Extension of Captains of Industry Contract
Boeing has been awarded a five-year contract by the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), valued at $427 million, to provide and manage consumables for F/A-18 depot maintenance. The contract, which includes an option for a further five years, is an extension of the existing DLA/Boeing ‘Captains of Industry’ programme and represents the first depot contract supporting US Navy (USN) and US Marine Corps (USMC) HORNETs, bringing total programme value to $3.2 billion. The programme leverages Boeing’s capabilities and relationships with suppliers to improve material availability, and to provide onsite technical and engineering support, all of which will reduce aircraft maintenance cycle time and return aircraft to operations more rapidly.
Under the new contract announced 26 April, Boeing will provide consumable materials used for structural repair and modification of legacy F/A-18 HORNETs at five USN and USMC depots and the Boeing Cecil Field Site in Jacksonville, FL. Boeing field service representatives will be co-located at these sites to provide technical support and expertise.
“Through this contract we will improve material availability and resolve technical issues quickly to alleviate long lead times on parts, helping our customers to reduce cycle times on aircraft maintenance,” commented the Director of Boeing Global Supply Chain Services, Rick Robinson.
There are two current programmes to repair the aging F/A-18 A-D HORNET fleet:
- Planned Maintenance Interval – 1 (PMI-1): an extensive, comprehensive inspection, repair, and rework of the aircraft, consisting of both specific targeted areas and zonal inspections of critical areas;
- High Flight Hour (HFH): a series of inspections and modifications to extend the life of the aircraft from 6-10,000 hours.