The U.S. Navy intends to award Boeing an order to design and qualify replacement parts for the AN/AYK-22 Stores Management Processor, the computer that controls weapons and external stores on its F/A-18 and EA-18G aircraft, after determining the current unit is no longer supportable due to obsolete components. Naval Air Systems Command’s PMA-265, the program office for the Super Hornet and Growler, posted the notice on Oct. 9. The Navy did not disclose the order’s value, the number of processors involved, or the completion schedule.
The stores management processor acts as the interface between the jet’s mission computer and all equipment carried on its pylons, including missiles, bombs, fuel tanks, and pods. It tells the aircraft what is loaded, manages weapon selection, and passes the commands needed to release a store. The Navy said the AN/AYK-22 is no longer supportable because some key parts have become obsolete, a condition the military calls diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages.
Although the Navy intends to go to Boeing without a competition, the notice is a sources-sought request, a step agencies use to check whether other companies could do the job. Interested firms have until Oct. 28 to submit a one-page capability statement showing experience in finding and qualifying obsolete electronic parts for military aircraft, access to required technical data, and quality certifications. The Navy also requested published price lists, lead times, and current stock levels for items that could meet the need.
The work is part of keeping the Super Hornet and Growler in service for decades after production ends. Boeing’s St. Louis line is due to deliver its last new Super Hornets in 2027, following the Navy’s final order for 17 jets in 2024, and Boeing no longer builds the Growler. Last month, the Navy paid Boeing $16.7 million to plan the shutdown of both production lines, including an inventory of government-owned tooling, on the same day it selected Boeing to develop the F/A-XX, the future carrier fighter meant to eventually replace both jets.
Existing Super Hornets are going through Boeing’s Service Life Modification program, which upgrades older jets to the Block III standard and extends their airframe life to 10,000 flight hours, with that work expected to continue into the mid-2030s.
Sources: DVIDS News · Defence Blog