would be rerouted to “accelerated development of Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) and other key aviation wholeness investments,” read the documents.

Well this paints a pessimistic image for the future of the Super Hornet. It probably affects their chances on foreign markets as well like Germany, Switzerland, Spain, India, Finland and Canada. Combined with the age of the Super Hornet and how US Navy has said they'll stop using the Super Hornet in 2040, it may lead to foreign potential customers declining Super Hornet due to it getting too old and developing and MLUs getting way too expensive for it if the main user has ceased using it. And it is probably likely that this helps seal the deal that Super Hornet will go out of use in 2040.

If no foreign deals are made this year, it means that production lines will be shut down and lead to the cessation of Super Hornet production in its entirety.

 

[PsihoKekec]

Germany

Germany is more likely to lease some F-16 for their nuclear option and operate them in cooperation with the Netherlands. India is also unlikely as Lockheed Martin is offering to sell them entire production line.

 

[Sailor.X]

Why be sad the Hornet platform has proven to be the most successful of the 4th Gen fighters. They will have a run of 60 years. That is a damn fine run.

 

[Harlock]

I remember when they wiped out those Alien invaders in the late 90s. Great aircraft.

Definitely the best looking jet of its era, not so boxy as an F-15 and doesn't have that silly huge intake grinning at you like an F-16

 

[Deleted member]

I am rather concerned with this, simply because I am worried about the fact that we do not really fill our decks to the point where our carriers can actually dominate a contested battlefield against a peer competitor.

 

[Marduk]

This probably has a lot to do with the F/A-XX program moving ahead.

 

[Knowledgeispower]

Well lets hope the F/A-XX program can actually deliver on time otherwise the USN will have some bare carrier decks by the late 2030s...of course it's also highly likely that due to delays in said program the Super Hornet will fly a few more years than planned, plus as we all know what the Navy wants and what Congress wants can be two entirely different things and Congress has forced procurement of equipment that the armed forces didn't want many a time and will continue to do so probably as long as it exists

 

[Husky_Khan]

Nothing set in stone yet but...

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Zee Germans might purchase 45 Hornets in a split purchase of 30 multirole Super Hornets and 15 Growlers. This'll be done to help replace the 90 or so Tornados kept around that they currently have in their inventory and want to replace.

 

[PsihoKekec]

Interception variant of Tornado has been scrapped some time ago, only IDS remains for ground attack and reconissance (since Phantom squadron has been retired last year) role.

 

[Tiamat]

I remember when they wiped out those Alien invaders in the late 90s. Great aircraft.

Definitely the best looking jet of its era, not so boxy as an F-15 and doesn't have that silly huge intake grinning at you like an F-16

Boxy? How dare you besmirch by beloved F-15 EAGLE, philistine!

 

[Zachowon]

Is this not the first step in making the F35 the main multirole aircraft of all but the Airforce?

And it seems like there is more to this then that, and probably have something in mind to replace it

 

[PsihoKekec]

Boxy? How dare you besmirch by beloved F-15 EAGLE, philistine!

I admit I have a soft spot for F-15, it is the first aircraft I had centerfold poster of.

 

[Sailor.X]

Boxy? How dare you besmirch by beloved F-15 EAGLE, philistine!

They have been calling it Boxy for 40 plus years. Then the F-15 just goes. "If you didn't have that gun on you!!"