Boeing's contract with the U.S. Navy includes seven EA-18G aircraft and five F/A-18E fighters. Pictured, a Sailor directs an EA-18G Growler on the flight deck of the USS Nimitz. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Cody M. Deccio

Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Boeing received a $678.6 million contract to provide seven Lot 40 EA-18G Growlers and five F/A-18E Super Hornet fighters for the U.S. Navy.

In addition to the aircraft, the contract also includes associated airborne electronic attack kits, which support the Growler's communication jamming capabilities.


The U.S. Department of Defense says work on the contract will be performed at various locations including El Segundo, Calif.; St. Louis, Mo.; Bethpage, N.Y., and others. The work is expected to be complete by February 2019.

Boeing received all funding from Fiscal 2016 procurement funds at the time of the contract award. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

The F/A-18E Super Hornet is a twin-engine multirole fighter produced as a redesign of the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. It is approximately 20 percent larger than its predecessor, and features an aerial refueling system.

The EA-18G Growler is a Super Hornet modified to perform electronic attack missions.