Akin Secures Full F-18 Funding, Defeats Senate Cut to Super Hornets

Press Release

Congressman Todd Akin, Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, today announced that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report will fully fund the F/A-18 Super Hornet program. Akin has been a champion for the Super Hornet program and successfully ensured that the Senate cuts to the program were defeated in conference. Akin has been a long-standing advocate of developing an electronic attack variant of the F/A-18 which provides the U.S. Navy with a modern electronic attack asset, protects vital defense jobs in Missouri and saves taxpayers almost $600 million. Akin secured full funding for the program when the NDAA passed the House this spring, but the Senate Armed Services Committee cut nine of the requested twenty-eight aircraft.

Akin released the following statement:

"The F/A-18 Super Hornet is a fantastic plane that is the heart of U.S. Navy's aviation abilities. The Super Hornet is both very affordable and very capable, a rare quality in the Department of Defense. I was deeply disappointed that the Senate would cut such a model program and have fought hard to ensure that the final conference report restored full funding."

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