combat aircraft

Above: An artist’s

impression of a

Block III-standard

aircraft complete

with IRST and

CFTs. Boeing

Below left

to right: The new

11 x 19in multi-

function display

in the advanced

cockpit. Boeing

The CFTs

have already

completed a

period of fl ight-

testing as part

of the Advanced

Super Hornet

work fi ve years

ago. Boeing

Above:

impression of a

Block III-standard

aircraft complete

with IRST and

CFTs.

Below left

to right:

11 x 19in multi-

function display

in the advanced

cockpit.

The CFTs

have already

completed a

period of fl ight-

testing as part

of the Advanced

Super Hornet

work fi ve years

ago.

more modest proposal designed to help

the Super Hornet support the carrier air

wing in the expected threat environments

of the 2035s and beyond. It builds on

the F/A-18E/F’s existing upgrade path,

dubbed the Super Hornet Flight Plan,

which currently includes upgrades to the

Raytheon AN/APG-79 active electronically

scanned array (AESA) radar, the AN/

ALQ-214 integrated defensive electronic

countermeasures (IDECM) Block IV suite,

and the Lockheed Martin AN/ASG-34

infra-red search and track (IRST) pod.

Block III adds  ve further main capability

upgrades, as Dan Gillian explains. ‘Block

III is a funded program of record and it is

really  ve big changes to the established

Super Hornet Flight Plan. First is the

conformal fuel tanks [CFTs] to extend

the range of the Super Hornet. We’ll  y a

Super Hornet with conformal fuel tanks

later this year, so development is well

under way. Second is an advanced cockpit

system — that’s a new 10 x 19in display

— that changes to a next-generation

interface, like an iPad for an airplane. We’ll

 y the  rst airplane with the advanced

cockpit capability next year [2019].

Again, development is well under way.

Then we’re going to pull two elements

over from the Growler program. The

big computer called DTPN [distributed

targeting processor — networked] and a

big network — a data pipe — called TTNT

[tactical targeting network technology].

Those are programs of record for Growler

and are on plan for delivery in 2021. We

pulled those over for the Super Hornet.’

Gillian also said there will be some

improvements to the Super Hornet’s

stealthiness. He is likely referring to the

use of radar-absorbing coatings, although

some have said that minor structural

modi cations might be made to certain

US NAVY

SUPER

HORNET BY

THE NUMBERS

The o cial program of record for the

F/A-18E/F is 589 aircraft. Of these,

308 are single-seat F/A-18Es and 281

are dual-cockpit F/A-18Fs. Of these

aircraft, 138 are Block I jets (Lots

21-25) and 445 are Block II examples

(Lot 26 onwards), with the remaining

seven aircraft being pre-production

models. At least 460 Super Hornets

will be con gured to the Block III

standard. New-production Block III

Super Hornets will begin beyond Lot

41. Boeing has also built 160 Growlers
    for the US Navy.

FIGHTER FOCUS // SUPER HORNET

48 October 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net