How One Component Improved U.S. Navy F/A-18 Fleet Readiness

摘要

The US. Navy's Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleets have experienced dramatic turnarounds. In 2017, less than half of the Navy's Super Hornets were able to fly. Now, 80% of its carrier-based fighters are ready for missions. The solution involved fixing a single component within the General Electric F414 engine. The Navy faulted constrained spending following the 2008 financial crisis and increased demand from the wars in the Middle East for the lack of readiness. More specifically, those conditions exacerbated an issue embedded in the military's vast supply chain.