GE wins $576 million BPL contract from US Navy

GE Aviation has been awarded a three-year (2011-2013), $576 million Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract from the U.S. Navy covering the repair, replacement and program support for F414 engine components for the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G Growler aircraft. This multi-year procurement arrangement is an availability-based contract providing operational readiness requirements for the F414 fleet through the Navy's Fleet Readiness Center - Southeast (Jacksonville, Fla.). In addition, GE Aviation has also been allocated $58.4 million from the U.S. Navy to extend the F414 Fleet Support contract through June (negotiations underway for targeted multi-year deal). "We are grateful for the opportunity to continue our collaboration with the Navy to provide a comprehensive, integrated, cost-effective approach to ensure F414 readiness for our customer," said Steve Knopping, GE F414/F404 PBL Director. These contracts build on the success of a series of previous F414 PBL contracts dating back to 2002. Since the introduction of PBLs, the Navy has realized significantly lower acquisition costs with improved readiness while GE added considerable value to the military aftermarket. In addition to the Lynn plant, GE facilities in Hooksett, N.H.; Rutland, Vt.; Wilmington, N.C.; and Madisonville, Ky. will provide parts for this PBL contract. Twin F414 engines power F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers. The F414 engine for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G is rated at 22,000 pounds (98 kN) thrust and is in the 9:1 thrust-to-weight ratio class. The U.S. Navy has taken delivery of more than 1,000 F414 engines with more than 1.5 million engine flight-hours accumulated to date.