F-18 Advanced Super Hornet

[WolfPack86]

Can Boeing’s F/A-18 meet Indian Requirement ?

The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet manufactured by Boeing is the newest, highly capable and affordable tactical aircraft available in the inventory of the US Navy. The Super Hornet is currently the backbone of the US Navy carrier air wings and is expected to be so through to 2040.


Evolution of the Super Hornet ::

The first operational F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet squadron was formed in June 2001 and was deployed in the combat role aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in July 2002. In April 2005, Boeing delivered the first Block II Super Hornet, complete with the world’s first tactical multi-mode AESA radar and it became fully operational at the end of 2007. Since inception, the Super Hornet programme has remained on time and on cost. The US Navy Super Hornet programme of record is 563 aircraft. Current backlog including orders in fiscal year 2016, takes deliveries into 2018. Kuwait and additional domestic fiscal year 2017 and fiscal year 2018 orders take deliveries into 2020. This provides a bridge to future international opportunities and future needs of the US Navy.

In May 2007, the Commonwealth of Australia ordered 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets, becoming the first international Super Hornet customer. The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) aircraft were all delivered to Australia’s RAAF Base Amberley, completing delivery ahead of schedule in October 2011. In May, Australia announced plans to acquire 12 new EA-18 Growlers, the airborne electronic attack derivative of the Super Hornet.

In August 2013, Boeing and Northrop Grumman conducted flight tests with a prototype of an Advanced Super Hornet aircraft with conformal fuel tanks; an enclosed weapons pod and signature enhancements. These capabilities, along with other planned advanced technologies to include enhanced engines, internal infrared search and track, and a nextgen cockpit, offer domestic and international customers a menu of next-generation capabilities that will allow Super Hornets to outpace threats in the 2030+ threat environment at affordable cost.

Under a contract awarded in 2011, Super Hornets are currently planned to be deployed by 2017 with an upgraded Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensor system that will perform long-range targeting weapons quality tracking, thus broadening the US Navy’s war-fighting capability. The first successful flight test of IRST was carried out in February 2014. The US Navy approved the IRST system to enter low-rate initial production in January 2015.


Current Deployment ::

Operational in ten US Navy Carrier Air Wings (25 squadrons) and the Royal Australian Air Force, the combat-proven Super Hornet delivers cutting-edge, next-generation multi-role strike fighter capability, outdistancing current and emerging threats well into the future. The Super Hornet has the capability, flexibility and performance necessary to modernise the air force or the naval aviation wing of any country. Built by the industry team of Boeing, Northrop Grumman, GE Aviation and Raytheon, the Super Hornet provides the war-fighter with the newest advances in capability and growth in missions, roles and technology for decades to come. Its suite of integrated and networked systems provides enhanced interoperability and support for ground forces as well as for the overall force commander.

Two versions of the Super Hornet – the single-seat E model and the two-seat F model — are in production today and in worldwide service with the US Navy. The Royal Australian Air Force operates 24 F model Super Hornets. Both models are true multi-role aircraft, able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defences, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions.


Operational Capability ::

With 11 weapons stations, the Super Hornet gives war-fighters extraordinary payload flexibility by carrying more than 400 configurations of air-toair and air-to-ground ordnance. A typical basic weapon load for a self-escort strike mission starts with an advanced infrared targeting pod, one AIM-120 AMRAAM, two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, a 20mm cannon and an external fuel tank. This leaves six under-wing weapon stations available to carry a variety of weapons and other stores.

Through an evolutionary, modular approach, including the addition of the APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, the Super Hornet offers continuously improving overall mission capability and supportability. Integrating the APG-79 AESA radar, Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared system, Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, Multifunctional Information Distribution System, advanced high capacity computer system, and state-of-the-art cockpit provides the war-fighter with intuitive situational awareness and capability.

The F/A-18 E/F has exceptional combat manoeuvrability, unlimited angle of attack, high resistance to spins and departures, as well as ease of handling and training. Its reconfigurable digital flight control system can detect damage to or full loss of a flight control and still allow safe recovery. These and other enhancements ensure the Super Hornet remains combat relevant through the coming decades and have defined it as the safest tactical aircraft in the history of naval aviation. Two highly reliable General Electric F414-GE-400 engines power the Super Hornet. Increased airflow to the engine is provided through the Super Hornet’s large, distinctively shaped inlets. A full authority digital electronics control allows for unrestricted engine response in any phase of flight.

The Super Hornet has proven to be the most cost-effective aircraft in the US tactical aviation fleet, costing less per flight hour to operate than any other tactical aircraft in the inventory of the US forces, including single-engine aircraft such as the F-16.


The Super Hornet for India ::

The US Government has reportedly made an offer to supply the F/A-18 Super Hornet combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) to be manufactured in the country under the ‘Make in India’ programme. With the strength of the combat fleet in the IAF down to 33 squadrons and the contract for the 36 French Rafale jets yet to be finalised, India is now actively considering the possibility of going in for this option. In all likelihood, India may prefer the twinengine F/A-18s over the single-engine F-16s which is also on offer. Besides, the Indian Navy could also consider the carrier version of the F/A-18s for its requirement in the future. Boeing has offered to set up a new-generation production line in India to manufacture these aircraft for India as well as for the global market.
http://www.defencenews.in/article/Can-Boeing’s-F/A-18-meet-Indian-Requirement--4955

 

[asianobserve]

Super Hornet stores loadout:

 

[WolfPack86]

I have gut feeling after America election. India will choice F-18 Advance Super Hornet. The reason why I came to the conclusion that Manohar Parrikar said India will select a fighter at year end that means December 2016. That exactly after America election over in November 2016. There is only one month gap for decision for selecting fighter aircraft.

 

[Zebra]

Please watch this video @ 3:45 again.......


Uploaded on Oct 5, 2010, by wittmann51

 

[asianobserve]

Maneuvering comparison versus SH and Su-30:

 

[WolfPack86]

F-18 Advance Super Hornet under Make in India would be great.

Both the United States and India have made significant progress on the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative, an undertaking aimed at reducing the barriers to defence technology cooperation and trade. The countries are also holding talks on the supply of F-16 and F/A-18 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force. These defence deals would give a significant boost to the ‘Make in India’ program.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/05/how-modi-changed-indiaus-relations.html

 

[BON PLAN]

F-18 Advance Super Hornet under Make in India would be great.

Both the United States and India have made significant progress on the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative, an undertaking aimed at reducing the barriers to defence technology cooperation and trade. The countries are also holding talks on the supply of F-16 and F/A-18 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force. These defence deals would give a significant boost to the ‘Make in India’ program.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/05/how-modi-changed-indiaus-relations.html

India will not buy a farmer tractor when you can have a Porsche.

 

[asianobserve]

India will not buy a farmer tractor when you can have a Porsche.

The SH is the more recent design than Rafale. It certainly is the closest to the 5th gen fighters among its peers, especially the growth SH.

 

[BON PLAN]

The SH is the more recent design than Rafale. It certainly is the closest to the 5th gen fighters among its peers, especially the growth SH.

Just see how anemic it is in flight.
It is definitively not better than Rafale !
Rafale is able to take 9G (even 11G in urgency), SH only 7.6G.
Rafale can bring 9.5T of loads, SH only 8
Rafale dry weight is less than 10Tons, SH more than 14 T
SH less stealthy than Rafale.
.... etc... etc...

SH is even less manoeuvrable than F18 !!!

Just one asset : its big and powerfull radar.

 

[WolfPack86]

US Navy Approves F/A-18 Super Hornet IRST System for Production
Long-range sensor system demonstrated production readiness on Super Hornet
Orlando, Fla., and ST. LOUIS, Jan. 22, 2015 – The F/A-18 Super Hornet infrared search and track (IRST) system, developed and integrated by Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], received approval from the U.S. Navy to enter low-rate initial production.

The IRST system consists of Lockheed Martin’s IRST21™ sensor, the GE Aviation FPU-13 Fuel Tank Assembly and the Meggitt Defense Industry Environmental Control unit. The system demonstrated its production readiness through a series of extensive assessments and reviews, including flight tests.

“This ‘see first, strike first’ capability can be used in a variety of threat environments and is a game changer for our warfighters as we combat future adversaries,” said U.S. Navy F/A-18 program manager Capt. Frank Morley. IRST is expected to deploy on the F/A-18 Super Hornet in 2017.
RST21 is the next generation of Lockheed Martin’s legacy IRST sensor system, which accumulated more than 300,000 flight hours on the U.S. Navy’s F-14 and international F-15 platforms. The long-range IRST21 sensor uses infrared search and track technology to detect, track and enable the Super Hornet to engage threats with air-to-air weapons.

“Lockheed Martin and Boeing have proven the maturity of the IRST21 sensor and the IRST system and are poised to get this advanced capability out to the fleet to support Navy carrier strike group objectives,” said Ken Fuhr, fixed wing program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

In addition to detecting airborne threats, IRST significantly enhances multiple target resolution compared to radar, providing greater discrimination of threat formations at longer ranges. Data from the IRST21 sensor is fused with other on-board F/A-18 sensor data to provide maximum situational awareness to the warfighter.

“The IRST system is another example of how we continue to evolve Super Hornet capabilities to ensure it outpaces future adversaries,” said Tim Adrian, F/A-18 IRST program manager at Boeing.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 113,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $33 billion business with 56,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/01-22-15-US-Navy-Approves-F-A-18-Super-Hornet-IRST-System-for-Production

 

[WolfPack86]

Boeing Advanced Super Hornet Demonstrates Significant Stealth, Range Improvements
Tests prove aircraft will outpace future threats
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 28, 2013 – During the three weeks of flight testing in August 2013 the Advanced Super Hornet, Boeing [NYSE: BA] and partner Northrop Grumman demonstrated that the fighter can outperform threats for decades to come with improvements that make the jet much harder for radar to detect and give it significantly more combat range.

Through 24 flights in St. Louis and Patuxent River, Md., that began Aug. 5, the team tested conformal fuel tanks (CFT), an enclosed weapons pod (EWP), and signature enhancements, each of which can be affordably retrofitted on an existing Block II Super Hornet aircraft or included on a new jet.

“We continually insert new capabilities into today’s highly capable, already stealthy Super Hornet, and the Advanced Super Hornet is the next phase of this technology evolution,” said Debbie Rub, Boeing Global Strike vice president and general manager. “Boeing and our industry partners are investing in next-generation capabilities so warfighters have what they need when they need it, and so the customer can acquire it in a cost-effective manner.”

Improvements to the aircraft’s radar signature, including the enclosed pod, resulted in a significant percent reduction compared with the U.S. Navy’s stealth requirement for the current Super Hornet variant. The tests also showed that the CFTs increase the jet’s combat radius by up to 130 nautical miles, for a total combat radius of more than 700 nautical miles.

"Even though we added components to the aircraft, their stealthy, low-drag design will enhance the combat capability and survivability of the Super Hornet on an aircraft that has a combat-proven history launching and recovering from aircraft carriers,” said Mike Wallace, the Boeing F/A-18 test pilot who flew the Advanced Super Hornet configuration.
The improvements will ensure that the Advanced Super Hornet outpaces enemy aircraft and defenses through 2030 and beyond, especially when that enemy tries to deny access to a specific area, such as skies over international waters near its assets.

Boeing and Northrop Grumman funded the testing. The companies, along with Hornet Industry Team partners GE Aviation and Raytheon, are investing in more advanced technologies for the Advanced Super Hornet, including internal Infrared Search and Track, an enhanced engine and a next-generation cockpit.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $33 billion business with 59,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/Advance...trates-Significant-Stealth-Range-Improvements

 

[WolfPack86]

More Stealth, Range... Fighter
Pilot talk -- what the Advanced Super Hornet means for tomorrow's warfighters
May 07, 2014 in Defense, Technology

Boeing test pilots “Sting” and “Bull” had just put the company’s Advanced Super Hornet through a series of maneuvers in the skies near St. Louis and, back on the ground, were engaged in pilot talk, discussing what the updates will mean for warfighters on the first day of battle, before enemy radar and other threats are degraded or destroyed.

More stealth, more range, more mission flexibility, more weapons -- just some of the advantages, they explained.

“What we’ve done is really advance the stealth capability of the Super Hornet and give it that first-day-of-war capability. It can go farther into enemy territory without being detected,” said Steve Schmidt, call sign “Bull.”

And bring much more to the fight, added Mike Wallace, call sign “Sting.”

Wallace and Schmidt are F/A-18 Super Hornet test pilots with Boeing Test & Evaluation, part of Engineering, Operations & Technology.

Since that first flight back in early August, the Advanced Super Hornet demonstration aircraft has completed a flight-test program totaling 27 flights and more than 40 hours in the air, first in St. Louis and later for additional testing at the U.S. Navy’s Patuxent River, Md., flight-test facility.

Built in St. Louis, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is the mainstay carrier-based fighter of the U.S. Navy. More than 600 are in operation with the Navy and U.S. allies around the world. The Advanced version is not a new aircraft type, but a suite of enhancements that can be ordered a la carte by customers for new Super Hornets or retrofitted onto existing aircraft. They also can be added to the EA-18 Growler, the electronic warfare version of the Super Hornet.

The aircraft used for the testing was a factory-fresh, two-seat F/A-18F on loan from the Navy that was modified with several of the Advanced Super Hornet options, including conformal fuel tanks, an enclosed weapons pod and other enhancements that make the Advanced Super Hornet less visible to enemy radar.

Last month, Wallace, Schmidt and two other test pilots with Boeing Test & Evaluation, all of whom who flew many of those test flights, spoke with Frontiers about the Advanced Super Hornet and what its new capabilities mean for potential domestic and foreign customers—and for military fighter pilots. All four were military fighter pilots before they joined Boeing.

“We always want to be not one step ahead of the enemy but five steps ahead,” explained John Tougas, who, like Wallace and Schmidt, is an F/A-18 Super Hornet test pilot. Tougas was designated lead project pilot for the Advanced Super Hornet flight tests, responsible for test planning, test hazard analysis, and test execution and data collection, including flying some of the missions.

“Right now, today’s Super Hornet is five steps ahead of the enemy with its capability,” Tougas said. “What the Advanced Super Hornet does is keep that future-generation naval aviator, when they finish flight school, still five steps ahead of the enemy.”

Read more in the December 2013–January 2014 issue of Frontiers.

http://www.boeing.com/features/2014/05/corp-super-hornet-05-07-14.page

 

[WolfPack86]

Advanced Countermeasures Electronic System (ACES)
Secure electronic shield against anti-aircraft missiles
Raytheon's Advanced Countermeasures Electronic System is a fully integrated electronic warfare (EW) suite with robust situational awareness and powerful jamming capabilities. ACES represents the most modern EW digital technology available, providing a secure electronic shield against anti-aircraft missiles and threats from enemy radars.
http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/aces/

Designed to detect, identify and counter contemporary threats in a high density environment, ACES integrates Raytheon's ALQ-187(V)2 jammer, the ALR-93 radar warning receiver and the ALE-47 countermeasures dispenser system — offering an effective and dependable advanced electronic countermeasures self-protection system for the F-16.

Built on a legacy of EW suites for the F-16 platform, including Raytheon's Advanced Self-Protection Integrated Suite (ASPIS and ASPIS II), ACES reflects the next generation of advanced EW for the F-16. Legacy efforts and core elements of ACES have proved highly effective against real threats in acceptance flight trials, combat exercises and spontaneous defense of sovereign territory.

 

[WolfPack86]

Next Generation Jammer
Designed for capability growth, sustainability, and affordability
Raytheon's Next Generation Jammer solution was selected by the U.S. Navy in 2013 to replace the legacy ALQ-99 systems used on the EA-18G airborne electronic attack aircraft. In 2016, the U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon a $1B Next Generation Jammer Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract.

Raytheon's NGJ solution will provide innovative airborne electronic attack and jamming capabilities.

Increasingly complex threats require airborne electronic attack to be more sophisticated than ever, providing greater precision, power, reactive speed and directivity. Raytheon's NGJ will integrate the most advanced electronic attack technology into the EA-18G to ensure superior mission performance.

Built with a combination of high-powered, agile beam-jamming techniques, and cutting-edge solid-state electronics, our NGJ systems will meet the U.S. Navy's current mission needs while providing a cost-effective open systems architecture for future upgrades. The proven expertise we bring to the NGJ effort will yield a low-risk, highly reliable baseline solution with opportunities for growth on additional manned and unmanned platforms.

Building on a strong history of creating and integrating advanced solutions for the warfighter, Raytheon's NGJ effort will produce the most reliable, dependable and affordable system to deny, degrade and disrupt threats while protecting U.S. and coalition forces.
http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/ngj/

 

[WolfPack86]

High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile
Counters Advanced Radar Threats
The AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM®) is a joint U.S. Navy and Air Force program developed by the Navy and Raytheon.

HARM's primary mission is to suppress or destroy surface-to-air missile radar and radar-directed air defense artillery systems. Once airborne, it can operate in three modes: preemptive, missile-as-sensor and self-protect.

Continued hardware and software upgrades have allowed HARM to counter advanced radar threats. HARM has proven itself in both reliability and combat performance. It is employed on a variety of Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps aircraft including the EA-6B, F-16 and F/A-18. The U.S. government makes HARM available through Foreign Military Sales.

HARM CONTROL SECTION MODIFICATION (HCSM)
Raytheon is developing a HARM upgrade, called the HARM Control Section Modification. HCSM adds a GPS receiver and an improved inertial measurement unit for precision navigation. HCSM also features a digital flight computer that merges targeting solutions from navigation and seeker systems. The enhancements improve the probability of hit, while controlling where the missile can and cannot fly.
http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/harm/

 

[Zebra]

..............................................................................................

 

[BON PLAN]

More Stealth, Range... Fighter
Pilot talk -- what the Advanced Super Hornet means for tomorrow's warfighters
May 07, 2014 in Defense, Technology

Boeing test pilots “Sting” and “Bull” had just put the company’s Advanced Super Hornet through a series of maneuvers in the skies near St. Louis and, back on the ground, were engaged in pilot talk, discussing what the updates will mean for warfighters on the first day of battle, before enemy radar and other threats are degraded or destroyed.

More stealth, more range, more mission flexibility, more weapons -- just some of the advantages, they explained.

“What we’ve done is really advance the stealth capability of the Super Hornet and give it that first-day-of-war capability. It can go farther into enemy territory without being detected,” said Steve Schmidt, call sign “Bull.”

And bring much more to the fight, added Mike Wallace, call sign “Sting.”

Wallace and Schmidt are F/A-18 Super Hornet test pilots with Boeing Test & Evaluation, part of Engineering, Operations & Technology.

Since that first flight back in early August, the Advanced Super Hornet demonstration aircraft has completed a flight-test program totaling 27 flights and more than 40 hours in the air, first in St. Louis and later for additional testing at the U.S. Navy’s Patuxent River, Md., flight-test facility.

Built in St. Louis, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is the mainstay carrier-based fighter of the U.S. Navy. More than 600 are in operation with the Navy and U.S. allies around the world. The Advanced version is not a new aircraft type, but a suite of enhancements that can be ordered a la carte by customers for new Super Hornets or retrofitted onto existing aircraft. They also can be added to the EA-18 Growler, the electronic warfare version of the Super Hornet.

The aircraft used for the testing was a factory-fresh, two-seat F/A-18F on loan from the Navy that was modified with several of the Advanced Super Hornet options, including conformal fuel tanks, an enclosed weapons pod and other enhancements that make the Advanced Super Hornet less visible to enemy radar.

Last month, Wallace, Schmidt and two other test pilots with Boeing Test & Evaluation, all of whom who flew many of those test flights, spoke with Frontiers about the Advanced Super Hornet and what its new capabilities mean for potential domestic and foreign customers—and for military fighter pilots. All four were military fighter pilots before they joined Boeing.

“We always want to be not one step ahead of the enemy but five steps ahead,” explained John Tougas, who, like Wallace and Schmidt, is an F/A-18 Super Hornet test pilot. Tougas was designated lead project pilot for the Advanced Super Hornet flight tests, responsible for test planning, test hazard analysis, and test execution and data collection, including flying some of the missions.

“Right now, today’s Super Hornet is five steps ahead of the enemy with its capability,” Tougas said. “What the Advanced Super Hornet does is keep that future-generation naval aviator, when they finish flight school, still five steps ahead of the enemy.”

Read more in the December 2013–January 2014 issue of Frontiers.

http://www.boeing.com/features/2014/05/corp-super-hornet-05-07-14.page

Do you think a Boeing test pilot will not officially enjoy about a Boeing product ?

SH18 is a truck, with relatively low loading capacity, low manoeuvring, a big horn and a Trabant motor inside.

 

[smestarz]

On that note, dont you think that the French pilots (who are the only pilots flying and talking about it) will talk bad about their "national product" ?

Do you think a Boeing test pilot will not officially enjoy about a Boeing product ?

SH18 is a truck, with relatively low loading capacity, low manoeuvring, a big horn and a Trabant motor inside.

 

[WolfPack86]

Of course, the India-U.S. bilateral defense relationship also depends on the sale of military equipment. India in recent years has emerged as one of the most important export markets for the U.S. defense industry, with defense trade volume surpassing $10 billion dollars in the past decade. In fact, the Indian market for U.S. defense products might expand considerably as India takes a second look at the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet after downsizing a deal to buy French Rafale fighters. No numbers have been officially mentioned yet, and the deal may take years before producing any tangible results. Some conservative estimates suggest that India could be looking to purchase 100 to 150 Boeing jets. If this deal actually goes through, it has the potential to usher in a qualitatively different relationship–one not of buyer-seller, but of co-producers. The Modi government can justifiably take some credit for this change in Indian thinking.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/05/how-far-have-india-us-ties-come-after.html

 

[WolfPack86]

How Far Have India US Ties Come After Two Years of Modi