Fleet Readiness Center Southwest has completed its first fully self-contained Block III Super Hornet upgrade, combining work with ongoing service life modification efforts.
Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) announced April 21, 2026, that it completed the first fully self-modification of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet for the Navy’s Block III program of jets. The Block III modifications are the third and most advanced phase of the Service Life Modification (SLM) effort for the U.S. Navy’s Super Hornet fleet, which will allow the fighter to remain in service well into the 2040s, the service said.
FRCSW highlighted how years of preparation efforts have made this possible. This included coordination with Boeing, the F/A-18E/F and E/A-18G Growler Program Office PMA-265, repairing unexpected damage, adhering to strict technical specifications, and synergizing the work of a diverse group of engineers and technicians from multiple disciplines.
Boeing plans to cease production of the Super Hornet by 2027, and the fighter and its electronic warfare variant, the E/A-18G Growler, will remain the U.S. Navy’s premier multirole platform until the F/A-XX arrives.
SLM and Block III programs
The Block III upgrade is part of the Super Hornet’s Service Life Modification (SLM). The first phase of SLM is Service Life Extension (SLE), initially extending the life of the Super Hornet from 6,000 flight hours to 7,500 flight hours, and further extending the service life to 10,000 flight hours starting in 2023.
The first two aircraft to be modified were delivered back to the U.S. Navy on June 27, 2024, less than a year later and ahead of schedule. In December 2025, Boeing signed a $931 million contract to continue the SLM program for 60 aircraft, which will join approximately 125 Super Hornets already under contract for the series starting in 2018.
The cessation of production of the Super Hornet is not expected to affect the Navy’s current fleet of approximately 550 F/A-18E/F fighters, which can remain relevant in modern scenarios through modernization and maintenance. FRCSW, which can retrofit up to 40 aircraft per year, is one of three sites performing Block III upgrades, the other two being in St. Louis.
A VX-9 F/A-18E Block III Super Hornet departed for Fort Worth Confederate on Sunday. The most obvious external sign of block III appears to be a small lump on the top of the caudal spine. I might see it on CFT someday. 169971XE-360 pic.twitter.com/NTNQdhmSq7
— Sam Combs (@pressxtolive) July 17, 2023
Block III features
The Block III upgrade primarily features new cockpit displays, electronics, avionics, and computing architecture. At one point, the program also envisioned a conformal fuel tank (CFT) that would add 3,500 lb of fuel capacity, but that plan was later scrapped.
Block III’s Super Hornets feature an Advanced Cockpit System (ACS) with a large 10×19-inch touchscreen display. Modern Distributed Targeting Processor Network (DTP-N) and Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) open mission systems; reduced radar signal; and AN/ASG-34 Infrared Search and Track (IRST).
Block III Super Hornet for context. Unlike the Su-57, which has some sort of selector on the canopy frame, there is nothing in the canopy frame other than a mirror, necessary lights and a backup magnetic compass. You can see a variety of shapes, sizes, and distinct locations. pic.twitter.com/iQIkGbsXxm
— Heat Loss (@heatloss1986) November 19, 2025
FRCSW’s press release sheds further light on the avionics upgrades that are part of the Super Hornet’s Block III configuration, ACS and its benefits.
- Advanced Cockpit System (ACS) Installation
- New large area cockpit display
- Comprehensive avionics suite upgrade
- Enhanced Aircraft Networking Capabilities
- Modernizing electrical systems to support upgraded systems
“ACS fundamentally transforms the cockpit. Aircraft that once relied on older display technology are now equipped with modern, user-friendly, large-screen interfaces. This upgrade allows pilots to take full advantage of the aircraft’s enhanced capabilities and brings this fourth-generation platform much closer to fifth-generation performance at a fraction of the cost,” FRCSW said.
CVN-71 USS Theodore Roosevelt
ROKFLT, Busan
F/A-18E Buno.169953
VFA-25 “Fist of the Fleet” NH400Nice to meet you, the new Block III Super Hornet! pic.twitter.com/gKULgztBab
— Hornet (@hornetysfs) June 23, 2024
FRCSW also added that the completion of the first fully organic F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III modification is a significant milestone because it “is the first time that U.S. military craftsmen and engineers have executed a complete upgrade in-house and marks a pivotal step in Naval aviation readiness.”
FRCSW divided the work into three phases: structural SLM, Block III upgrades for network and mission enhancements, and Block III ACS and avionics modernization. “This phased approach enabled FRCSW craftsmen and engineers to improve processes, maintain efficient work sequences and reduce costs and turnaround times (TAT),” the statement said.
FRCSW further distinguished between SLM and Block III upgrades. “The modifications do not extend the physical life of the aircraft, which is the purpose of structural SLM, but ensure that the avionics and mission systems remain tactically relevant to the service life of the aircraft.” But taken together, they form a “life extension and capability enhancement strategy” that will ensure the Super Hornet can remain a key component of the Navy’s carrier air wing into the 2040s.
A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) prepares for a night combat mission during Operation Epic Fury, March 25. pic.twitter.com/glxEH2qlNO
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 29, 2026
technical effort
The technically “complex avionics upgrades” that were part of the Block III modifications required FRCSW engineers and technicians to remove and replace structural components as they “essentially compromised the cockpit.” Extract and reinstall wiring and fiber optics. Installation of new display and interface systems; Perform electrical upgrades to support modern avionics.
Avionics technicians, sheet metal mechanics, ordnance specialists, engineers and quality assurance personnel had to comply with more than 350 pages of Technical Directives (TDs) directing “down to how to route and secure cabling and fiber optics.” FRCSW and Boeing worked together to ensure every step met current safety and quality standards.
As the aircraft is dismantled, additional unexpected “corrosion, worn wiring or legacy damage” may also be discovered, which “must be corrected before modernization can proceed,” further complicating the complex effort. “This adds complexity to an already complex effort,” FRCSW explained.
