The end of production of the F/A-18 won't actually mean an end to the program. The Super Hornet, an upgraded, enlarged, and improved version of the F/A-18 Hornet, first entered service in 1999. It has remained the workhorse for the U.S. Navy for a quarter century, and those final Super Hornets will likely be flying for decades to come as well.
The desire for technical data rights “is one of those areas where industry and government have been at odds for a long time. And certainly Boeing on F-18 and the Navy as well," Boeing fighters VP Mark Sears told Breaking Defense. "So being able to put that on a path to final resolution . is a really positive step."