Work to refurbish Navy Super Hornets part of Pentagon’s $700B budget
By The Associated Press
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In this Wednesday, April 25, 2018, photo, flight operations mechanic Shawn Edwards, left, removes the left-hand flap shroud from the wing of a 13-year-old F/A-18 Super Hornet in St. Louis. This fighter aircraft, at the end of its original lifespan, was used by the U.S. Navy Gladiators Strike Fighter Squadron based out of Virginia Beach, Va. It is the first Super Hornet of many, set to undergo updates and maintenance to keep it in the fleet for another dozen years. (Ted Shaffrey/AP)
In this Wednesday, April 25, 2018, photo, Boeing specialists use an ultrasonic scanner to look for damage in the wing of an F/A-18 Super Hornet in St. Louis. This fighter aircraft, at the end of its original lifespan, is set to undergo updates and maintenance to keep it in the fleet for another dozen years. (Ted Shaffrey/AP)
In this Wednesday, April 25, 2018, photo, the first F/A-18 Super Hornet, of many to come, undergoes updates and maintenance at Boeing's facility in St. Louis. This fighter aircraft was delivered by Boeing to the U.S. Navy in November 2004 and is at the end of its lifespan. After being refurbished, it can be piloted for an additional 3,000 flight hours, or 10-15 years. (Ted Shaffrey/AP)
In this Wednesday, April 25, 2018, photo, steam metal assembly riveter Lay Johnson works on an F/A-18 at Boeing's fighter aircraft production line in St. Louis. The Pentagon has the biggest budget in history this year, with $700 billion to spend on defense, including new fighter aircraft. (Ted Shaffrey/AP)
In this Wednesday, April 25, 2018, photo, Margaret Kent works on a new F/A-18 at Boeing's fighter aircraft production line in St. Louis. The body is built by Northrup Grumman and delivered to Boeing where the wings and front half are assembled. The Pentagon has the biggest budget in history this year, with $700 billion to spend on defense. (Ted Shaffrey/AP)
In this Wednesday, April 25, 2018, photo, workers install a metal skin on the wing of an F/A-18 at Boeing's fighter aircraft production line in St. Louis. The Pentagon has the biggest budget in history this year, with $700 billion to spend on defense, including new fighter aircraft. (Ted Shaffrey/AP)
In this Wednesday, April 25, 2018, photo, stickers mark damage that needs to be repaired on the nose of an F/A-18 Super Hornet at a Boeing hangar in St. Louis. This fighter aircraft, at the end of its original lifespan, is set to undergo updates and maintenance to keep it in the fleet for another dozen years. (Ted Shaffrey/AP)
In this Wednesday, April 25, 2018, photo, Boeing specialists use an ultrasonic scanner to look for damage in the wing of an F/A-18 Super Hornet in St. Louis. This fighter aircraft, at the end of its original lifespan, is set to undergo updates and maintenance to keep it in the fleet for another dozen years. (Ted Shaffrey/AP)
In this Wednesday, April 25, 2018, photo, workers perform hydraulics testing on a new F/A-18 at Boeing's fighter aircraft production line in St. Louis. The Pentagon has the biggest budget in history this year, with $700 billion to spend on defense, including new fighter aircraft. (Ted Shaffrey/AP)
Boeing executives and U.S. Navy members will celebrate with an induction ceremony Thursday.
The first-arrived Super Hornet had been flown since 2004 by the Navy’s Gladiators Strike Fighter Squadron in Virginia Beach. It’s among four planes that will undergo upgrades at a cost of $73 million to keep them in the fleet for another dozen years.
Boeing has a contract to deliver 134 new F/A-18 Super Hornets over the next few years. Each costs more than $70 million.
At $700 billion, the U.S. defense budget is bigger than any other country. The biggest winners in the military buildup are the country’s largest defense contractors, such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, which spend millions of dollars each year lobbying Congress.
