areas to reduce radar cross-section, such
as the engine inlets. The Super Hornet has
some stealthy features, although nothing
like the F-35C Lightning II, but Boeing
says new coatings will further reduce
the aircraft’s radar signature by up to
10 per cent.
Although this is not part of the Block
III upgrade, new-build Super Hornets
will receive an updated satellite
communications system, thereby
enhancing the aircraft’s ability to receive
data from other sources that can be
merged into the new at-panel touch-
screen displays.
Of the ve principal Block III upgrades,
the most eagerly awaited is the addition
of the CFTs, which will increase range by
around 100-120 miles, depending on the
exact load-out of the jet. The two CFTs
hold slightly less fuel than two 330-gallon
wing tanks, but the added aerodynamice ciency will reduce drag, which allows
for better fuel consumption and permits
the Super Hornet to y at faster speeds.
They also free up two wing stations for
additional ordnance.
Boeing says the CFTs will not be
available when the rst Block III jets
are delivered, but they will be when
these aircraft begin ying operational
missions in 2022. The CFTs would also
bene t EA-18Gs, allowing them to carry
more jamming pods or weapons, and
opening up the eld of jamming for
its electronic pods, although there are
presently no formal plans to include CFTs
on the EA-18G.
Other aspects of the Block III upgrade
are designed to enhance the ability to
process/share data and to communicate
with other platforms. DTP-N and TTNT
will allow Block III Super Hornets to fuse
data from multiple on and o -boardsensors to form what the navy and
Boeing refer to as a common tactical
picture (CTP). For example, a Block III
Super Hornet can passively scan targets
with its IRST pod and then merge target
information with scans from other Super
Hornets — or other aircraft — to get a
complete threat picture. Boeing reports
that Block III systems will generate
information accurate enough to create
three-dimensional targeting information
so that crews can engage opponents
passively at long ranges.New goals
Building on current work, Moran says
discussions are under way concerning
a SLAP for the EA-18G Growler. ‘We’re
going to leverage what we’ve done on
[the] Super Hornet because the airframe
is similar, but the di erences are what
we are going to take a look at. But weBelow left to
right: An EA-18G
Growler of
VAQ-139 ‘Cougars’
launches from
the USS Theodore
Roosevelt (CVN
71). Many of
the Block III
enhancements
are being lined
up for the
Growler. US Navy/
MCSS Michael
Colemanberry
New-build and
SLM Block III
Super Hornets
will be able to
carry the podded
Lockheed Martin
AN/ASG-34 infra-
red search and
track (IRST) pod.
The navy plans to
acquire a total of
170 IRST systems.
NAVAIR
http://www.combataircraft.net // October 2018 49