DCMA’s Aircraft Integrated Maintenance Operations St. Augustine office oversees government quality requirements throughout the modification process. Its work includes routine surveillance, mandatory inspection points and validation of airworthiness releases before aircraft return to service.
“Partnering closely with Boeing, DCMA shares a commitment to the quality and integrity of the F/A-18 aircraft,” said Quinton Gill, a DCMA AIMO quality assurance specialist assigned to the St. Augustine contracting office. The oversight is intended to ensure that modifications meet government standards and support the safety of aircrews.
“When inducted at the contractor facility, aircraft undergo a variety of maintenance actions including mandatory safety checks, high-flight-hour inspections, overhauls to prolong service life, avionics upgrades, and structural modifications,” Gill said. The work covers Growler electronic-warfare aircraft and both legacy and Super Hornet fighters.
The Navy relies on depot-level maintenance to keep the F/A-18 fleet available for global missions. The St. Augustine office also supported the Blue Angels’ transition from the legacy Hornet to the Super Hornet during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During transition from the legacy Hornet to the Super Hornet, the DCMA St. Augustine team was tasked with the high-profile, no-fail mission right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Navy Cmdr. Alex Halberstadt, commander of DCMA AIMO St. Augustine. Pandemic restrictions ended the demonstration squadron’s planned 2020 season, which was due to be its final season with legacy Hornets.
“Our team worked relentlessly through severe pandemic-related hurdles and unprecedented logistical delays to ensure the Blue Angels received their modified aircraft on time to meet their demanding 2021 air show season,” Halberstadt said. The Super Hornet made its public Blue Angels debut on April 17, 2021, at the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida.
The St. Augustine office has overseen the conversion of 18 Blue Angels aircraft, including 12 that later returned for additional modifications, while four more are scheduled for conversion over the next two years. Halberstadt said the office will continue working with industry to sustain and modernize the F/A-18 fleet until the next generation of aircraft enters production.
