SECTION
Modern Warplanes
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CARD
10
YEARS
1995-present
Boeing USA
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
US Navy carrier superfighter
Superficially similar to the ‘legacy’ Hornet, the F/A-18E/F is a very different beast. It was conceived as a development of the earlier aircraft to fill the gap left by the retirement of the US Navy’s A-6E Intruder carrier strike aircraft. While the single-seat F/A-18 is optimised as a strike fighter replacement for the ‘legacy’ Hornet, the two-seat F/A-18F is a long-range multi-role strike aircraft. Both types now form the spearhead of the US Navy’s carrierborne combat capability and have proven their worth during extensive combat operations.
Fuel carriage
The Super Hornet has a total internal fuel capacity of 2,130 US gal (8062 litres), to which can be added up to four 480-US gal (1818-litre) external fuel tanks.
Self-defence systems
Block I F/A-18E/Fs are protected by an AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receiver system, AN/ALQ-165 jammer and an AN/ALE-50 towed decoy. These are replaced in Block II by the AN/ALQ-214 Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures system, a nextgeneration ECM suite that can also be combined with the new AN/ALE-55 Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy.
Powerplant
SPECIFICATION
The Super Hornet is powered by a pair of General Electric F414GE-400 low-bypass turbofans, each providing 22,000 lb (97.9 kN) thrust with afterburner. This state-of-the-art engine grew out of development undertaken for the Grumman A-12’s F412 engine and the YF120 that was unsuccessfully bid to power the F-22.
Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Type: single-seat carrierborne and land-based multi-role fighter, attack and maritime air superiority warplane Powerplant: two General Electric F414-GE-400 turbofan engines each rated at 22,000 lb st (97.86 kN) with afterburning Performance: maximum speed over 1,190 mph (1915 km/h) or Mach 1.80 at high altitude; service ceiling about 50,000 ft (15240 m); radius 681 miles (1095 km) on a hi-hi-hi interdiction mission with four 1,000-lb (454-kg) bombs, two AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs and two drop tanks, or 560 miles (901 km) on a hi-lo-hi interdiction mission with the same stores, or 173 miles (278 km) on a 135-minute maritime air superiority mission with six AAMs and three drop tanks Weights: empty 30,564 lb (13834 kg), maximum take off 66,000 lb (29937 kg) Dimensions: wingspan 44 ft 8½ in (13.62 m) including tip-mounted AAMs; length 60 ft 1¼ in (18.31 m); height 16 ft 0 in (4.88 m); wing area 500.00 sq ft (46.45 m2) Armament: one 20-mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary six-barrel cannon with 570 rounds, plus up to 17,750 lb (8051 kg) of disposable stores; weapons options include AAMs (see text), AGM-88 HARM, AGM-65 Maverick ASM, AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile, AGM-84 SLAM, AGM-154 JSOW, AGM-158 JASSM, Paveway LGBs, Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), Mk 80 series bombs, Rockeye and CBU-series cluster bombs, BLU-series napalm bombs and LAU‑series multiple launchers for 70-mm air-to-surface unguided rockets
APG-73 radar
The Block I F/A-18E/F retains the AN/APG-73 radar of the F/A-18C/D. Regarded as one of the world’s best multi-mode radars, the APG-73 provides a full range of capabilities, including a SAR mapping reconnaissance function. From Block II onwards the new Raytheon AN/APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA) unit was substituted, with increased range, resolution, reliability and passive detection.
Larger and lighter
Compared to its Hornet predecessor produced by McDonnell Douglas, the F/A‑18E variant has an enlarged airframe. This includes a fuselage lengthened by 2 ft 10 in (0.86 m), an enlarged wing characterised by a thicker section, and two more hardpoints allowing an increase in the disposable load to 17,750 lb (8051 kg), plus enlarged leading-edge root extensions (LERXes) and horizontal and vertical tail surfaces. As well as being larger, the Super Hornet also has a structure extensively redesigned to reduce weight and cost without sacrifice of strength.
Cockpit
The pilot sits on a MartinBaker SJU-17/A ejection seat, as used in lateproduction F/A-18C/D aircraft. By 2003 the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) was incorporated, primarily for use with the AIM-9X nextgeneration Sidewinder.
Loadout F/A-18E VFA-14
This Super Hornet is the ‘CAG-bird’ or personal aircraft of the Commander of Air Group 11 (CVW‑11). It was based aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) during Operation Iraqi Freedom during 2003.
Pylons
Stores separation problems during testing – some stores collided after release – led to the underwing pylons being toed outwards 4°.
This F/A-18E carries a typical defence suppression load, comprising AGM‑88 HARM anti-radar missiles (outboard) and AGM-154 JSOWs (Joint Stand-Off Weapons). The latter is found to be more reliable in areas where there is a danger of causing collateral damage to civilian buildings.
‘Tophatters’ unit
Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14), known as the ‘Tophatters’, is the US Navy’s oldest active squadron, formed as early as 1919. Today a strike-fighter squadron, it conducted all manner of duties in the past, including patrol, torpedo, bombing and scouting. Based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, VFA-14 exclusively operates Super Hornets. In mid-2011 the NH-coded squadron with the motto ‘The oldest and boldest’ was deployed onboard USS John C. Stennis to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as counter-piracy and maritime security operations.
Super Hornet
The first F/A-18E made its maiden flight in November 1995 at the start of a programme designed to see the delivery of the first production aircraft in 1998 and an initial operational capability in 2001. Major alterations from the F/A-18C are upgraded avionics, a larger airframe with changes to reduce the radar crosssection, increased internal and external fuel capacities and greater power from engines aspirated via larger inlets of revised parallelogram shape.
Modern Warplanes
Comparison
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet US Navy carrier superfighter An F/A-18E from VFA-31 ‘Tomcatters’ drops flares and peels away from its wingman to reveal a typical offensive loadout of Paveway laserguided bombs, an external fuel tank, JDAMs and the AN/ASQ-228 Advanced Targeting ForwardLooking Infra-Red pod.
Briefing
T
he arrival in service of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has led to a revolution in the composition of the US Navy’s Carrier Air Wing. As well as replacing ‘legacy’ F/A-18A to C models, the Super Hornet has assumed the dedicated strike capability that was vacated with the retirement of the A-6E, as well as taking on the fleet air defence and tactical reconnaissance missions previously conducted by the F-14 Tomcat. When the retirement of the Lockheed S-3B Viking left the carriers without the critical organic tanking capability, the Super Hornet stepped in, fulfilling the ‘combat tanker’ role. Now, in the
Weapons versatility
form of the EA-18G Growler subversion (described separately), the same basic airframe is taking over the electronic attack role from the EA-6B Prowler. In future, the US Navy Carrier Air Wing will be spearheaded by the Super Hornet and the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter. On land, the F/A-18F is also in service with the Royal Australian Air Force, which ordered 24 examples of the twoseat version as a successor to its F-111 long-range strike aircraft. Development of the combatproven Super Hornet continues, with the Block II version representing a step-change in capability, thanks to the powerful AN/ APG-79 AESA radar within a reprofiled forward fuselage, more robust self-protection equipment and improved crew stations.
The Super Hornet’s versatility greatly exceeds that of its naval fighter rivals. The Rafale is carries a reasonable variety of weapons and sensors but the ‘Flanker’ is primarily a naval interceptor with limited air-toground capability. The Super Hornet is cleared to carry practically every weapon and sensor in the US Navy inventory. Weapons comprise both air-toair missiles (AAMs) and precisionguided missiles (PGMs), and sensors include targeting pods, FLIR pods and reconnaissance pods.
Dassault Rafale M SECTION
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Entering final assembly in May, and having its roll-out ceremony in September 1995, F/A‑18E1, the first single-seat Super Hornet prototype, made its first flight on 29 November 1995. In early 1996 the aircraft went to NAS Patuxent River to begin US Navy test and evaluation.
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103
US Navy Super Hornet pilot Lieutenant Stephen Walborn flew combat missions over Afghanistan and Iraq with his unit, VFA‑115 ‘Eagles’. Walborn praises the performance of the fighter, and discusses (in 2004) how new systems planned for the later Block aircraft, such as MIDs and JHMCS, greatly enhance the aircraft’s overall situation awareness and lethality.
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AAMs
AAMs
PGMs
PGMs
bombs
AAMs
bombs
sensors
Above: Flying the two-seat F/A-18F, VFA-22 ‘Fighting Redcocks’ is based at NAS Lemoore in California, home to the West Coast Super Hornet community. East Coast squadrons are shorebased at NAS Oceana, Virginia, with other units forward deployed at NAF Atsugi, Japan.
radome for common data link (CDL) antenna
recorder, sensor and power sensor supply, mounting sensor brackets electronics
environmental control unit
bombs
sensors
1996-1997
Initial F/A-18F model
The first two-seat prototype, F/A-18F1, flew on 1 April 1996. The same aircraft completed initial sea trials aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) in January 1997, and the Super Hornet began weapons separation tests the following month. Low-rate production began in September 1997.
1999
Into service with training unit
VFA-122 ‘Flying Eagles’ became the first US Navy Super Hornet unit when it was established in January 1999. In November the squadron received its first seven Super Hornets at NAS Lemoore, California. The unit became the first Fleet Readiness Squadron for the type.
The rotating midsection allows an unobstructed, horizon-to-horizon view for the sensors. Images can be downlinked in real time via a common datalink to the Navy Input Station (NAVIS) ground station. This allows NAVIS analysts to perform real time image screening and exploitation seconds after the Super Hornet crew overflies a target.
he aircraft is amazing and has performed as advertised. It handles “T excellently around the boat.
Right: SHARP generates a mosaic of images that can be transmitted to a ground station. Each downsampled image can be clicked on to produce a fullresolution image, as shown in the inset.
“The Super Hornet let us send tanking assets into Iraq, which was something that we could not do with the S-3B Viking. And that is primarily because of the range, and the Super Hornet’s ability to self-protect. Another Super Hornet benefit is its radar, which helps with situational awareness and helps us better locate and guide our aircraft to us. “With the JHMCS sight, one big advantage comes in the air-to-ground roles. We waste a lot of time looking for targets or talking other aircraft onto a target. With JHMCS and MIDS tactical radios, we can pass the information we have directly to other crews, resulting in a much faster weapons-on-target-time.”
Right: Mounted on
inertial navigation system, the Super Hornet’s pod management unit centreline, SHARP sensors comprise two cameras, giving total coverage from 5 to 50 nm (6 to 58 miles; 9 to 93 km)
Inside the SHARP pod
First prototype flies
SECTION
Raytheon SHARP reconnaissance pod
CDL electronics, heat exchanger, power supply
1995
“The aircraft is amazing and has performed as advertised.”
Sukhoi Su-33 ‘Flanker’
Boeing F-18E Super Hornet
One of the key missions handled by the Super Hornet is reconnaissance. This is undertaken using the Raytheon SHARP pod that entered service in 2004. The SHAred Reconnaissance Pod is a state-of-the-art, tactical digital reconnaissance system that has dual-band visible and infra-red imagery collection. SHARP has two cameras for stand-off oblique imagery.
This VFA-2 ‘Bounty Hunters’ F/A-18F is depicted with a mixed offensive/defensive payload of AIM-9X, AIM-120 and JDAM weapons. The ‘Bounty Hunters’ transitioned from the F-14 to the Super Hornet in 2003.
Timeline
From the cockpit
2002
Combat debut
VFA-115 ‘Eagles’ was the first operational squadron and took part in operations over Iraq in November 2002, marking the aircraft’s first use in combat. F/A-18Es of VFA-115 from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) dropped JDAMs on military targets in Al Kut.
is designed to be installed or removed with full mission turnaround capability of less than one hour.
2003
Combat tankers
Both VFA-14 and VFA-41 (pictured) converted to the Super Hornet after F-14 operations in Afghanistan and took part as tankers (and forward air control and reconnaissance assets) in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Both were embarked in USS Nimitz as part of CVW-11.
2009-present
First RAAF Super Hornet
The Royal Australian Air Force became the first export customer for the Super Hornet in 2007 when it announced plans to acquire 24 F-models to replace its F-111C/Gs. The first RAAF aircraft recorded its maiden flight in July 2009, with deliveries from March 2010.