DefenseF/A-18E/F production nears end as Northrop completes final fuselage work
Northrop Grumman has confirmed that it completed its final production lot of structural components for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in 2025, signaling that new-build production of the carrier-based fighter is approaching its end.
The confirmation came during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call, when Northrop Grumman executives stated that work on the final lot of F/A-18E/F components was completed last year. Northrop Grumman has long served as a key subcontractor to Boeing, producing the aft and center fuselage sections and vertical tails for the Super Hornet.
The disclosure aligns with reporting by The War Zone, which noted that the completion of Northrop Grumman’s final fuselage deliveries represents one of the last major industrial milestones before the Super Hornet production line is shut down. Boeing has previously said that final deliveries of newly built F/A-18E/F aircraft are expected by 2027.
Production of the related EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft had already ended earlier, following the completion of U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force orders in the late 2010s.
While new-build production is winding down, Boeing is expected to continue supporting and upgrading in-service Super Hornet and Growler fleets for years to come, including the ongoing Block III modernization program for U.S. Navy aircraft.
The U.S. Navy remains by far the largest operator of the Super Hornet family, with hundreds of F/A-18E, F/A-18F and EA-18G aircraft still forming the backbone of its carrier air wings. Those aircraft have continued to see extensive operational use, including combat missions in the Middle East in recent years.
The gradual end of Super Hornet production comes as the Navy awaits political and budgetary approval to move forward with the F/A-XX program, intended to replace the F/A-18E/F in the long term. The sixth-generation fighter effort has faced delays and funding uncertainty, with authorization from both the Trump administration and the U.S. Congress still pending.
Boeing and Northrop Grumman are both competing for the F/A-XX contract after Lockheed Martin was previously eliminated from the competition.
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