Page 45 - Aviation News - September 2017

hybrid engine utilised the core of the non-
afterburning F412-GE-400 engine – which
was originally developed for the cancelled
A-12 Avenger II and incorporated design
features from the YF120 turbofan under
development for the Advanced Tactical Fighter
(ATF) programme.
The Hornet’s oval engine intakes were also
completely redesigned – the Super Hornet’s
rectangular inlets providing 18% more airflow
to the more powerful engines.
WEAPONS
The legacy model’s weapons stations can
carry up to 14,000lb (6,350kg) of ordnance These F/A-18Cs, F/A-18Es and F/A-18Fs from VFA-87, VF-31 and VFA-213 prepare to launch from
or external fuel tanks, while the Super Hornet the USS George H W Bush. Along with the F/A-18E equipped VFA-37, these three squadrons are
can carry 17,700lb (8,029kg). assigned to carrier air wing CVW-8. US Navy/MC3 Brianna Bowens
The classic and Super Hornets’ weapons
capabilities are almost identical – and include electronically provide for simultaneous air- Navigation FLIR (NAVFLIR) pod on Night
the AGM-65 air-to-ground missile, AGM-88 to-air and air-to-ground target detection and Attack models.
High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM), tracking. Modifications later provided the AN/AAS-
AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided The AESA, which greatly improved the 38 with a Laser Target Designator/Ranger
Missile (AARGM), AIM-120 Advanced weapon system’s threat detection range, high- (LTD/R) and an LST for the aircraft to deliver
Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), resolution synthetic aperture radar ground laser-guided munitions autonomously.
AGM-154 Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW), mapping and targeting capabilities, was later Initially equipped with the AN/AAS-46
GBU-31/32/38 Joint Direct Attack Munition retrofitted to more than 130 earlier Block II TFLIR and the AN/AAR-55 NAVFLIR, the
(JDAM), GBU-54 Laser JDAM (LJDAM),
GBU-10/12/16/24/51 laser-guided bombs and
GBU-12F/52 dual-mode laser-guided bombs.
Both variants can also deliver Mk82/83/84
general-purpose ‘dumb’ bombs, 2.75in
(70mm) Hydra rockets and other weapons
including cluster bombs and naval mines.
They can also launch AGM-84 Harpoon anti-
shipping missiles and the AGM-84K Stand-off
Land-Attack Missile-Expanded Response
(SLAM-ER).
Wingtip rails support AIM-9 air-to-air
missiles, and both classic and Super Hornets
feature a nose-mounted internal 20mm M61
rotary cannon. The F/A-18E/F will be capable The Super Hornet can carry 17,700lb (8,029kg) of stores on its 11 weapon stations.
of delivering the AGM-158C Long Range US Navy/MC2 Z A Landers
Air Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), integration
testing of which began in 2015: it’s expected to airframes and currently equips around 85% of Super Hornet introduced the AN/ASQ-
achieve IOC with the Super Hornet in 2019. the fleet. 228 Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking
The legacy Hornets can carry up to three The classic Hornet was originally equipped Infrared (ATFLIR) pod which combined the
330 US gal (1,249 lit) tanks on the number with the AN/AAS-38 Nite Hawk Targeting functions of the legacy systems into a single
5 centreline and wing stations 3 and 7. The Forward-Looking Infrared pod (TFLIR) – used unit.
Super Hornet features five ‘wet’ stations that in conjunction with the AN/ASQ-173 Laser More recently the ATFLIR gained the
can carry up to five 480 US gal (1,817 lit) fuel Spot Tracker/Strike CAMera (LST/SCAM), capability to downlink live video to Remote
tanks on the centreline number 6 and wing which was replaced by the AN/AAR-50 Operations Video Receiver (ROVER)
stations 3, 4, 8 and 9. It can also carry an air
refuelling pod (ARP) on the centreline station,
enabling it to act as a tanker. The buddy-
refuelling store has a fuel capacity of 300 US
gal (1,136 lit).
SENSORS
While the F/A-18A had been equipped
with the Hughes (now Raytheon) AN/APG-
65 radar, the more capable AN/APG-73
appeared on Lot 16 F/A-18Cs from May 1994
– and on Block I and early production Block II
Super Hornets.
Production installation of the Raytheon
AN/APG-79 AESA radar was carried out on
a number of Lot 27 to 29 aircraft and fully
introduced with Lot 30. Boeing unveiled the A ‘Ragin’ Bulls’ F/A-18C is launched from the waist catapult of the USS George H W Bush
first AESA radar-equipped fighter in St Louis while conducting ground attacks in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. US Navy/MC3
in April 2005. Its fixed array and agile beam Christopher Gaines

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