FRCSW provides the full spectrum of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services to all seven variants of the F/A-18 Hornet fighter, our nation’s first aircraft designed as a dual role attack-fighter aircraft.
Since its production in the early 1980s and maiden combat mission in 1986 against Libyan forces, seven variants of the twin-engine airframe have served the Navy and Marine Corps. Today: the legacy A-D, the E/F Super Hornet and the E/A-18G Growler, an airborne electronic attack aircraft are the primary aircraft fighters.
To prolong the service life of the legacy Hornets, FRCSW developed the Center Barrel Plus (CBR+) program from a procedure it created in 1991 to replace the center fuselage section of a relatively new Hornet which had crashed.
The CBR+ program addresses the high-flight-hour fatigue of the airframe and includes replacement of the aircraft’s forward and aft dorsal decks, and the forward, aft, and keel longerons (structural beams).
To date, FRCSW has completed more than 100 CBR+ procedures.
For the remaining F/A-18 variants, the command conducts two scheduled maintenance events. The first is an assessment of the major components like engines, rudders and stabilizers, and the second includes a corrosion inspection, testing of the transmissions and structure integrity of the aircraft.
FRCSW also performs modifications to the airframe that upgrade its operating or weapons systems.
F/A-18E Super Hornets of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136.
F/A-18 Super Hornets under repair at FRCSW