The U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Navy have awarded Boeing a $1.5 billion contract to build 28 Super Hornet fighter jets for Kuwait, and one or more as-yet-unnamed Santa Clarita Valley subcontractors will work on the project.

The St. Louis, Missouri-based aircraft manufacturer was awarded a $1,504,995,240 fixed-price-incentive-firm contract that provides for the production and delivery of 22 F/A-18E and six F/A-18F Super Hornets in support of the government of Kuwait, according to the DoD.

Work will be performed in El Segundo, California (41.4 percent); Hazelwood, Missouri (28.2 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (4.7 percent); and Santa Clarita, California (4 percent).

The balance of the work will take place in Bloomington, Minnesota (3.3 percent); Greenlawn, New York (2.8 percent); Endicott, New York (2.3 percent); Santa Ana, California (1.9 percent); Clearwater, Florida (1.5 percent); Clifton, New Jersey (1.3 percent); Mesa, Arizona (1.3 percent); Torrance, California (1.2 percent); Ontario, Canada (1 percent); Vandalia, Ohio (0.9 percent); Kalamazoo, Michigan (0.8 percent); Fort Walton Beach, Florida (0.8 percent); East Aurora, New York (0.7 percent); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (2.1 percent).

The DoD expects work on the 28 aircraft to be completed in January 2021.

Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $1,504,995,240 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The Naval Air Systems Command based in Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting entity (N00019-18-C-1060).

The contract awarded June 27 is a modified version of Kuwait’s original request for 40 aircraft approved by the State Department in November 2016.

The DoD noted the then-proposed sale “will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally that has been, and continues to be, an important force for political and economic progress in the Middle East.”

The notice continued:

“Kuwait is a strategic partner in maintaining stability in the region. The acquisition of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft will allow for greater interoperability with U.S. forces, providing benefits for training and possible future coalition operations in support of shared regional security objectives.

“The proposed sale of the F/A-l8E/F Super Hornet aircraft will improve Kuwait’s capability to meet current and future warfare threats. Kuwait will use the enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defense. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft will supplement and eventually replace the Kuwait Air Force’s aging fighter aircraft. Kuwait will have no difficulty absorbing this aircraft into its armed forces.

“The proposed sale…will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

“There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.”