In A 1st, Navy Repairs Super Hornet At Sea

For the first time, the U.S. Navy has completed repairs on a fighter jet at sea, reports the Stars and Stripes.

On Jan. 9, sailors completed repairs of an F/A-18E Super Hornet onboard USS George H.W. Bush at sea in the Mediterranean, the Navy announced on Sunday.

The fighter was suffered an inflight fire on its right-side engine during routine flight operations on Aug. 31, 2022.

The work included repair or replacement of sections of the jet's exterior, a door and engine bay as well as other components, the service said.

The project took 33 days to complete once parts and repair crews arrived onboard the carrier.

The work brought the Super Hornet back to operational status sooner than expected. Typically, such a damaged aircraft would be inoperable for the remainder of a deployment and fixed after returning home.