Boeing announced it will relocate its F/A-18 Super Hornet Service Life Modification (SLM) operations from the St. Louis region by 2027 as part of a broader strategic realignment to support future aircraft programs.
The move, revealed on September 24, comes as the company continues to expand its defense manufacturing operations in St. Louis — including work on the F-15EX fighter, T-7A Red Hawk trainer, MQ-25 carrier-based tanker, and various precision munitions lines. The relocation is aimed at freeing capacity for these programs while maintaining support for the U.S. Navy’s fighter fleet.
“Our expansion plans across the St. Louis site triggered the execution of a multi-year strategic plan, requiring the relocation of some work,” said Dan Gillian, vice president and general manager of Air Dominance and senior St. Louis site executive. “Given we are already successfully conducting SLM at other locations, this move is logical so we can continue to meet our customers’ commitments while ensuring we are well poised for future work.”
Boeing is considering multiple sites for the transition, with its San Antonio, Texas, and Jacksonville, Florida, facilities under review. The company already performs SLM work at its San Antonio facility and at the Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRC Southwest) in San Diego. Additional modification work is also ongoing in Jacksonville.
The SLM program plays a central role in extending the operational life and capabilities of the F/A-18 fleet, which remains the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s carrier air wings. Through the program, each aircraft receives a 4,000-flight-hour extension and upgrades to the Block III standard, which includes advanced avionics, improved networking, and reduced radar cross-section features. All Block II Super Hornets in the Navy inventory are eligible for the upgrade.
The relocation does not signal a reduction in Boeing’s commitment to the SLM effort. In fact, the company and the Navy have steadily increased the pace of aircraft inductions since the program’s inception and continue to shorten turnaround times to return upgraded jets to the fleet faster.
“We have worked with the Navy for years to improve SLM while growing in San Antonio and FRC Southwest. Delivering multiple fighters and capabilities from multiple locations is what we do, and we will continue that work on the Super Hornets for the life of the fleet,” said Mark Sears, Boeing Fighters vice president.
The decision reflects Boeing’s broader shift toward supporting future combat aviation programs. In March, the U.S. Air Force selected the company to design, build, and deliver the new F-47 sixth-generation fighter. Personnel currently assigned to the Super Hornet SLM program in St. Louis are expected to transition to these new efforts as work ramps up.
The Super Hornet has been a core component of U.S. naval airpower for more than two decades, and the SLM program ensures the aircraft will continue to meet evolving operational demands well into the 2030s. By distributing the workload across multiple facilities, Boeing aims to sustain production efficiency, enhance support capacity, and align its industrial footprint with the Pentagon’s long-term modernization plans.