NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support (WSS) awarded a $325 million, 5-year\firm, fixed-price repair Long Term Contract (LTC) for the F/A-18 Hornet’s Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared Radar (ATFLIR) to Raytheon of McKinney, Texas, May 20.

The contract supports repair of 58 national stock numbers with an annual extended quantity of 1,122 per year. ATFLIR is a highly complex system used on F/A-18 C, E and F variants for targeting during both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. ATFLIR is the primary weapons delivery targeting sensor for the U.S. Navy. Raytheon's ATFLIR system has been fielded since 2002.

 “A firm, fixed-price repair contract reduces administrative lead time to place delivery orders with prices negotiated up front for the five-year base period,” said Sarah Hartman, NAVSUP WSS deputy director of fixed-wing contracts. “In addition, long-term strategic agreements allow for better piece part material forecasting and improved delivery. The main improvement is continuous and uninterrupted repair coverage for the next five years.”

The system currently has more than 450 backorders, approximately 25 percent of which are high-priority Issue Priority Group (IPG)-1s.

“This repair contract award is another major milestone for F/A-18 sustainment and a critical piece of the NAVSUP WSS comprehensive strategy to support the fleet through long-term strategic agreements for both repairs and spares,” said Capt. Christopher Kovack, NAVSUP WSS director of contracts. “F/A-18 readiness is at an all-time high and overall platform backorders continue to decrease.”

 “This contract is a significant step forward in our sustainment strategy for this critical lethality and survivability system that enables the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornets to fight and win in combat,” said Capt. Michael York, NAVSUP WSS director of aviation operations. “This contract is the culmination of the hard work by the dedicated logisticians in the F/A-18 Integrated Weapon Systems Team and the Contracts Directorate and will provide a direct, positive impact on F/A-18 sustainment for years to come.”

In the last 18 months, NAVSUP WSS awarded long-term repair contracts for F/A-18 top readiness degraders including G2/G3 configuration Generator Converter Units (GCU) with General Electric; Multi-Purpose Color Display Replacement (MPCDR) with Elbit Systems of America; APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar with Raytheon; and Beacon Transmitters with Sierra Nevada Corporation.

NAVSUP WSS is also handling complementary depot-level repairable spares requirements for these F-18 systems with many other long-term repair contracts in work and being renewed.

NAVSUP WSS is one of 11 commands under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter. Learn more at www.navsup.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/navsupwss.

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