Navy F/A-18E/F and EA-18G Aircraft Procurement and Strike Fighter Shortfall: Background and Issues for Congress

Jeremiah Gertler
Specialist in Military Aviation

The Navy's proposed FY2010 budget requests about $1.0 billion for the procurement of nine F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters. The Navy's FY2009 budget had projected that 18 F/A- 18E/Fs would be requested in FY2010. The Navy's proposed FY2010 budget also requests about $1.6 billion for the procurement of 22 EA-18G Growler electric attack aircraft. The Navy's proposed FY2010 budget does not request a new multiyear procurement (MYP) arrangement for procuring F/A-18E/Fs and EA-18Gs in FY2010-FY2014. Some Members of Congress are interested in the option of procuring 18 F/A-18E/Fs in FY2010 (the number projected for FY2010 under the FY2009 budget), so as to make a start toward mitigating a projected Navy-Marine Corps strike fighter shortfall. Some Members are also interested in approving a new MYP arrangement for procuring Super Hornets and Growlers in FY2010-FY2014, so as to further mitigate the shortfall and reduce the collective procurement cost of the aircraft. 
 
 FY2010 defense authorization bill: The conference report (H.Rept. 111-288 of October 7, 2009) on the FY2010 defense authorization bill (H.R. 2647) authorizes increasing by $512.3 million the Administration's FY2010 procurement funding request for the F/A-18E/F program, so as to support the procurement in FY2010 of 18 F/A-18E/Fs—9 more than the Administration requested—and recommends increasing by $108 million the Administration's FY2010 advance procurement funding request for procuring F/A-18E/Fs in future fiscal years, with the additional $108.0 million to be used for economic order quantity (EOQ) purchases for a new MYP arrangement. Section 128 of the bill provides conditional authority for entering into an MYP arrangement for procuring F/A-18E/Fs and EA-18Gs. Section 131 requires a report on the procurement of "4.5 generation" fighters, including F/A-18s that are equipped with certain features. 
 
 FY2010 DOD appropriations bill: In lieu of a conference report, the House Appropriations Committee on December 15, 2009, released an explanatory statement on a final version of H.R. 3326. This version was passed by the House on December 16, 2009, and by the Senate on December 19, 2009, and signed into law on December 19, 2009, as P.L. 111-118. The explanatory statement includes $1,054.5 million in Navy procurement for 18 F/A-18E/Fs in 2010, an increase of nine aircraft and $495 million over the Administration's request. Advance procurement meets the Administration's request of $51.4 million. 
 
 EF-18G procurement and advance procurement are set at the Administration's requested levels: $1,611.8 million for 22 Growlers in FY2010, and $20.6 million in Growler advance procurement. The explanatory statement also adds $4 million to Navy research and development funding for F/A-18 countermeasures improvement, and a $9 million decrease to the same account to account for a delay in an infrared search and track system contract. 
 
 Title VIII, section 8011 of H.R. 3326 authorizes the use of funds for multiyear procurement of F- 18 variants. 

Date of Report: December 22, 2009
Number of Pages: 43
Order Number: RL30624
Price: $29.95

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