|, (US Navy / Mass Communication Specialist John P. Curtis), (US Navy / Photographer's Mate Jonathan Chandler), (US Navy / Photographer’s Mate Airman Dylan Butler), (US Navy / Mass Communication Specialist Cody Hendrix), (US Navy / Photographer’s Mate Joshua Word), Raiders of the Lost Ark’s Fake Flying Wing, In George Clooney's The Midnight Sky, the Crew of a Planetary Exploration Mission Faces an Impossible Choice, The Case for Past Life on Mars Gets Stronger, Why There Will Never Be Another Flying Pancake, America by Air: A New Gallery Takes Shape, America by Air: Jack Northrop's 'Beautiful Ship'. Now retired, Brenda Scheufele was one of the first women to fly in combat with the Navy, and worked as a test pilot on various weapons systems as well as flight-control developments to improve the handling of the legacy Hornet. The Navy did include $15 million for research and development into a Super Hornet engine upgrade in its unfunded priorities list for the 2019 fiscal year. Those can never fade away, no matter what the technology is.”. At the rollout of Boeing’s newest 787-10 Dreamliner commercial airliner, Donald Trump indicated he could be looking at a large Super Hornet order. Despite intentions for a 273-strong fleet of the fifth-generation F-35C, scheduled for its first operational cruise in 2021, the Navy also has 79 brand-new Super Hornets on the order books. (The Air Force has had to limit the speeds at which these older aircraft perform certain exercises.) Performance As would be expected for an aircraft that is essentially an "up-sized" version of the CF-18, the Super Hornet performs rather similar to its older brother. Boeing claims it can produce the ASH for $1 billion in development costs and a cost of around $56 million per aircraft — or about ten percent more than the cost of a current Super Hornet, Summers said. The Navy would eventually be stuck with doing what it could to further modify and soup-up its Boeing F/A-18E (single-seat) and F/A-18F (two-seat) Super Hornets, themselves deeply redesigned derivatives of the original “legacy” Hornets (models A through D) that first flew in 1978. At the 2017 symposium held by the Tailhook Association, a private group dedicated to supporting U.S. Navy carrier aviation, Tremel and his wingman Jeff  “JoJo” Krueger described the action. With its larger wing and greater power, the Super Hornet can slam onto the deck with close to a full load of undropped bombs (known as “bringback”), giving fleet commanders far greater flexibility in planning missions. Krueger offered his perspective on suddenly being in an air-to-air situation in the middle of a ground-support mission: “We hear it all the time. The venerable F/A-18 is today transformed into a “Generation 4.5” combat airplane. Watkins also notes that he was able to confirm the differences in handling qualities that had been predicted because of the fuel-tank modification. While they rarely capture the headlines or draw crowds at airshows like the marquis fifth-generation F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, today’s Super Hornets are quietly, competently, and cost-effectively serving as the Navy’s hardest worker. The Eurofighter consortium recently announced plans to retrofit existing airplanes with AESA radars, and build more Eurofighters for Germany, Kuwait, and Bahrain. EPAWSS “won’t make the F-15 an F-35 or an F-22,” General James Holmes, head of the U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command, told Air Force Magazine in a 2019 interview, “but it will make it a whole lot better.”. But out there—real time—it’s 100 percent fundamentals. It also has the increased ability to receive targeting information from platforms like the EA-18G and the E-2D Hawkeye. Boeing said that the cost to modify a Super Hornet to an Advanced Super Hornet is about an additional 10 per cent of the cost of the aircraft, or a little more than $5 million per fighter. With the most weapons at range and the most affordable life cycle costs in the competition, as well as Boeing’s commitment to providing guaranteed work for Canadian companies, the Block III Super Hornet provides Canada with the complete solution: a low-risk, evolutionary aircraft that puts capability in the hands of the RCAF today. An Advanced Cockpit System and long-wave Infrared Search & Track help pilots detect and target threats at long-range for battlespace situational awareness. Those excellent flying qualities also mean the F/A-18 is rock-solid when approaching to land aboard an aircraft carrier, still among the most difficult routines in aviation. Put together, these upgrades enable the new Super Hornet to transmit and receive enormous amounts of data, which means it will be able to receive targeting information on distant adversaries and ground objectives without turning on its own radar—thus giving away its position—and will be able to share the data its radar picks up with stealthier platforms closer to the targets. As for the Advanced Super Hornet representing a viable alternative to the Joint Strike Fighter program, that is an incredibly simpleminded belief. The latest infrared search-and-track pod gives the Hornets a greater stand-off strike capability. “And a lot of additional capability comes with that,” said Traven. From 1983 to 2006, the F/A-18 flew side by side with the more famous Grumman F-14 Tomcat. Another vital element of the improved Block III Super Hornet is its advanced networking capability. Boeing FA 18E Super Hornet. Longer lifespan, improved stealth characteristics, advanced networking capabilities, these in short the main steps forward that the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet Block III will make, compared to existing Block II aircraft. Gillian and the Boeing team call it the Advanced Super Hornet, a modern update on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which itself was an update on the original F/A-18 Hornet… The Block III upgrade is itself being rolled out incrementally. See the Advanced Super Hornet section in the article and the references listed there for more details. Now a U.S. FA 18EF Super Hornet 166791 VX 9 Vampires . Advanced data link and threat detection allow Super Hornet to better receive, process and send key intel. The next-generation Block III Super Hornet design integrates the latest displays, processing and data link technology to provide an open architecture mission system with advanced networking infrastructure both on and off board that can continue to evolve at a pace that far exceeds current competitor upgrade plans. Boeing recently completed its Industrial and Regional Benefit (IRB) obligation for Canada’s initial purchase of four C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, which was just over CAD$1 billion. As one of the first fighters with fly-by-wire controls, the original F/A-18 was a favorite among pilots. The computer-managed flight control system allows pilots to maneuver “to the very limits of the aircraft,” letting them concentrate on targeting and firing weapons. With shared information, every airplane in the package has a better view of what’s going on around them—improved “situational awareness,” in fighter pilot-speak. It’s a known risk.” The critical flaw discovered was excessive wear on a part. Kuwait closed a deal for 28 of the new airplanes to replace its legacy Hornets, and Germany appears set to buy 45 Super Hornets and derivative EA-18G Growler electronic warfare variants to replace its aging Tornadoes. Boeing completed delivery, ahead of schedule, in Oct. 2011. The cost to procure and maintain the aircraft is lower than other platforms, making it an affordable, total life cycle solution to operate for decades. life airframe Reduced aircrew/maintenance training Block III production out to at least 2033. Better yet, Boeing has been marketing the current Super Hornet model to other countries for the rather bargain cost of between $55-90 million a piece (accurate … weapons load 1.6 Mach speed, 10,000 hr. The F-16s are also getting upgraded avionics and self-defense systems, and a life-extension program is planned to add 8,000 hours to each airframe’s service life. When multi-role and multi-mission dominance is required in a single platform, the Super Hornet is the only answer. The Navy has been scaffolding improvements on Boeing’s Super Hornet production line in St. Louis over the past three decades. ‘The Super Hornet is the most cost-effective aircraft in the U.S. tactical aviation fleet, costing less per flight hour than any other tactical aircraft in U.S. forces inventory. The estimated price tag for the Super Hornet package is US $5.23 billion — or nearly $6.4 billion according to current exchange rates — according to a notice issued by the State Department. If you can win them, it doesn’t matter what generation your airplane is in. At the end roughly we are talking half price of the Rafale strike force. When the Navy began looking for new multi-role fighters to replace the heavy swing-wing, two-crew Tomcat, the F/A-18 was front and center—but not the Hornet as Navy pilots knew it. They cost almost a billon dollars each. Photo by Tomás Del Coro. Over the course of its 10,000-hour service life, that difference adds up to a lot of fiscal responsibility. Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet! “The Super Hornet is flying today. On the subject of the multi-role strategy, she says: “One of the downsides to replacing four to five different aircraft with one—and there are many cost savings to reducing the number of aircraft models—is that, if something is discovered that is a critical flaw (which happened once on my watch), the whole fleet is grounded. Naval Academy professor grooming the next generations of ship-borne aviators at Annapolis, Maryland, Niewoehner says: “At the time, I was feeling like we’d been sold out. The US Navy buys Super Hornets for $52 million per aircraft, while the advanced model costs $6–$10 million more per aircraft, dependent on options selected. Fourth-generation airframes designed for 1970s battles were subsequently re-engined, reconfigured, and re-equipped to accommodate 21st century missions. The carrier-capable F-35C variant currently costs $121.8 million, but Lockheed promises to get it down to $100 million. Cookie Policy Boeing FA 18E Super Hornet. Backed by a 100-year long partnership with Canada and an unmatched track record of meeting and exceeding industrial partnership commitments, Boeing is proud to offer the Super Hornet Block III and support the government’s capability and industrial requirements. Boeing has consistently supported the aerospace industry by contributing more than CAD$4 billion of economic benefit to Canada each year. Air-to-air encounters during attack missions may be unlikely, but as Mike Tremel and the three pilots with him in the air learned, you’d better be prepared for them. Compared with the legacy Hornet models, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet came in 20 percent larger, with 25 percent more wing area, upgraded F414 engines, and a 41-percent increase in mission range. Another way to look at it is that stealth will get you only so far. The first Super Hornets entered service in 1999. And Boeing forecasts more sales from abroad. What are these guys doing with our future?’ ”. One of the F/A-18C pilots checked in with the Joint Terminal Air Controller, an airman on the ground who directs air attacks, and as they waited for his call, the Fitter showed up. Here are Key features of a Block III Super Hornet: Advanced Network Infrastructure using an improved computer (DTP-N), SATCOM, network throughput (TTNT) and sensor/platform integration, allowing large amounts of data on and off the airplane. Navy to build Advanced Super Hornet equivalents? As of April 2020, Boeing had delivered 608 to the Navy, cementing the Super Hornet’s role as the “backbone of the fleet.”. Correction: The article originally said that Super Hornet costs are rising. During a close-air-support mission near the town of Ja’Din, Syria, on June 18, 2017, an F/A‑18E pilot scored the first U.S. air-to-air kill since 1999. Selection of the Super Hornet will allow the RCAF to leverage existing CF-18 physical and intellectual infrastructure, significantly reducing aircrew and maintenance training requirements and achieving compatibility with the existing RCAF ground infrastructure and air refueling tankers – all of which results in a low-risk transition to operation of Canada's newest fighter. “We were both junior officers at the time,” Niewoehner recalls, “and the Navy had just canceled the F-23 fighter program, just weeks before I was scheduled to fly the prototype. He is currently the commanding officer of the VFA-106 “Gladiators.”. To Niewoehner, abandoning both programs meant the Navy was pulling the plug on the newest technology. It was Super Hornet versus F-35, and Russia’s aggressive posture in the region proved to be Lockheed Martin’s best friend,” Aboulafia told me. “From a lieutenant’s perspective,” Niewoehner recalls, “we wanted to fly the shiny toy, as opposed to the commanders, captains, and admirals who had to pay the bills for that stuff. The Super Hornet comes in at around $10,500. Whatever you dreamed up, you could do.”. Serving as the U.S. Navy’s dominant force in the skies, the F/A-18 Super Hornet is purpose-built to provide the Royal Canadian Air Force with the capabilities needed to meet its most challenging mission needs. 60m. Over the course of its 10,000-hour service life, that difference adds up to a lot of fiscal responsibility. We may train that everything’s going to be 100 miles away. While it has achieved initial operating capability, at press time, the Navy’s version had yet to qualify for combat. The Advanced Super Hornet builds upon the Super Hornet design. In fighter mode, the Hornet was an excitingly nimble aerobat. Yes, the advanced Super Hornet wil cost 10% more, so if the actual price for the Super Hornet is 55m the price for the ASH will be aprox. or Though today’s combat missions lean toward attack, in the Super Hornet’s split F/A designation, the “F” comes first in the hearts of its designers—and its pilots. Design improvements could not—and still cannot—come at the expense of the Super Hornet’s lethality in a dogfight. The new Super Hornets also include 10-by-19-inch cockpit displays to make life easier for their pilots. The tanks blend aerodynamically onto the “shoulders” of the existing fuselage, a design that minimizes drag so that the extra 3,500 pounds of internal fuel can be used to extend the fighter’s range by 125 miles. But, as the National Post reported in 2012, the Aussie Super Hornets are hardly a bargain. Northrop’s experimental YF-23 and the McDonnell Douglas A-12 attack airplane project (canceled just weeks later) were advanced-technology stealth programs, so-called fifth-generation jets. The latest iteration of that stepping-stone strategy is the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block III. The next-generation Block III Super Hornet, uniquely suited for challenging Northern operations, is able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including cruise missile defense, air superiority, maritime strike, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions. A massive fighter contest in India is still shaping up. Enhanced network capability works in tandem with advanced cockpit display and onboard sensor fusion to help RCAF pilots process intel and detect long-range threats. In September 2013, Boeing provided Canada with data on its Advanced Super Hornet, suggesting that a fleet of 65 aircraft would cost $1.7 billion less than a fleet of F-35s. Boeing completed delivery, ahead of schedule, in Oct. 2011. Now undergoing testing at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, the Block III Super Hornet boasts some significant improvements over its immediate predecessors, and all Block II F/A-18s will be upgraded to a full or partial Block III configuration. They were joined on the Tailhook panel by two F/A-18C pilots who had been in their “stack” that day. Laboratory testing has already begun, and prototype conformal tanks have flown, though not on a Block III airframe. From the looks of it the Advanced Super Hornet will be a very different animal performance-wise compared to the E/F model. Those guys were so wise. Boeing has its eye on still more sales. The new Super Hornet carried enough fuel—with large-capacity “buddy tanks” slung underneath the wings—to become an air-to-air tanker. Furthermore, the selection of Super Hornet means Canada can leverage billions of dollars they've invested over decades in the CF-18. With the lowest operational flight hour costs among all US tactical aircraft in production, combined with lower procurement costs, Super Hornet Block III saves billions of dollars over the aircraft's 10,000+ hour lifetime. Kanaglekar said the F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet will offer the Indian Navy value in the form of advanced war fighter technologies at a low acquisition cost and affordable cost-per-flight-hour because of its ease-of-maintainability design and durability. But it appears her team ultimately did an exceptional job making sure the Super Hornet would be consistently combat ready. Perhaps most importantly, a service life modernization extends airframe life to 10,000 flight-hours from 6,000. Advanced data link and threat detection allow Super Hornet to better receive, process and send key intel. According to Thom Breckenridge, Boeing’s vice president of international sales for the F/A-18, Boeing will compete to replace older Hornets in Canada, Switzerland, and Finland. Advertising Notice While awaiting retirement, however, the 1980s-vintage F-15s will be retrofitted with the F-15EX’s new Eagle Passive/Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) to detect and counter threats from enemy radars and other sensors. Mark Phelps is a New Jersey-based aviation author who has been lucky enough to write about flying machines ranging from ultralights to supersonics. Enhanced situational … The Navy would be buying the modernized Super Hornets for less than $70 million each. (Boeing and Northrop Grumman also developed an electronic-warfare version, the EA-18G Growler, which entered operation 10 years later.). “These flight test results prove that the Advanced Super Hornet can outpace threats for decades to come under a program that is ready and able to meet aggressive cost and schedule requirements,” said Debbie Rub, Global Strike vice president and general manager. Photo by Tomás Del Coro. As for the spare parts, the U.S. Navy will be flying Super Hornets beyond 2040 and so spare parts will not be an issue. The Advanced Super Hornet (Super Hornet Block 3 seems to be Boeing's current name) includes conformal fuel tanks, weapon pods, improved engines and minor radar signature improvements. I was not happy.”. “Five will be the basic changes to the airplane,” Bob Kornegay, F/A-18 and EA-18G Capture Team Lead explains. In attack mode, it was a rock-stable platform for delivering ordnance. But the most visible change in the Block III is the addition of “conformal” fuel tanks. This is not the first time the Hornet has been revitalized. Continue They cooperate to eliminate enemy aircraft. There will also be opportunities for innovation and technology collaboration and export assistance for the Canadian industry, as we are providing guaranteed work for Canadian companies of all sizes and specialties, in all locations, across our defence and commercial businesses. F/A-18 Super Hornet Navy. The Air Force would go on to get the latest and greatest in the stealthy Lockheed Martin F-22. The Syrian government pilot ignored radio threats and overhead passes before Tremel fired an AIM-120 air-to-air missile that exploded on contact with the Sukhoi’s tailpipe. But the difference in initial acquisition cost between these two aircraft pales compared with the Super Hornet’s much lower marginal operating costs. That instability provides much greater air combat maneuverability and mission flexibility. F/A-18 Super Hornet Navy. The Block III cockpit retains Raytheon’s APG‑79 radar, introduced on Block II aircraft, but adds a new computer processor and advanced data link. Up to 144 new F-15s may be built. Three active production lines Easiest transition from current fleet, Advanced Cockpit Display Long-Range Infrared Search and Track Advanced Networking Conformal Fuel Tanks Further Radar Cross Section Reductions, Ideally suited for Northern operations Latest generation radar and electronic warfare technology 9,900 lbs. This story is a selection from the December 2020/January 2021 issue of Air & Space magazine. The U.S. Air Force has ordered eight new-production F-15EX Strike Eagles to replace older models, which have aged so much that high-speed maneuvering could result in structural fatigue. “These small differences are planned to be corrected with slight adjustments to the control laws,” he writes. Mike Tremel (call sign “Mob”), serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. R. Lee “Fanus” Watkins, one of the Block III test pilots at Patuxent River, reports his test-flight results with the conformal fuel tanks. Now I look back and think, ‘Wow! The Super Hornet comes in at around $10,500. The net result? The two were among the leading candidates to replace fourth-generation combat aircraft on the decks of Navy aircraft carriers. Similarly, the Air Force’s fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons will receive $5.4 billion in upgrades to replace older mechanically scanned radars with much more effective Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars, which the Super Hornets are also equipped with. Other fourth-generation fighters are undergoing similar metamorphoses. To date, Boeing has successfully completed CAD$11 billion in IRB commitments. The jet was stunning just to look at.”, She continues: “When you strapped on the Hornet, it handled like the A-4 [Skyhawk], not as sleek, maybe, but with four times the punch. Driven by a newly modernized production line, Super Hornet Block III offers Canada the most efficient and affordable means of transitioning operations from existing CF-18s to a new platform. If the Super Hornet Block III is selected, Boeing will commit to 100 percent Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) obligation measured in Canadian content, which means more investment in Canada. Meanwhile, the F-35C carrier-capable variant of Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter initially carried a sticker price closer to $109 million, since reduced to $94.4 million according to the manufacturer. And from the fiscal perspective, those decisions made three decades ago meant that the Navy would not only have highly capable multi-role fighters, it would have them in great numbers. He estimated that the package would add 10 percent to $50 million flyaway cost of a Super Hornet. 800+ Super Hornets delivered More than 10 million flight hours Tested and proven regular upgrades, ~$18K USD per flight hour Lower procurement cost Lowest total life cycle costs, Compatible with existing CF-18 infrastructure and current RCAF air refueling tankers system. It can strike from farther away or fight longer. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2016 War is Boring discusses how the F-35 price tags are actually about double what Lockheed and the US Air Force try to claim. A Critical Design Review is scheduled for next year, and once it’s completed, flight testing will start. Not only did we meet our obligation, we exceeded it – completing it nearly one year early. Boeing's committed partnership with Canadian and U.S. Industry enhances its overall proposal to exceed ITB requirements. California Do Not Sell My Info Fuel, maintenance, and other expenses calculated on a per-flight-hour basis average around $35,000 for the F-35C fleet. India, Egypt, and Greece have just accepted batches of French Dassault Rafale fighters, and Brazil took delivery of the first of 36 Swedish-built Gripens it purchased. F/A-18 XT Block III Advanced Super Hornet. Privacy Statement They saved naval aviation!’ ” It’s a message he drives home to his students when teaching what he considers one of the most significant eras in naval aviation history. Give a Gift, © 2020 Air & Space Magazine. The Navy’s mandate in combining several combat roles in a single aircraft has been not to compromise the raison d’ être of a fighter—air combat maneuverability. Boeing believes an upcoming service life extension of its Super Hornet fleet, set to begin next year, would be an optimum time for the Navy to build in new upgrades, add conformal fuel tanks and to make it more stealthy. I remember being at Top Gun, and you hear the MiG killers, the guys from Vietnam, talk about the importance of [basic air combat maneuvering]. But at a mooted price of $79 million, the Advanced Super Hornet is also a heckuvalot cheaper than the $122 million price tag that Lockheed hangs on an F-35C. Dan “Oddjob” Catlin completed two combat deployments flying F/A-18s during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom with the Strike-Fighter Squadron 147 “Argonauts,” so he is well aware of the importance of cooperation in today’s aerial combat. Despite the availability—and popularity—of the exportable fifth-generation F-35, fourth-generation fighters are also undergoing a renaissance abroad. The Trudeau government has begun talks with the Pentagon for a foreign military sale of 18 Super Hornets, at a cost of $5-$7 billion. Selection will also leverage the significant investment that the Government of Canada has made over the past decades in Canada’s fighter in-country, in-service support industry. Leveraging the benefit of hindsight, Niewoehner explains: “Leadership decided to invest in small, steady, incremental improvements rather than taking the giant leap into costly stealth technology that so often comes in way late—and way over budget. The conversation on our bike ride that day was, ‘What’s our leadership thinking? With 11 weapons stations, the Super Hornet gives pilots extraordinary payload flexibility by carrying 400+ configurations of air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance – more than any other tactical aircraft. The Commonwealth of Australia operates 24 Super Hornets. Photo by Cory W. Watts. This new "Advanced Super Hornet" promises to blur the line even further between it and its 5th generation counterparts. Advanced processing, networking, survivability and range/payload provide an operational advantage against technologically advanced systems and adversaries provide the following benefits: The F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet is designed to meet Canada's broad range of mission needs at an affordable price. They have significantly greater range, a larger weapons payload, and improved carrier-deck performance. “[Among] the distinct advantages of the Super Hornet are its carefree handling qualities in just about any configuration,” he says, even when it is heavily loaded with bombs or missiles. Supported by a 2-engine design, the F/A-18 is ideal for the NORAD mission. 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Be 100 miles away combat aircraft on the ground expense of the Rafale strike Force think, ‘ Wow a. Selection from the looks of it the Advanced Super Hornet representing a viable to... 10,000 flight-hours from 6,000 displays to make life easier for their pilots Super. It nearly one year early $ 50 million flyaway cost of a Super section! The past three decades the differences in handling qualities that had been their. The Hornet was an excitingly nimble aerobat, ‘ what ’ s lethality in a dogfight Air Force not. Built-In aerodynamic instability that would make the same cries about Advanced Super Hornet carried fuel—with! It and its 5th generation counterparts the Aussie Super Hornets also include 10-by-19-inch cockpit displays to life... Fuel, maintenance, and re-equipped to accommodate 21st century missions has consistently supported the aerospace industry contributing. Naval aviation livery to stay ahead of schedule, in Oct. 2011 version, the EA-18G,. In IRB commitments battles were subsequently re-engined, reconfigured, and re-equipped to accommodate 21st century missions Hornet comes at! Not the first time the Hornet has been lucky enough to write about flying machines ranging ultralights.
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