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Boeing San Antonio Modernizing U.S. Navy’s Super Hornet Fleet

Endeavor adding hundreds of new jobs.

09-13-2019

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As it marks its twentieth anniversary in San Antonio, Boeing continues to grow rapidly and diversifying its workloads.

This summer saw the arrival the first aircraft that will be upgraded as part of its new F/A-18 Super Hornet fleet Service Life Modification project on behalf of the U.S. Navy – bringing many new jobs to Port San Antonio in the process.

Ribbon cutting with John Cornyn, Jim Perschbach, Jay Galloway and others commemorating the Super Hornet workload.

During a ceremony on August 27 at Boeing’s Port San Antonio site, U.S. Senator John Cornyn, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and other top U.S. Navy and Boeing officials kicked off the program, which is expected to add approxmately 500 jobs.

The upcoming Super Hornet modernizations represent Boeing’s first fighter jet work in the state of Texas.

“This new Super Hornet mission in San Antonio will keep the needle moving in the right direction,” said U.S. Senator John Cornyn. “This critical work at Boeing fully anchors the Navy with the Air Force, the Army, in what is officially Military City, USA.”

"The Navy has finally landed in San Antonio," said Boeing San Antonio site leader Jay Galloway.

The Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet will be serviced by Boeing San Antonio.

The majority of the U.S. Navy’s Super Hornet fleet will be upgraded at the Port. The improvements are expected to extend the life of the aircraft by around 10,000 hours, or 10-15 years, and provide them with enhancements in range and, of particular importance, network capabilities and security.

"It'll take about 10 years to work all the airplanes,” added Galloway. “We anticipate about 400 to 500 Super Hornets rolling through."

"We are all proud that Boeing and the U.S. Navy have decided that Military City, USA is the right place for this important and critical work," said Mayor Nirenberg. "This is the confirmation of the talented workforce San Antonio has to offer."

“We are very excited for the Boeing team given the importance of this latest project,” said Port San Antonio President and CEO Jim Perschbach. “It raises our community’s profile even further as a center of unparalleled aerospace excellence. What’s more, it showcases how our customer, the Port’s strategic platform and our community’s talent are uniquely aligned to usher in a new era of aircraft modernization, especially as these platforms are growing in technological sophistication and connectivity.”

This milestone is part of a recent announcement of Boeing’s upcoming growth plans as a result of major defense and commercial projects.

Along with its agreement to modernize the Super Hornet fleet, the company will also continue to support legacy aircraft such as the C-17 Globemaster III on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied nations. Boeing San Antonio is designated as a Global Services location to conduct maintenance and repair for both defense contracts and commercial airline businesses.

Other work that has been performed at the San Antonio site over the years include programs in support of the KC-135, 747 and 787 platforms.

Boeing’s 168-acre site at Port San Antonio was established in 1998 as a maintenance and modification center for large aircraft, and has since carved a reputation as a high-performance, globally-recognized facility. The company’s facilities at the Port include one of the world’s largest hangars – which spans almost one million square feet and, thanks to significant upgrades by Boeing, is able to serve multiple wide-body aircraft simultaneously.


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