F-18 Super Hornet
While it looks much like an F-18A/B/C/D , the F-18E/F Super Hornet has radically new avionics, a new engine giving greater range, and, in many respects, is a generation ahead of the basic Hornet. Both series are carrier-capable. Even within the E/F series, however, there are "Blocks" incorporating additional refinement, and the Block 30, starting to be delivered, is being called the Super Hornet II+. E models have a crew of 1, while the F model and the EF-18 Growler dedicated electronic warfare variant have two crewmembers.
Avionics
As a whole, the avionics system has both faster optical communications among its modules, as well as pore powerful computers. [1] All of its sensors can go to a digital recorder, and the aircraft has much faster external communications links. One scenario, for example, would take either mapping radar imagery, or thermal imagery from the new ATFLIR pod, send it to a forward observer with ground troops, let the forward observer mark up the imagery with circled targets and warnings of air defense equipment, and send the annotated map back to the aircraft.
Radar
One of the major benefits of the Air Force's F-22 Raptor fighter is the use of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. The Hornet started with the AN/APG-73 PESA radar, but the Block 30 Super Hornets are being flown from the factory with AN/APG-79 AESA. An AESA radar is faster in traditional radar modes, but also can do unique combinations, such as switching back and forth between mapping and moving target indication to know the position of a moving vehicl. Used passively in its frequency range, the AESA can collect electronic intelligence and provide its own electronic support for active electronic attack. All other upgraded and new U.S. fighters are moving to AESA designs, including the APG-77 on the Raptor, the upgraded AN/APG-63 V(3) on the F-15 Eagle and the AN/APG-63 V(4) planned for the F-15E Strike Eagle, and the AN/APG-81 for the Joint Strike Fighter versions.
Infrared
Infrared search and track (IRST) will improve air-to-air capability. IRST essentially makes the sensors of a heat-seeking missile directly available to the flight crew, although it will be integrated with the radar.
As of 2004, the Super Hornet started receiving the first infrared tracking pod that works in the longer-ranged mid-infrared wavelengths,the AN/ASQ-228.
Electronic warfare
Super Hornets have an Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures system, which will deploy in three or more blocks, the first being very much an interim capability. Versions of the AN/ALQ-165 were deployed on early aircraft, but the AN/ALQ-214 was seen as the production jammer for the later Super Hornets. [2]
- Block I: AN/ALQ-165 Advanced Self-Protection Jammer and an AN/ALE-50 towed decoy.
- Block II: AN/ALQ-214 (V)2 radio frequency countermeasures system (RFCM) replacing the ASPJ and an AN/ALE-50 towed decoy.
- Block III: AN/ALQ-214 (V)2 RFCM and AN/ALE-55 fiber optic towed decoy.
International use
On February 2, 1990, Boeing and the U.S. Navy proposed the Super Hornet to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) as the U.S. entrant in Brazil's F-X2 fighter aircraft competition. [3]
General characteristics
- Contractor: McDonnell Douglas; now part of Boeing
- Date Deployed: First flight in November 1995. Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in September 2001 with VFA-115, NAS Lemoore, Calif. First cruise for VFA-115 is onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
- Unit Cost: $57 million
- Propulsion: Two F414-GE-400 turbofan engines. 22,000 pounds (9,977 kg) static thrust per engine.
- Length: 60.3 feet (18.5 meters).
- Height: 16 feet (4.87 meters).
- Wingspan: 44.9 feet (13.68 meters).
- Weight: Maximum Take Off Gross Weight is 66,000 pounds (29,932 kg).
- Airspeed: Mach 1.8+.
- Ceiling: 50,000+ feet.
- Range:
- Combat: 1,275 nautical miles (2,346 kilometers), clean plus two AIM-9s
- Ferry: 1,660 nautical miles (3,054 kilometers), two AIM-9s, three 480 gallon tanks retained..
- Armament:
- Air-to-air: One M61A1/A2 Vulcan 20mm autocannon; AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-9X (projected); AIM-7 Sparrow, obsoleted by the AIM-120 AMRAAM;
- Air-to-ground: AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-88 HARM, SLAM, and SLAM-ER (projected) Harpoon variants, AGM-65 Maverick missiles; AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW); Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM); Data Link Pod; Paveway Laser Guided Bomb; Mark 8x series conventional bombs, Low Collateral Damage Bomb (LOCO), mines and unguided rockets
References
- ↑ Warwick, Graham, Ultra Hornet
- ↑ On-Board Jammers for the Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures -- No. D-2001-086, March 20, 2001
- ↑ Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, February 3, 2009