Boeing

ST. LOUIS, May 4, 2015 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] will update two maintenance trainers for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) so they better support the RAAF’s F/A-18F and EA-18G aircraft.

Australia is the only nation other than the United States flying F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters and EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack aircraft. While it operates the two-seat F variant of the Super Hornet, its current trainer configuration is for the single-seat variant. The update will change that while also making Australia’s two Integrated Visual Environment Maintenance Trainers (IVEMT) specifically applicable to the RAAF’s EA-18G aircraft.

“The trainers need software upgrades to stay current with the aircraft,” said Tom Lavender, manager, Boeing Navy Training program. “Using the same software in both the trainer and the aircraft allows Super Hornet technicians to perform maintenance tasks exactly as they would on the actual aircraft.”

The upgraded trainers will support technicians working on both platforms and will provide them with a key tool to qualify as Super Hornet and Growler technicians.

“Maintenance training facilities play a key role in the training and skills development of Air Force maintenance staff,” said Air Commodore Michael Kitcher, Director General Capability Planning for Air Force. “This update is especially important for the new skill-set technicians will require to perform advanced work on the EA-18G Growler ensuring its readiness to support all branches of the Australian Defence Force when it comes into RAAF Service.”

The work, which will be done under a U.S. Navy foreign military sales agreement with Boeing, will be performed at the Royal Australian Air Force base at Amberley, Queensland, Australia.

The upgrades will be complete by the end of 2016.

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